Project Director

IREX•Washington, DC

8d•Onsite

About The Position

IREX is seeking an experienced Project Director to lead a complex portfolio of international academic and professional exchange activities. The Project Director provides strategic leadership and operational oversight for a large, multi-component international exchange portfolio. The Project Director leads a multidisciplinary team, serves as a senior point of contact for funders and partners, and ensures high-quality participant experiences, sound financial stewardship, regulatory compliance, and measurable results. This role is ideal for a collaborative, solutions-oriented leader who builds trust across differences, translates strategy into action, anticipates challenges, adapts to changing priorities, and uses data and feedback to improve program quality.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in international affairs, public policy, education, international development, or a related field required; master's degree preferred. A combination of education and substantial relevant experience may be considered.
Minimum of 8 to 10 years of progressively responsible experience managing international education, exchange, leadership development, public diplomacy, or comparable complex programs.
Demonstrated experience managing U.S. Government-funded programs; experience with U.S. Department of State-funded exchange programs strongly preferred.
Proven experience supervising, coaching, and motivating multidisciplinary teams and working across groups and functions toward shared goals.
Experience overseeing large, multi-year budgets and ensuring compliance with U.S. Government grant or cooperative agreement requirements.
Demonstrated knowledge of international exchange operations, including participant recruitment and selection, host institution management, academic or professional placements, participant support, alumni engagement, and monitoring and evaluation.
Experience managing complex or sensitive situations with tact and diplomacy, identifying and escalating risks appropriately, and exercising patience, resourcefulness, and sound judgment.
Demonstrated ability to plan strategically and creatively, anticipate challenges, move ideas into action, and generate practical solutions.
Demonstrated ability to manage time, adapt quickly, and maintain accuracy while balancing multiple priorities and strict deadlines.
Ability to build trust across differences and communicate effectively with funders, government stakeholders, universities, professional partners, participants, and colleagues across cultures and functions.
Experience using data and feedback to support adaptive management, quality assurance, and continuous improvement.
Unrestricted authorization to work in the United States.
This position is not eligible for immigration sponsorship.
IREX conducts background checks on all successful candidates.

Nice To Haves

Experience with J-1 Exchange Visitor Program regulations and SEVIS preferred.
Familiarity with technology-enabled program delivery, data visualization, online learning platforms, Salesforce or comparable systems, or responsible AI applications preferred.
Ability to work independently and as a collaborative team member, consistently demonstrating initiative, flexibility, authenticity, and professionalism.
Willingness to travel domestically and internationally and to support occasional evening or weekend program activities, as needed.

Responsibilities

Provide overall direction for the portfolio, setting clear priorities and ensuring timely, high-quality, and cost-effective implementation.
Serve as a senior point of contact for funders and external stakeholders, maintaining proactive communication and aligning implementation with award requirements, program objectives, and evolving priorities.
Lead annual planning, work planning, risk management, and coordination across program, finance, operations, monitoring and evaluation, communications, and other organizational functions.
Oversee participant recruitment, selection, placement, onboarding, monitoring, and support in coordination with relevant partners, applying transparent, consistent, and compliant procedures.
Ensure participants receive customized academic and professional experiences, responsive advising and wellbeing support, meaningful connections with U.S. higher education institutions and professionals, and effective preparation for continued engagement after the exchange.
Ensure compliance with J-1 visa and SEVIS requirements, health and safety protocols, travel and stipend administration, and timely escalation and resolution of participant issues.
Oversee monitoring, evaluation, and learning, using quantitative and qualitative data, partner feedback, and performance dashboards to inform decisions and strengthen program quality.
Guide the recruitment, selection, onboarding, and performance management of U.S. higher education institutions and other implementation partners, with a focus on program quality, participant experience, cost-effectiveness, and continuous improvement.
Build productive relationships with government stakeholders, higher education institutions, professional organizations, private-sector partners, and alumni networks, and represent IREX in external forums.
Guide clear, outcome-focused communications, reports, and other deliverables that meet funder requirements and convey participant, partner, and alumni results.
Supervise, coach, and motivate a multidisciplinary team; establish clear roles and accountability; and foster a collaborative, adaptive, and results-oriented team culture.
Oversee budgets, forecasting, subawards, procurement, and resource allocation, ensuring sound fiscal management and compliance with federal regulations and award requirements.
Identify and implement workflow improvements that increase efficiency, reduce duplication, strengthen coordination, and support consistent service to participants and partners.
Champion the appropriate, secure, and human-centered use of technology and AI-enabled tools to improve efficiency, data quality, decision-making, and participant and partner support.
Contribute to organizational learning, proposal development, partner engagement, and other duties as assigned.