Project Director – English Language Fellow, Specialist, and Virtual Educator Programs (ELFSVEP)

IREX•Washington, DC

About The Position

IREX seeks an experienced Project Director to lead implementation of the anticipated English Language Fellow, Specialist, and Virtual Educator Programs (ELFSVEP), funded by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA). The ELFSVEP portfolio places highly qualified U.S. English language educators in assignments worldwide, both in-person and virtually, to strengthen English language education, support teacher professional development, and advance U.S. public diplomacy priorities through educational engagement. The Project Director will provide strategic leadership and operational oversight for this complex international exchange initiative. The role will oversee recruitment and management of participant pools, support matching of educators to embassy-developed projects, coordinate closely with U.S. embassies and Regional English Language Officers (RELOs), and ensure high-quality program implementation in alignment with ECA priorities and U.S. foreign policy objectives. The Project Director will serve as the primary liaison with ECA, manage a multidisciplinary program team, oversee program monitoring and evaluation, and ensure compliance with federal grant requirements.

Requirements

Master’s degree in TESOL, applied linguistics, English language education, or a related field strongly preferred.
Demonstrated understanding of English language education, teacher professional development, and TESOL-related programming in international contexts.
8+ years of progressive experience managing international education, professional exchange, or public diplomacy programs.
Demonstrated experience working with U.S. Department of State or other U.S. government-funded programs; ECA experience strongly preferred.
Minimum of four years of supervisory experience managing multidisciplinary teams.
Demonstrated experience overseeing complex international programs, including participant recruitment, placement, and program operations.
Experience managing multimillion-dollar budgets and ensuring compliance with federal grant or cooperative agreement requirements.
Strong leadership, organizational, and communication skills.
Experience working with global participants and cross-cultural teams.
Willingness to travel domestically and internationally as required.

Nice To Haves

International experience strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

Lead all aspects of ELFSVEP program implementation to ensure timely and high-quality delivery of program activities across the Fellow, Specialist, and Virtual Educator programs.
Serve as the primary liaison to ECA and maintain proactive communication with ECA program officers and other key stakeholders.
Oversee national recruitment, application review, and management of participant pools of qualified U.S. English language educators.
Guide processes for matching program participants with projects developed by U.S. embassies and host institutions worldwide.
Coordinate closely with U.S. embassies, Regional English Language Officers (RELOs), and host institutions to support successful project implementation.
Provide strategic oversight for participant preparation, onboarding, deployment, and ongoing support throughout assignments.
Supervise program staff responsible for recruitment, participant support, outreach, logistics, program monitoring, and reporting.
Oversee program budgets and ensure compliance with federal regulations and cooperative agreement requirements.
Guide program monitoring, evaluation, and learning activities in alignment with ECA’s MODE framework and incorporate findings into program improvements.
Maintain strong relationships with professional networks, TESOL communities, educational institutions, and other partners supporting program recruitment and outreach.
Ensure timely development and submission of required program materials including reports, budgets, and program documentation.
Represent IREX and program activities within relevant professional networks and external stakeholder communities.
Perform other duties as assigned.