Program Manager

Indigo Research

10d

About The Position

The International Research Olympiad (IRO) is a global STEM competition for students aged 13–18 that assesses research ability. Participants from more than 89 countries have taken part. IRO develops scientific-process knowledge, creativity, critical thinking and analysis, and is supported by a Board of Advisors and partner organizations. Its student programs include IRO Clubs and the IRO Ambassador program. The Program Manager is the full-time owner of IRO’s growth and day-to-day operations. The role is accountable for increasing registrations and paid participation, developing partnerships, clubs and community, and delivering a smooth competition as it scales. This is a hands-on role working with IRO leadership, the Board of Advisors, partner organizations, ambassadors and schools. The role covers mentor recruitment and support; competition-cycle and in-person Finals operations; Board communications and coordination; and reporting on registrations, revenue, partnerships and participant outcomes. The position also builds processes to support higher event volumes while maintaining quality.

Requirements

1–3 years of experience in partnerships, program operations, events or growth.
Experience conducting outreach to schools, educators or organizations and following through to signed partnerships.
Experience planning and running in-person events, ideally for students or international attendees.
Experience supporting a board, advisory group or senior stakeholders, including meetings and communications.
Experience coordinating multi-stakeholder projects with fixed deadlines.

Nice To Haves

Background in education, research, STEM, competitions or youth programming.
Experience in research competitions or olympiads, as a participant or organizer.

Responsibilities

Identify current and future mentor shortages in specific disciplines.
Lead end-to-end mentor recruitment, including drafting job descriptions, posting roles, proactive sourcing, interviewing, and sending offers and contracts.
Train and onboard mentors, and hold regular quality review meetings to discuss performance, share best practices and drive improvement.
Coordinate the competition cycle, including registration, online rounds, the in-person Finals, results, awards and certificates.
Keep practice exams, curriculum resources and rules up to date for students and teachers.
Provide timely support to students, parents, teachers and partners throughout the competition cycle.
Own logistics for the in-person IRO Finals, from venue selection and contracting through event day.
Manage the Finals budget and vendors, catering, AV, signage, printed materials and awards.
Coordinate finalist communications, including invitations, registration, travel and accommodation guidance, visa letters and on-site schedules.
Plan the Finals program—including the exam, presentations, judging, ceremonies and networking—with advisors, judges, partners and volunteers.
Ensure student safety and wellbeing on site, including chaperone requirements, consent forms and emergency procedures.
Build processes and conduct post-event reviews to support higher competition and Finals volumes without compromising quality.
Serve as the main point of contact for the Board of Advisors and manage Board communications, onboarding and day-to-day relationships.
Plan and run Board meetings, including scheduling, agendas, briefing materials, minutes and action-item follow-up.
Coordinate Board involvement in exam and question review, judging, awards and the Finals.
Recruit and onboard new advisors as IRO grows, and keep Board profiles and public listings up to date.
Provide regular Board updates on registrations, results, partnerships and key decisions.
Create dashboards and regular reports on registrations, revenue and partner performance for IRO leadership and the Board.
Track participant data accurately so outcomes, alumni and partner impact can be measured over time.
Grow registrations and paid participation, and develop partnerships, clubs and community into a repeatable growth engine.