Senior Director of Program Development

CULTURAL EXPERIENCES ABROAD LLC•Phoenix, AZ

4d•$100,000 - $110,000•Hybrid

About The Position

As the Senior Director of Program Development, you will lead cross-departmental collaboration to design and deliver innovative, high-quality academic programs aligned with institutional partner needs. Success in this role requires a deep understanding of higher education and the ability to translate partner priorities into effective program models and solutions. The Senior Director oversees program development workflows and project plans, coordinating execution across globally dispersed teams. As a hands-on leader, you will manage a portfolio of programs while motivating and guiding a team to achieve established annual objectives. This role is both strategic and operational, requiring creativity, strong problem-solving skills, and a solution-oriented mindset to effectively serve internal and external stakeholders. The Senior Director establishes frameworks, standards, and best practices for university engagement, program design, and team training. As a collaborative member of the Program Development & Innovation team, you will support the Chief Innovation Officer in shaping and advancing long-term innovation strategies, providing insights, resources, and leadership to drive continuous improvement and growth.

Requirements

Master’s degree required
8+ years of progressively responsible experience designing study abroad programs
5+ years of progressively responsible experience managing department- or campus-wide curriculum integration initiatives
Experience living, working, or studying abroad
Demonstrated experience working effectively with faculty, university administrators, and international colleagues using proactive training and strong listening skills
Expertise in educational theory, curriculum design, and the alignment of programs to academic standards and learning outcomes
Knowledge of best practices and trends in education abroad, with strong research and analytical skills to inform program design
Evidence of strong organizational, problem-solving, and project management skills
Excellent intercultural communication skills, both written and verbal
Strong writing skills, including experience preparing proposals and reports
Comfortable and effective working in both business and academic environments
Resourceful, action-oriented, and able to work with a strong sense of urgency
Commitment to providing timely, reliable support and follow-through to internal and external stakeholders
Flexibility and adaptability in a rapidly changing, entrepreneurial environment

Responsibilities

Establish annual development strategies with the Chief Innovation Officer, inclusive of curricular and geographic priorities
Build project plans to achieve established strategies and set a launch calendar in collaboration with cross-functional leaders
Manage development workflows, assigning projects to members of the Program Development team and select global colleagues, and lead efforts to meet established deadlines
Establish a framework and cadence for regular reporting and project status updates to key internal stakeholders including but not limited to Global Operations, Academic Affairs, Enrollment, Marketing, Institutional Relations and the Executive Leadership Team
Manage the Program Development team, setting goals for the team on an annual basis and regularly managing progress to goals
Liaise regularly with leaders in Institutional Relations, Academic Relations and Global Operations to ensure knowledge of and alignment on all development initiatives
Model and lead the Program Development team with core development processes: Monitoring market trends in higher education and the competitive landscape, and presenting research on emerging trends; Engaging U.S. institutional personnel and faculty via strategic calls and campus visits to understand their curricular needs as related to study abroad and institutional goals; Leading focus groups to explore institutional requirements/preferences and to identify synergies across institutions; Engaging onsite academic and operational teams to ensure feasibility and financial viability of new development initiatives; Analyzing historical and institutional data to guide recommendations on the development of new CEA CAPA curriculum, programs, and locations; Coordinating the design and launch of approved programs, inclusive of pricing, syllabi creation and database management
Lead the identification and resolution of complex, cross-functional challenges by designing and implementing scalable, programmatic solutions
Recommend new curriculum, programs and products to the CIO for review and approval
Serve as internal lead for select CEA CAPA Advisory Board Committees
Oversee the maintenance and data integrity of the CEA CAPA standard program portfolio, including term launches and routine updates based on information from global partners
Lead efforts to develop and implement a framework for new product training in collaboration with key leaders in the Go-To-Market (GTM) and Global Operations teams
Serve as a subject matter expert on new development initiatives to internal and external stakeholders, and lead the team in support of GTM efforts to build awareness and grow our partnerships through proposals, presentations and other account strategies
Develop session proposals in collaboration with U.S. institutions that elevate CEA CAPA’s brand and programming and participate in industry conferences
Engage regularly with other leaders within the Program Development & Innovation team, support shared objectives and work together toward continuous improvement of workflows
Support the Chief Innovation Officer with the development of a multi-year innovation roadmap