Operations Lead, IVLP (Hybrid)

IIE•Washington DC, WA

7d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Institute of International Education (IIE) is hiring an Operations Lead for the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP). The IVLP is the U.S. Department of State's premier professional exchange program, designed to provide current and emerging foreign leaders with firsthand experience of the U.S. and foster lasting relationships with American counterparts through short-term visits. The Operations Lead, IVLP, provides financial, logistical, and administrative leadership for IVLP project implementation, directly supervising a small team. This role oversees operational processes for project logistics, travel, financial administration, participant support, vendor management, and data management, ensuring adherence to sponsor, local government, and organizational guidelines. The position is the primary leader for coordination, ensuring high-quality operational support and fostering collaboration within the IVLP team. Responsibilities include day-to-day coordination, guidance on complex operational issues, staff development, and process improvement. This position is contingent on funding.

Requirements

Requires a Bachelor's degree and at least five years of related work experience, or combination education and experience.
Managerial experience preferred.
Experience in projects and tasks involving complex details which require well-developed organizational, time-management and administrative skills.
Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, both oral and written.
Ability to read and interpret documents such as contracts, policy and procedure manuals and write complex reports and correspondence.
Ability to interact with all levels of staff and external contacts; sensitive to cultural differences when working with people from other cultures.
Ability to resolve conflict/challenging situations that may arise before and during the program to ensure the most viable solution for the participants, U.S. Department of State and IIE.
Ability to easily adapt to changing organizational, program and sponsor needs and a fast-paced work environment; work independently without close supervision and as part of a team.
Ability to work effectively under pressure of deadlines.
Familiarity with general office administration, information management systems, government contract compliance, including OMB super circular, budgeting and budget monitoring.
Proficiency with MS Office applications including Word, Excel and Outlook.
Willingness and availability to travel within the United States.
Excellent presentation and delivery skills.

Responsibilities

Oversees and performs the preparation of financial and program documents using organizational and sponsor databases; ensures participant, financial, and project data are maintained accurately and in accordance with established procedures.
Coordinates with hotels, restaurants, transportation providers, and other vendors regarding rates, reservations, event management, procurement, and invoice processing.
Makes formal presentations to IVLP participants regarding financial, logistical, and administrative aspects of projects and ensures compliance with program requirements.
Communicates program policies, procedures, and operational guidance to internal and external stakeholders.
Troubleshoots and resolves logistical, financial, travel, participant support, and emergency-related issues.
Provides direct supervision, leadership, and performance management for a small team.
Conducts regular one-on-one meetings, performance evaluations, and professional development conversations with their team.
Distributes workloads and monitors team capacity to ensure timely and accurate project support across all assigned projects.
Reviews operational processes, deliverables, financial transactions, travel arrangements, and project documentation to ensure quality and compliance.
Serves as the primary escalation point for complex logistical, financial, travel, vendor, and participant support issues.
Gives guidance to their team on managing operational systems, reporting, data integrity, and process improvement initiatives.
Collaborates closely across the IVLP team to ensure they are working effectively together, responsibilities are appropriately aligned, workloads are balanced, and projects receive the operational support required for successful implementation.
Provides operational updates, staffing insights, risk assessments, and recommendations to department leadership.