Program Officer, Community Solutions (CSP)

IREX•Washington, DC

3d•$57,200 - $72,000

About The Position

IREX is seeking an organized, solutions-oriented Program Officer to lead assigned workstreams across the full Community Solutions Program lifecycle. The role oversees program planning and delivery, including recruitment and selection, participant onboarding and support, U.S. practicums and regional engagement, curriculum and events, monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL), alumni programming, reporting, finance, procurement, and award compliance. The Program Officer manages work products and timelines, coordinates participants and partners, resolves routine implementation challenges, and guides junior team members. The position serves as a primary point of contact for applicants, reviewers, participants, alumni, host organizations, partners, vendors, consultants, speakers, and other stakeholders. It supports participant progress and well-being, maintains effective communication and documentation, and follows established escalation protocols for sensitive issues. The role also monitors workstream budgets and financial transactions, leads assigned procurement and contracting processes, maintains audit-ready records, and applies IREX and U.S. Government requirements. The Program Officer collaborates across program functions, provides day-to-day direction and quality review to assigned personnel, and improves tools and workflows. The position also contributes to program renewal and new business through research, program design, proposal content, budget review, partner identification, donor briefings, and use of program evidence and feedback. Occasional early-morning, evening, or weekend activities and domestic and international travel may be required.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree and a minimum of three years of relevant professional experience supporting international exchange, leadership development, workforce or economic development, education, youth, fellowship, or other donor-funded or participant-centered programs.
Demonstrated experience managing projects, events, partnerships, participant-facing activities, or operational functions with increasing levels of responsibility.
Ability to independently manage multiple program workstreams, prioritize competing deadlines, solve routine problems, and deliver high-quality results with limited supervision.
Strong project management, organizational, and problem-solving skills, including developing and monitoring work plans, timelines, budgets, risks, and deliverables; anticipating challenges; recommending solutions; and adapting to changing needs.
Excellent written, oral, and relationship-management skills, including drafting and editing professional materials, facilitating meetings and trainings, and building productive relationships across cultural, professional, and geographic contexts.
Judgment, discretion, and responsiveness when supporting participants and stakeholders and handling confidential, sensitive, or time-critical information.
Experience managing several program functions, such as recruitment and selection, participant advising, partner engagement, events and travel, curriculum delivery, MEL, alumni programming, reporting, finance, procurement, or grants administration.
Experience implementing international exchange, leadership development, workforce or economic development, education, fellowship, youth, or other donor-funded or participant-centered programs.
Experience planning and implementing virtual and in-person events, trainings, workshops, orientations, and professional learning activities.
Experience providing guidance, coaching, or work direction to junior staff, interns, consultants, volunteers, or external partners.
Proficiency with Microsoft 365 applications, including Copilot, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams, and SharePoint, and ability to learn and manage program, survey, learning, and financial systems.
Ability to support occasional early-morning, evening, or weekend program activities and travel domestically and internationally as required.

Nice To Haves

Experience with U.S. Government-funded programs and familiarity with applicable compliance, procurement, financial management, documentation, and reporting requirements.
Experience using Canvas to support online learning activities and Canva to develop clear, accessible program and participant-facing materials.

Responsibilities

Lead assigned program workstreams from planning through closeout, ensuring timely, accurate, and thoughtful delivery.
Manage recruitment and selection, participant onboarding, travel and visas, mobile phone and emergency communication support, U.S. practicums, curriculum, learning platforms, events, MEL, communications, alumni engagement, and reporting processes.
Develop and maintain work plans, timelines, risk and issue logs, standard operating procedures, systems, records, and donor deliverables.
Monitor dependencies and quality, resolve routine implementation issues, recommend adjustments, and escalate unusual, sensitive, or high-risk matters.
Serve as a primary contact for applicants, reviewers, participants, alumni, host organizations, partners, vendors, consultants, speakers, and other stakeholders.
Provide guidance, lead routine meetings and briefings, coordinate onboarding and deliverables, and manage follow-up through accurate documentation and communication.
Support participant progress and well-being and apply escalation protocols for safety, health, safeguarding, conduct, or other sensitive concerns.
Build relationships across U.S. and international communities and help partners connect their work to program goals and participant learning.
Develop and monitor budgets for assigned workstreams, events, participant support, travel, and procurement.
Prepare and review payments, participant support funds, travel documents, vendor and consultant records, reconciliations, forecasts, and other financial transactions.
Lead assigned procurement and contracting processes, maintain audit-ready documentation, monitor vendor deliverables and payments, and address documentation gaps or discrepancies.
Apply IREX and U.S. Government requirements and promptly elevate potential financial, safeguarding, data, or compliance risks.
Coordinate with colleagues across participant support, recruitment, host engagement, curriculum, events, MEL, alumni programming, communications, finance, travel, operations, and program leadership.
Provide day-to-day direction, coaching, quality review, and workload coordination for personnel assigned to workstreams; delegate tasks with clear outcomes and deadlines.
Improve tools, templates, procedures, and workflows to increase consistency, efficiency, compliance, and service quality.
Support program renewal and new business through research, program design contributions, proposal and past-performance content, budget review, supporting documents, and identification of prospective partners or consultants.
Prepare donor briefings, responses to information requests, program updates, and meeting follow-up as assigned.
Use program evidence, stakeholder feedback, and lessons learned to strengthen implementation and inform future programming and partnerships.