Senior Program Officer II

Who We Are

IREX is a global solutions provider that partners with communities and institutions in the United States and around the world to cultivate leaders, expand access to education, and create economic opportunity. With deep expertise, a forward-looking vision, and world-class practices in AI for Education, Future-Ready Workforce, Higher Education Solutions, Leadership Development, and Online Safety, IREX delivers innovative and proven solutions that help people, institutions, and communities thrive in a rapidly changing world.

IREX seeks a Senior Program Officer II to support donor-funded programs.

Job Summary

The Senior Program Officer II plays a leadership role in designing and delivering high-quality, mission-driven programs within IREX’s Global Impact Hub. In this role, you will oversee complex program workstreams and deliverables; manage budgets, compliance, and partner relationships; guide and develop team members; and translate strategy into well-coordinated implementation. The position will initially support an international exchange initiative focused on workforce innovation, advanced manufacturing, artificial intelligence, digital skills, community college-industry partnerships, and private sector engagement. The successful candidate will combine strong program management judgment with collaborative leadership, clear communication, and a commitment to measurable results.

We're looking for our next team member—could it be you?

What You’ll Do

• Program Operations & Administration: Oversee and manage assigned programs or major workstreams from planning through closeout, ensuring quality, impact, and timely delivery. Develop and execute work plans, timelines, reports, presentations, events, exchanges, travel, and other program products. Anticipate implementation risks, resolve problems, and keep leadership informed of progress and issues with significant implications. Lead the design and delivery of participant-centered programming, including U.S.-based summits, regional exchanges, site visits, workshops, and follow-on activities, as applicable.
• Participant, Partner & Stakeholder Engagement: Build and manage productive relationships with donors, participants, alumni, U.S. and international educational institutions, private sector partners, workforce organizations, government counterparts, and other stakeholders. Represent IREX in meetings and presentations, facilitate clear and consistent communications, and coordinate high-quality partner engagement. Support recruitment, nomination, selection, orientation, participant monitoring, and alumni engagement processes. For assigned initiatives, cultivate partnerships among community colleges, industry, workforce systems, and international institutions.
• Finance, Procurement & Grant Support: Manage assigned budgets and financial processes, monitor expenditures and forecasts, and ensure the financial integrity and cost-effectiveness of program activities. Coordinate procurement, vendor and consultant management, subawards or partner agreements, participant support, and required documentation. Ensure compliance with IREX, donor, and applicable U.S. Government requirements, including program, financial, safeguarding, records, branding, and reporting obligations. Review work products and supporting documentation for accuracy, completeness, and compliance before submission or approval.
• Team Collaboration & Continuous Improvement: Direct and guide the work of team members, delegate responsibilities with clear and measurable expectations, and provide timely coaching, feedback, and learning opportunities. Partner across IREX to solve problems, strengthen workflows, share knowledge, and align program work with practice and organizational goals. Use data, participant and partner feedback, and lessons learned to improve program quality and decision-making. Foster a collaborative, respectful, accountable, and results-driven team culture.
• Growth & New Business Support: Identify opportunities to deepen partnerships, expand existing work, and contribute to new program development. Lead or support proposal strategy, technical design, writing, budgeting, partner outreach, and review processes as assigned. Gather and share relevant market and technical intelligence, including developments in workforce innovation, education-industry partnerships, advanced manufacturing, AI, digital skills, and private sector engagement. Contribute expertise and high-quality materials that strengthen IREX positioning and program growth.

Our Culture is Our People

At IREX, our culture is built on our people—and on how we work together to create meaningful impact every day. We look for colleagues who bring purpose, intellectual curiosity, collaborative problem solving, and a results driven, bias for action to help strengthen communities and advance our mission. Successful candidates build trust across differences, move ideas into action, seek new perspectives, embrace change, and represent IREX with authenticity and professionalism. We value people who bring strong expertise and a generous team spirit to work that advances our mission.

Skills & Experience

Experience

• 8+ years of progressive experience managing complex programs, projects, or initiatives, including responsibility for implementation planning, deliverables, budgets, compliance, reporting, and stakeholder engagement.

• Demonstrated ability to oversee multiple workstreams, establish priorities and deadlines, resolve implementation challenges, and deliver high-quality results with appropriate independence and judgment.

• Experience directing or supervising the work of others, delegating responsibilities, providing clear guidance and feedback, and supporting staff development and accountability.

• Proven ability to develop and maintain effective relationships with donors, participants, partners, government counterparts, educational institutions, private sector organizations, and other stakeholders.

• Experience designing and delivering convenings, exchanges, trainings, workshops, site visits, or other participant-centered programming.

• Demonstrated ability to use data, feedback, and learning to monitor progress, improve program quality, and support evidence-informed decisions.

• Experience with U.S. Government-funded grants, cooperative agreements, or contracts, including applicable compliance and reporting requirements, preferred.

• Experience in workforce readiness and/or private sector engagement strongly preferred, including community college-industry partnerships, vocational or technical education, employer engagement, labor market alignment, advanced manufacturing, AI, or digital skills.

• Experience supporting business development, including technical design, proposal writing, budgeting, partner engagement, or proposal review, preferred.

• Ability to travel domestically and internationally as needed.

Requirements & Skills:

• Bachelor's degree.

• Strong financial management skills, including budget development or oversight, forecasting, expenditure monitoring, procurement, and compliance with organizational and donor requirements.

• Strong cross-cultural communication, facilitation, collaboration, organization, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to work effectively across teams and time zones.

• Excellent written and oral communication skills, including experience preparing and reviewing reports, work plans, briefing materials, presentations, and external correspondence and representing an organization with professional audiences.

Salary Range: $75,600 - $94,500

Please note: While we aim to offer competitive compensation, not all candidates will be eligible for the upper end of the salary range.

You must have unrestricted authorization to work in the United States.

What We Offer

At IREX, you’ll work alongside committed, passionate, and collaborative colleagues who are united by a shared mission—making it a truly rewarding place to work. We offer learning, development, and growth opportunities, along with a comprehensive benefits package designed to support your overall well-being.

If you are excited by IREX’s mission and see yourself contributing to this work, we encourage you to apply—even if your experience does not align with every preferred qualification. We value a range of backgrounds and experiences and are especially interested in candidates who bring curiosity, initiative, strong collaboration skills, and a commitment to meaningful global impact.

Disability Specifications

IREX will make reasonable accommodations in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments of 2008.

Equal Opportunity Employer

IREX seeks to attract the best-qualified candidates who support IREX’s mission and who respect and promote excellence through diversity. IREX is committed to equal opportunity and follows recruitment and selection practices that comply with all applicable employment laws. To this end, IREX recruits, hires, trains, and promotes individuals based on merit and experience.

We conduct background checks on all successful candidates.

This position is not eligible for Immigration Sponsorship. NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE