Senior Program Manager, U.S. LEADS Program (Contingent Upon Funding)

FLSA STATUS: Exempt

Pay Range: $95,000–$115,000 per year

SUMMARY:

The Senior Program Manager will serve as the operational and coordination lead for the FY 2026 U.S. Leadership in Education, Advanced Manufacturing, and Digital Skills (U.S. LEADS) Program. This position is contingent upon funding and will lead day‑to‑day implementation across all program components, including strategic planning, coordination, compliance, and stakeholder engagement.

The Senior Program Manager will act as the primary integrator across a Washington, DC–based summit, up to four U.S. exchanges, and structured follow‑on activities, ensuring alignment with ECA priorities and delivery of actionable outcomes. The role requires independent judgment, strong funder‑facing communication skills, and comfort operating in a complex, approval‑driven federal environment.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Program Operations and Coordination

• Lead day‑to‑day implementation of all U.S. LEADS program components, ensuring alignment across activities, timelines, and deliverables.
• Translate cooperative agreement requirements and ECA guidance into actionable implementation plans.
• Manage the integrated program calendar and manage interdependencies across exchanges, summit activities, and follow‑on.
• Identify, escalate, and resolve operational, compliance, or scheduling risks in coordination with senior leadership.

Stakeholder and Partner Engagement

• Serve as a primary day‑to‑day point of contact with the U.S. Department of State on program implementation matters.
• Coordinate with U.S. embassies, implementing partners, and hosts to align recruitment, programming, and participant support.
• Represent the program in external meetings, briefings, and partner discussions as appropriate.

Outreach, Recruitment, and Participant Management

• Support international recruitment and nomination processes in coordination with ECA and U.S. missions abroad.
• Contribute to application management, selection logistics, and participant communications.
• Oversee tracking of participant documentation and readiness, including travel, visas, orientations, and pre- and post-program engagement.
• Support participant experience monitoring and appropriate escalation of issues related to welfare, logistics, or compliance.

Monitoring, Evaluation, and Reporting

• Lead coordination of monitoring and evaluation activities, including outcome tracking across exchanges and follow‑on engagement.
• Draft or oversee substantive portions of required programmatic reports, data submissions, and success stories.
• Maintain audit‑ready documentation related to implementation decisions, changes, and approvals.

Required:

• Bachelor’s degree in international education, public administration, international relations, or a related field.
• Minimum 7-9 years of experience managing federally funded international programs or exchanges.
• Strong organizational and project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a deadline-driven environment.
• Experience working with international participants and wide array of stakeholders.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Familiarity with U.S. government grant or cooperative agreement environments, including reporting and compliance expectations.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office

Preferred:

• Master’s degree in a related field.
• Experience with U.S. Department of State-funded exchange programs.
• Experience related to workforce development, community colleges, or industry-education partnerships.
• Exposure to monitoring and evaluation or learning frameworks.
• Experience supporting virtual or hybrid program delivery.
• Experience with databases or grants management systems.

Please note: This position is contingent upon securing funding.

BENEFITS

This position is eligible for healthcare benefits.

American Councils is committed to providing employment opportunities for all individuals, in accordance with current federal regulations. Our focus is on ensuring that all individuals have equal access to employment and advancement opportunities based on merit. American Councils’ commitment to employment opportunity is driven by federal requirements, including Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act (supporting individuals with disabilities) and the Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA) (protecting covered veterans). We also ensure our employment practices comply with all applicable regulations, including E-Verify requirements for work eligibility. We are dedicated to fostering a workplace where all individuals have the opportunity to succeed and grow, in full compliance with federal law.

PAY TRANSPARENCY NONDISCRIMINATION PROVISION

The contractor will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor’s legal duty to furnish information.