Senior Program Officer

World Learning•Brattleboro, VT

5d•Hybrid

About The Position

World Learning seeks a Senior Program Officer to lead the U.S. Department of State–funded Youth Ambassadors – Western Hemisphere (YA-WHA) program. The program brings high school youth and adult mentors from across North, Central, and South America and the Caribbean to the United States alongside American peers for a leadership exchange combining virtual programming, a U.S. exchange, and a structured follow-on period. The Senior Program Officer leads program design and delivery, manages the day-to-day relationship with the Department of State program office and U.S. Embassies in participating countries, oversees the award budget and compliance, and leads funder reporting. The role supervises and develops YA-WHA staff, onboards new team members, and serves as a senior member of the on-call team during program season. The portfolio of programs and countries may change based on funding and U.S. Government priorities. The position is part of World Learning’s Global Programs unit, which designs, implements, monitors, and evaluates global exchange and education programs with donors including the U.S. Department of State. The unit prioritizes experiential programs grounded in theory and proven in practice. The role oversees the full YA-WHA program cycle, including virtual engagement, orientations, host community and Washington, DC segments, and follow-on activities. It oversees participant curriculum, partner relationships, recruitment and selection, program operations, monitoring and evaluation, risk management, and budget administration. The Senior Program Officer supervises the Program Officer, provides dotted-line direction to the Program Coordinator in coordination with the Senior Program Officer, Outbound, and contributes to business development for Western Hemisphere programming. The position is remote or hybrid and based in Vermont. It is full-time, with an anticipated start date of November 30, 2026. The salary range is $65,000–$75,000.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience.
At least six years of related work experience.
Must be authorized to work in the location where the position is based.
Demonstrated people-management and project-management skills, including supervising and developing staff.
Demonstrated experience managing U.S. Government-funded grants, including budget oversight, compliance, and funder reporting.
Demonstrated experience organizing logistics for international travel and events, ideally for youth participants.
Experience monitoring and evaluating projects.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English, including report writing and professional communication with government officials and partners.
Ability to adapt to change and make decisions in ambiguous situations.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office, cloud-based document management, and online project management tools.
Willingness to work outside regular business hours, including on-call shifts during program season.
Collaborative and resourceful approach to teamwork.
Commitment to continuous learning and improvement through program monitoring, data tracking, and reflection.
Curiosity about World Learning and willingness to represent the organization effectively to external audiences.
Dedication to organizational business development targets through program implementation and relationship building.
Ability to build trusted relationships with funders, embassies, and partners and communicate proactively when issues arise.
Ability to develop others through clear delegation, coaching, and knowledge sharing.

Nice To Haves

Experience implementing U.S. Department of State–funded exchange programs is valued.
A master’s degree in a related field is valued.
Professional proficiency in Spanish is strongly preferred; French proficiency is a plus.
International or cross-cultural experience, particularly in Latin America or the Caribbean.
Understanding of experiential education and youth leadership development pedagogies.
Experience with virtual exchange programming and digital collaboration platforms.
Familiarity with U.S. Government procurement policies and grant management.
Experience working with remote and international teams.

Responsibilities

Lead the YA-WHA award and ensure program quality, deliverables, timelines, and budget across the full program cycle.
Manage the day-to-day relationship with the U.S. Department of State program office and keep the Director of Youth Programming informed of issues.
Build and maintain relationships with U.S. Embassies and consulates in participating Western Hemisphere countries, coordinating recruitment, selection, orientations, and alumni engagement.
Secure required Department of State approvals for selection criteria, recruitment and promotional materials, participant and alternate lists, activity calendars, virtual exchange components, and key personnel changes.
Ensure compliance with the award, Department of State requirements, and World Learning policies, and establish consistent staff processes.
Lead preparation and timely submission of funder reports, coordinating staff contributions and submitting drafts to the Director of Youth Programming for final review.
Maintain awareness of current issues, risks, and trends across participating countries and share relevant context with the program team.
Lead the design and delivery of the YA-WHA program cycle, including virtual engagement, pre-departure orientations, welcome orientation, host community segments, the Washington, DC synthesis segment, and follow-on activities.
Oversee curriculum development for youth and adult mentors, aligned with the youth leadership theme and entrepreneurship, digital citizenship, and AI-driven problem-solving sub-themes.
Oversee virtual programming, follow-on support, and alumni engagement on the Kolab platform with the Program Officer and virtual programming staff.
Manage relationships with U.S. host community and in-country partners, including program design and review, host family standards, and exchange-segment debriefing and evaluation.
Monitor partner performance through planning meetings, implementation updates, and interim and final programmatic and financial reports.
Partner with the Enrollment team on recruitment, screening, interviews, and selection of youth and adult mentor participants, including support for posts managing their own recruitment.
Coordinate with the YA-USA program team to ensure a seamless experience for U.S. participants joining Western Hemisphere exchanges.
Partner with the Operations team on travel, logistics, group leader hiring and training, vendor management, and participant monitoring.
Oversee the performance monitoring plan and monitoring and evaluation activities, using survey and program data to inform implementation decisions.
Provide on-call and risk-management support during program implementation and year-round when assigned, including nights, weekends, and holidays, and lead responses to complex participant situations.
Attend and engage in Staff Training, including workshop design, session facilitation, and on-site support as assigned.
Maintain a thorough understanding of the Youth Exchange Team Handbook and contribute content updates as assigned.
Oversee the YA-WHA award budget through regular review of budget trackers, check-ins with the Program Officer, and coordination with Finance.
Manage budget line-item variances, tracking and documentation, and keep the Director of Youth Programming informed.
Manage personal program advances, advance reconciliations, and monthly credit card reconciliations.
Supervise, coach, and mentor the Program Officer, YA-WHA, through regular check-ins, goal setting, and annual performance evaluations.
Provide dotted-line direction to the Program Coordinator on Western Hemisphere program work in coordination with the Senior Program Officer, Outbound.
Lead onboarding and training for new and seasonal staff supporting YA-WHA.
Model healthy work practices and time management, and support staff professional development and learning.
Collaborate with peer program leads across the Youth Exchange portfolio on shared processes, cross-team planning, and programmatic alignment.
Lead or contribute to proposal design, budget development, and non-competitive continuation requests for Western Hemisphere programming.
Liaise with World Learning units including Marketing and Communications, Business Development, Enterprise Technology Solutions, and Finance as needed.
Attend key organizational meetings and learning sessions to stay aware of organizational priorities and policies.