Senior Program Officer-540054

Description

The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, Office of Global Educational Programs, Humphrey Fellowships and Institutional Linkages Branch (ECA/A/S/U) has a requirement for a full-time position as a Senior Program Officer.

A Senior Program Officer in the Office of Global Educational Programs in the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs is required to perform a wide variety of duties necessary to oversee aspects of international exchange programming and to specially support activities within a global or topical portfolio. The Senior Program Officer is tasked with the promotion and implementation of international educational exchange programs. At the full performance levels, the Senior Program Officer plans, designs, administers, and evaluates international academic exchange programs that are tailored to meet and respond to unique political, foreign policy, and public diplomacy goals. The Senior Program Officer will provide support to top-level officials and domestic/foreign stakeholders through the preparation of briefing papers, memoranda, talking points, speeches and other documents on exchange activities and providing support to management; by remaining abreast of polices or developments with the potential to adversely impact exchange activities; developing and maintaining liaisons with all stakeholders to build effective relationships in support of the bureau's strategic goal of promoting international understanding; establishing and monitoring program budgets and cooperative agreements according to DOS financial management standards; monitoring, evaluating, and reporting on relevant program activities and funding; and participate in workshops, orientations, and at meetings with government representatives, implementing partners, and the public. The Senior Program Officer may have partial responsibility for monitoring one or more awards focusing on aspects of international exchange. The Senior Program Officer will primarily support the Humphrey and Institutional Linkages Branch, with secondary responsibilities for the Office of Global Educational Programs.

Job Duties:

ECA's Humphrey Fellowships and Institutional Linkages Branch is responsible for planning, overseeing, and recommending policy for academic exchanges with a wide range of U.S. higher education institutions including undergraduate two-year institutions as well as research universities. The Branch works in cooperation with DOS bureaus, program agencies, overseas binational Fulbright Commissions, and posts to administer these programs. Many of these countries are strategic priorities for the U.S. Department of State and remain at the forefront of our U.S. foreign relations. The following are the duties and responsibilities of this position:

• Perform a wide variety of duties necessary to planning and implementing exchange programs in coordination with regional bureaus, other bureau offices, program agencies, and posts.
• Provide support to the top-level officials and domestic/foreign stakeholders, such as preparing briefing papers, memoranda, talking points, speeches and other documents on exchange activities and providing support to management.
• Duties may include reviewing and recommending actions for management and analysis of budgets and cooperative agreements.
• The position may be called on to respond to short-term projects related to specific office-wide priority areas such as strategic communications initiatives, alumni activities and follow-on programming, conferences and/or workshops on relevant foreign policy areas, and the production of specialized reports.
• The staff contractor may be called on to coordinate across office on program data, including providing input on data management policies, implementing data management best practices, and utilization of bureau-wide data platforms in order to maintain data integrity.
• The staff contractor may be required to coordinate across the office in response to daily calls for information or taskings and provide appropriate high-level summaries of key information.
• Duties may also include office-wide program support related to administrative matters, including the scheduling of events, trainings, and travel, office-wide mailings, records retention, and other logistical support.
• The contractor will keep the Branch Chief appraised of issues or challenges related to the areas of responsibility.
• The staff contractor will support the department in daily engagements with cooperating partners, Fulbright Commissions, interagency partners, and with the public; the contractor will be expected to share expertise on matters related to higher education, foreign policy and international affairs, student mobility, and international educational exchange.
• Activities, project plans, and deliverables will be confirmed and prioritized as agreed upon between the staff contractor and ECA COR and Deputy Director and/or Branch Chief.

Requirements

• Education and/or work experience related to international cultural or educational exchanges, an/or other types of international study, programming or activities.
• Experience with U.S. government and State Department administrative policies and procedures as they pertain to financial, grants, procurement, and operational management of international exchange programs.
• Ability to interact with people of all nationalities/genders/abilities/sexual orientations/etc. in a culturally sensitive manner.
• Ability to work with database applications.
• Demonstrated skills or knowledge of global internet access and research capabilities.
• Experience in program administration, operating procedures, oversight and monitoring.
• Facility with standard software, including the complete Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint, SharePoint), and an ability to learn and work with other software, as well as database applications.
• Excellent, timely and precise organizational skills and multi-taking abilities.
• Excellent critical and creative thinking and analytical skills.
• Excellent ability to work independently, with minimal supervision, and multi-task in a high volume, fast-paced work environment.
• Excellent ability to also have a flexible, team-oriented approach to work.
• Excellent ability to build and maintain strong working relationships with colleagues.
• Significant familiarity or direct experience in international educational and cultural exchanges, or other types of international programming or activities.
• Significant familiarity or direct experience in working for the Department and ECA.
• Knowledge of legislative authorities governing ECA grants administration, as well as ECA grants procedures and program monitoring, is highly desirable.

SPECIAL KNOWLEDGE REQUIREMENTS:

• Ability to obtain and maintain a security clearance at the Secret level.
• A Bachelor's Degree or higher is required for this position.
• A minimum of three (3) years of related professional work experience is required for this position.