Senior Program Officer-536372

Description

The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, Professional and Cultural Programs, Office of Citizen Exchanges, Global Leaders Division (ECA/PE/C/GL) has a requirement for a Senior Program Officer. ECA focuses on connecting people to U.S. foreign policy priorities. The Global Leaders Division focuses on two-way, global exchange programs designed to enhance leadership and professional skills and build lasting, sustainable partnerships between mid-level leaders from foreign countries and the United States. The majority of the division's programs involve an individually tailored professional fellowship in a public, private, or non-profit organization in the United States and a reciprocal exchange for Americans to travel overseas to support non-U.S. participants implement projects in their home communities.

The Global Leaders Division currently administers 35 Federal Assistance Awards (grants and cooperative agreements), with an annual budget of over $54 million. The programs within the Division are the flagship Professional Fellows Program, the Leaders Lead On-Demand program, the Community Solutions Program, the Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative (YLAI), the Young Southeast Asia Leaders Initiative (YSEALI), Young Transatlantic Innovation Leaders Initiative (YTILI), Community Engagement Exchange program (CEE), the Digital Connections Program (DCP), the Fortune-U.S. Department of State Global Women's Mentoring Partnership, the J. Christopher Stevens Virtual Exchange Initiative (JCSVEI), and TechWomen. The Ngwang Choephel Fellows program, five traditional public-private partnerships (TPPP), including The American Council for Young Political Leaders (ACYPL), The Institute for Representative Government (IRG), the American Center for International (ACILS), Partners of the Americas, and Sister Cities International, and three sole-source awards (the Mansfield Fellowship, U.S. Congress - Republic of Korea (RoK) National Assembly Exchange Program, and CULCON) are also managed by the Division, several of which are direct administrative grants to organizations. The Division works in cooperation with other Department bureaus, U.S. government agencies, other program entities, and posts to administer the programs.

Job Duties:

• Plans, develops, implements, and evaluates professional exchange programs managed within the Global Leaders Division, in consultation with posts and missions, ECA management, geographic bureaus, and high-level elements in the U.S. government, and professional communities.

• Establishes and maintains relationships with these groups to develop the exchange programs to meet changing political situations or new priorities in the United States Government. Provides program direction and guidance to cooperating agencies and host placement organizations; follow-on activities and other events related to the exchange; and oversees program implementation. Evaluates and refines programs to ensure they remain useful, cost-effective, and timely.

• Provides programmatic monitoring for grants and/or cooperative agreements in accordance with established ECA grants policy and federal regulations. Manages budget and fiscal aspects of grants and/or cooperative agreements, and monitors expenditures made by cooperating agencies, in collaboration with the Grants Officer Representative(s) (GOR). Develops and adheres to grant cycles in accordance with the passage of the Bureau's annual appropriation and the ECA grants calendar. Oversees the recruitment and selection of participants and facilitates all aspects of the exchanges keeping abreast of all participant activities. Consults closely with supervisor to proactively resolve or address problems. Exercises sound judgment with regard to those developments that can be resolved independently and those requiring higher level input.

• Establishes and maintains liaison with stakeholders including posts and missions, other DoS bureaus, other USG agencies, U.S. professional and international exchange communities and officials, and foreign government representatives to build effective relationships in support of ECA's strategic goal of promoting international understanding. Represents ECA at conferences, workshops, orientations, inter- and intra-agency meetings, and at meetings with implementing partners and the public.

• Responds within deadlines to taskings from supervisor, senior bureau, and Department management or Congressional staff for quantitative and qualitative information on exchange activities; and obtains appropriate clearances. Drafts speeches, talking points, memoranda, and other documents that advance Bureau objectives and analyze the impact of DoS exchanges.

• Performs other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Education and/or work experience related to international educational exchanges, and/or other types of international study, programming or activities.

• Knowledge of the Department's mission particularly with respect to educational and academic exchanges, and the role exchanges play in the conduct of U.S. foreign policy.

• Skill in program and project management techniques and tools in order to oversee the development, implementation, and maintenance of international exchange programs.

• Knowledge of grants administration regulations, processes, and activities in order to oversee a myriad of grants-related activities.

• Skill in oral and written communications in order to prepare and present analysis, provide advice and guidance, brief audiences, solicit information, and defend proposals.

• Ability to represent the Department, Bureau, and organization in a variety of domestic and international settings.

• Ability to initiate and maintain effective contacts with DoS elements, other USG entities, contract institutions, and U.S. institutions of higher education involved in the conduct of academic exchange programs.

• Ability to use various computer applications and familiarity with the potential uses of electronic information storage and retrieval in order to maintain information databases.

• Excellent ability to build and maintain strong working relationships with colleagues.

• Strong ability to work independently, with minimal supervision, and multi-task in a high volume, fast-paced work environment.

• Strong organizational skills and excellent creative thinking and analytical skills.

• Ability to interact with all nationalities in a culturally sensitive manner.

• Experience in or knowledge of one or more world regions.

• Note: Contractor staff working in this position is expected to have access to the Department's computer networks, information systems and networks, and databases relevant to their duties.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a security clearance at the Secret level.
• Foreign language skills are preferred but not required.
• A Bachelor's Degree is required for this position; however, a Master's Degree or other advanced degree, ideally in international relations, international education, or a related field, is preferred.