Project Director-YSEALI AFP

IREX•Washington, DC

8d•Onsite

About The Position

IREX seeks qualified Project Director candidates to lead the U.S. Department of State-funded Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative Academic Fellows Program (YSEALI AFP), which supports approximately 185 undergraduate students and recent graduates from ASEAN member states through eight approximately five-week institutes—four in spring 2027 and four in fall 2027—organized around four themes: Economic Prosperity, Liberty and Freedom, Natural Resources, and Peace and Security. The program includes an approximately four-week academic residency at a U.S. college or university campus, an integrated academic field experience, and up to two YSEALI AFP Fellows Forums in Washington, DC. In close coordination with the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA), the Project Director will serve as ECA’s primary point of contact and oversee all institutes, ensuring continuity and consistency across program design and implementation. The Project Director will coordinate logistical and administrative arrangements; support recruitment, application, placement, and selection processes in coordination with U.S. embassies, consulates, and ECA; oversee subaward partners and the planning of up to two YSEALI AFP Fellows Forums in Washington, DC; and lead follow-on programming, including alumni engagement and Reciprocal Exchange opportunities for up to 25 U.S. citizen students or young professionals to collaborate with YSEALI AFP alumni in Southeast Asia. The position is based in Washington, DC. Candidates must have legal authorization to work in the United States. This position is contingent on funding

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in international education, international development, political science, public administration, or a related field required; Master’s degree preferred.
At least 10 years of progressive program management and leadership experience implementing international exchange, education, leadership development, alumni engagement, and/or professional development programs.
Demonstrated experience managing complex, multi-site, partner-delivered programs, preferably with multiple subaward or institutional partners.
Experience managing U.S. government-funded grants or cooperative agreements required; experience with the U.S. Department of State and/or the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) strongly preferred.
Experience coordinating with U.S. embassies, consulates, donor representatives, and institutional partners preferred.
Minimum of five years of experience supervising teams and managing staff at varying levels, including coaching and performance management.
Experience with subaward management, procurement, and budget development and monitoring required; familiarity with 2 CFR 200 and related federal compliance requirements strongly preferred.
Experience overseeing participant health, safety, and risk management for international exchange or mobility programs preferred.
Experience with J-1 visa regulations, SEVIS, and/or oversight of exchange visitor compliance functions preferred.
Experience overseeing online application systems, participant databases, portals, or other digital platforms, including management of sensitive participant data and protection of PII, preferred.
Experience with monitoring, evaluation, and learning for donor-funded programs required; familiarity with the ECA MODE Framework or similar performance monitoring systems preferred.
Experience designing and implementing large-scale virtual and in-person program events, trainings, and workshops preferred.
Experience supporting the start-up of new awards or major new program phases preferred.
Strong interpersonal, cross-cultural, writing, and communication skills.
Demonstrated understanding of Southeast Asia and recent developments in the region required; field experience in one or more YSEALI-participating countries preferred.

Responsibilities

Direct all aspects of program implementation to ensure timely, accurate, and thoughtful delivery of high-quality programming across eight institutes implemented in two cycles (four in spring 2027 and four in fall 2027), as well as up to two YSEALI AFP Fellows Forums in Washington, DC.
Serve as the principal liaison to the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) and as ECA’s primary point of contact for the program.
Develop and manage the cross-program work plan to ensure continuity, consistency, and quality across all institutes and alignment with ECA priorities and guidance.
Oversee programmatic and administrative management of all institutes, including regular coordination with subaward partners, review of academic content and program materials, and monitoring of implementation quality across sites.
Oversee the invitational competition, onboarding, and monitoring of subaward partner institutions, and lead annual subaward partner briefings in coordination with ECA.
Support recruitment, application, nomination, selection, and placement processes for Fellows in coordination with U.S. embassies, consulates, and ECA, with ECA retaining final approval of participant selection and placement.
Oversee Fellow placement across institutes by theme and ensure consistency, academic coherence, participant support, logistics, and compliance across all sites.
Provide strategic guidance on the design and delivery of institute curricula, academic field experiences, alumni programming, virtual and in-person trainings, and workshops in coordination with subaward partner academic leadership.
Lead the team in developing and implementing participant health, safety, and emergency response protocols, including contingency planning for public health or other disruptions and consultation with ECA on serious incidents.
Oversee secure online systems for applicant, Fellow, and alumni data; ensure appropriate stakeholder access while safeguarding personally identifiable information (PII) and maintaining compatibility with ECA systems.
Oversee the development and maintenance of the online application system, Fellowship portal, and related participant-facing digital tools and pre-departure materials.
Ensure that outreach materials, program communications, and branding comply with Department of State and ECA guidance and are submitted for review and approval as required.
Oversee reciprocal exchange and follow-on programming, including alumni activities and an open competition for up to 25 U.S. citizen students or young professionals to collaborate with YSEALI AFP alumni in Southeast Asia.
Develop and monitor the project budget and pipeline to support cost-effective delivery across subaward partners and overall program components.
Lead performance monitoring and learning efforts in accordance with the ECA MODE Framework, including development and oversight of the monitoring plan, analysis of results, and use of data to strengthen program design and implementation.
Oversee timely preparation of high-quality program reports, updates, evaluations, and technical inputs for donor and internal audiences.
Conduct or supervise regular check-ins and site visits, including virtual and in-person visits, as appropriate.
Oversee J-visa compliance functions in coordination with appropriate operational staff, including the issuance, handling, and safeguarding of DS-2019 forms and related participant records.
Supervise and coach a team to successfully implement the program and guide team learning, decision-making, and strategic direction.
Represent IREX internally and externally with donors, U.S. Embassy representatives, partners, and other stakeholders.
Contribute to proposal development, including technical inputs, attachments, budgets, and other materials for future YSEALI-related submissions, as needed.
Perform other duties as assigned.