Senior Program Officer for Selection and Placement

Senior Program Officer for Selection and Placement

Fulbright Foreign Student Program, Western Hemisphere

Global Programs Unit

Reports to: Senior Manager, Fulbright Foreign Student Program for Western Hemisphere

Salary Range: Grade 4

Anticipated Start Date: 10/1/2024

Term of Employment: Full-time

Apply by: Until filled

Base of Designation: Washington, DC

Remote Eligible: Remote OR Hybrid: either

Conditional on Funding? Yes

World Learning seeks a Senior Program Officer (SPO) for Selection and Placement for the anticipated Fulbright Foreign Student Program for the Western Hemisphere to oversee student selection and university admissions for participants in this important and complex graduate exchange program. The Fulbright Program promotes mutual understanding and creates lasting connections in a complex and changing world. It is the U.S. Government's flagship international educational exchange and is conducted in partnership with participating governments, host institutions, and other entities that provide both direct and indirect support. Participants are selected for their academic merit and leadership potential through a competitive process. The Selection and Placement SPO will provide critical management and technical guidance to a team of Program Officers (POs) tasked with supporting selection of Fulbright WHA students and securing graduate admissions on their behalf. The SPO will report to the Senior Manager.

Recruitment for this position is contingent upon successful award of the project.

ABOUT GLOBAL PROGRAMS

This position will be a part of the Global Programs unit of World Learning which designs, implements, monitors, and evaluates global development and exchange programs. We work with various donors, including the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Agency for International Development, to achieve immediate impact and sustainable outcomes. Consistent with our organization's status as both a global nonprofit and an accredited institution of higher education, we prioritize experiential programs that are grounded in theory, proven in practice, and lift up diverse voices.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Manage a merit-based selection process for Fulbright Western Hemisphere Affairs (WHA) students working closely with the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA), Fulbright Commissions, and U.S. Embassies in the region. Develop the student application, including detailed, user-friendly instructions and FAQs. As requested by U.S. Embassies and/or Fulbright Commissions, develop interview questions and objective selection criteria.
• Manage placements at diverse U.S. institutions of higher education that meet Fulbright students' academic needs and U.S. Embassy and Fulbright Commission objectives.
• Conduct periodic trainings for ECA, U.S. Embassies, and Fulbright Commissions to ensure full understanding and encourage use of the Salesforce application portal. Develop an online handbook for the portal and a set of FAQs. Triage any portal issues, in cooperation with the Senior Manager and Salesforce business analyst.
• Oversee intensive English language training component.
• Track student placement budgets to ensure costs presented are reasonable and aligned with institutional cost share agreements.
• Stay abreast of regulations and policies related to the J-1 visa process and work with PO for Immigration to support timely issuance of DS-2019s.
• Hire, train, and supervise team of POs for Selection and Placement. Ensure consistent processes are followed across the team.
• Participate in Fulbright interviews, as requested by U.S. Embassies and/or Fulbright Commissions.
• Participate in scheduled and ad hoc meetings with ECA Grants Officer Representative, Fulbright commissions, U.S. embassies, and host institutions.
• Develop pre-program virtual activities for Fulbright students, including pre-departure webinars.
• Contribute to all required ECA program reporting, working with Program Officers to report program data consistent with MODE and other indicators.

REQUIREMENTS

Required Experience/Education:

• A bachelor's degree is required.
• At least five years of relevant work experience is required.
• Applicants must be authorized to work in the location where this position is offered.
• Spanish and/or Portuguese proficiency.

Required Skills:

• In-depth knowledge of operations of U.S. Department of State-funded academic exchanges, including participant recruitment, selection, placement, and advising.
• Experience with the functionality of a state-of-the-art online portal for program applications and management.
• Knowledge of U.S. higher education admissions processes.
• Experience with administration of J-1 visas.
• Commitment to collaborative management.
• Cross-cultural appreciation, sensitivity, and understanding.

Required Behaviors/Competencies:

• Promotes diverse, equitable, and inclusive practices that further the goals of the Fulbright Program in the Western Hemisphere, elevating opportunities for traditionally underrepresented populations to access the program and succeed on it.
• Supports a culture of continuous learning and improvement through diligent program monitoring, data tracking, and reflection to ensure strong outcomes.
• Displays curiosity about World Learning and is eager to represent the organization effectively to external audiences.
• Shows dedication to achieving the organization's mission and business development targets through ongoing program implementation and relationship building.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Understanding of higher education systems in Western Hemisphere countries.
• Understanding of larger U.S. and partner country interests in investing in academic exchange.
  
  

Vaccination is strongly recommended for all employees in our U.S. offices except for those receiving medical or religious exemptions. If boosters are subsequently recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) then employees and faculty will be recommended to receive the booster within thirty (30) days of their eligibility.

Benefits

World Learning provides a comprehensive and competitive benefits package that includes: medical, dental, vision, FSA/HRA, Life/AD&D, Short Term/Long Term Disability, EAP, Parking and Transit, 403 (b) retirement plan (when applicable) for full-time and eligible part-time employees.

For more than 90 years, World Learning Inc. is a thriving global organization made up of The Experiment in International Living, the nation's most experienced provider of international education through exchanges for high school students; School for International Training, offering accredited undergraduate study abroad programs through SIT Study Abroad and internationally focused master's degrees through SIT Graduate Institute; and World Learning, a global development and exchange nonprofit organization.

World Learning has worked to create a more sustainable, peaceful, and just world. World Learning's education, development, and exchange programs help people find their voices, connect with their communities, strengthen the institutions that form the backbone of a democratic society, and build relationships across cultures. With World Learning's support, these emerging leaders tackle critical global issues like poverty, conflict, and inequality.

The Experiment in International Living is the nation's most experienced provider of international education through exchanges for high school students. For more than 90 years, The Experiment has empowered young people to step off the beaten path, experience the world as a classroom, immerse themselves fully in another culture, and build the knowledge and skills needed to confront critical global issues.

School for International Training (SIT) was founded in the early 1960s as a training center for the first Peace Corps volunteers. For nearly 60 years, SIT has prepared students to be effective changemakers and global citizens through experiential education focused on the world's most critical global issues. SIT Study Abroad offers accredited summer and semester undergraduate programs in Africa, Asia and the Pacific, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East, as well as comparative programs on multiple continents. SIT Graduate Institute offers global and hybrid certificates, master's, and doctoral degrees.

We are a globally diverse community of staff, faculty, board members, alumni, students, and participants who believe that inclusive and equitable practices are at the heart of a peaceful and just world. Each of us strives to honor diverse voices and lived experiences, examine our own biases and privileges, actively work to address inequities in our structures, and foster a community of open dialogue. We are committed to acting with accountability, transparency, reciprocity, authenticity, and empathy.

World Learning is an equal employment opportunity/affirmative action/veterans/ADA employer, committed to increasing the diversity of its workforce.