Senior Program Officer (YA-WHA)

World Learning•Brattleboro, VT

9d•$65,000 - $75,000•Hybrid

About The Position

World Learning seeks a Senior Program Officer to serve as the overall lead for 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 incorporating virtual programming, a U.S. exchange, and structured follow-on activities. The program and countries in the position’s portfolio may change over time based on funding and U.S. Government priorities. 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 position is part of World Learning’s Global Programs unit, which designs, implements, monitors, and evaluates global exchange and education programs.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience.
At least six years of related work experience.
Authorization 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.
Experience organizing logistics for international travel and events, ideally for youth participants.
Experience with monitoring and evaluation of 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.
Ability and willingness to represent World Learning effectively to external audiences.
Commitment to 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.
Master’s degree in a related field.
Professional proficiency in Spanish; 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

Serve as overall lead for the YA-WHA award, accountable for program quality, deliverables, timelines, and budget throughout the program cycle.
Manage the day-to-day relationship with the U.S. Department of State program office; keep the Director of Youth Programming informed and escalate higher-level matters as needed.
Build and maintain working relationships with U.S. Embassies and consulates in participating countries, coordinating recruitment, selection, pre-departure 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 processes for program staff.
Coordinate and submit high-quality funder reports on time, with drafts provided to the Director of Youth Programming for final review.
Maintain awareness of current issues, risks, and emerging trends in participating countries and share relevant context with the program team.
Lead design and delivery of the full YA-WHA program cycle, including virtual engagement, orientations, host community segments, the Washington, DC synthesis segment, and follow-on activities.
Oversee participant curriculum development aligned with youth leadership, entrepreneurship, digital citizenship, and AI-driven problem-solving themes.
Oversee virtual programming, follow-on support, and alumni engagement on the Kolab platform with the Program Officer and virtual programming staff.
Manage programmatic 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 participant selection, including support for posts conducting their own in-country recruitment.
Coordinate with the YA-USA program team to support a seamless experience for U.S. participants joining Western Hemisphere exchanges.
Partner with Operations on travel, logistics, group leader hiring and training, vendor management, and participant monitoring.
Oversee the performance monitoring plan and monitoring and evaluation activities, and use survey and program data to inform implementation decisions.
Provide on-call and risk management support during program implementation and when assigned year-round, including nights, weekends, and holidays; lead the program’s response to complex participant situations.
Attend and participate 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 updates as assigned.
Oversee the YA-WHA award budget through regular reviews of budget trackers, check-ins with the Program Officer, and coordination with Finance.
Manage budget line-item variances, documentation, and communication with the Director of Youth Programming.
Manage personal program advances, advance reconciliations, and monthly credit card processes.
Supervise, coach, and mentor the Program Officer, YA-WHA, through 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 YA-WHA staff.
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 maintain awareness of organizational priorities and policies.