Center Director, Nepal in Kathmandu at World Learning

Center Director, Nepal

Reports to: Global Operations

Salary Range: 60,000 – 65,000 USD (gross)

Anticipated Start Date: 15 July 2026

Term of Employment: 1 year, renewable, Full-time

Apply by: Open Until Filled – Rolling Review

Location: Kathmandu, Nepal

To Apply: Submit a letter of interest and CV (with names of three references) via https://worldlearning.applicantpro.com/jobs/4094307 .

School for International Training (SIT) is seeking a Center Director in Nepal to lead its programs in Kathmandu. We are looking for an experienced educational administrator with teaching experience in the areas of Himalayan and Buddhist Studies, Cultural Studies, Asian Studies, History, Sociology, Anthropology,, or related disciplines. SIT is an accredited US higher education institution and a global leader in experiential education, offering undergraduate and graduate programs focused on critical global issues. Our immersive learning model connects students with local communities, fostering intercultural understanding and social justice.

Position Description:

The Center Director (CD) leads SIT's Nepal based programs, overseeing academic quality, operations, and student services ensuring the highest levels of quality and student satisfaction. The CD will manage a diverse portfolio of experiential learning programs, ensuring alignment with SIT's mission of academic excellence and community engagement. The Center Director must be familiar with in country issues and practices, have experience in program management and administration, and understand higher education in the United States. CDs will teach a 3-credit course in mixed or qualitative methods and ethics or a thematic course in their area of expertise. Center Directors are expected to be active members of the SIT community, giving service to the institution, and acting as a thought leader in institutional initiatives. Center Directors at SIT are eligible to apply for faculty rank per established guidelines.

For compliance with local labor and employment laws and when circumstance warrants, the CD will have a local employment contract through an affiliated local entity or as determined by SIT.

We invite you to learn about SIT's mission and values: https://www.sit.edu/about-us/mission-vision/

The CD will be responsible for the quality and success of SIT current and new programs offered in Nepal. Programs may also have excursions to other locations. The CD will work with a team of professionals to ensure effective, timely and on budget delivery of the following program aspects:

• Academic Program Management: Oversee curriculum design, teach one course per semester, and guide student research projects and internships. Ensure academic rigor and experiential learning components align with SIT standards. Manage SIT student class and program evaluations according to protocols.
• Student Services: Provide academic advising, cross-cultural guidance, and student well-being support in collaboration with SIT's Office of Student Health, Safety, and Well-Being.
• Operations & Compliance: Manage center operations, finances, and local partnerships. Ensure compliance with local laws and SIT policies. Serve as in-country entity representative for compliance purposes as required.
• Human Resources: Recruit, supervise, and support faculty and staff, fostering an inclusive and collaborative work environment.
• Health, Safety & Security: Implement SIT health and safety protocols, act as the primary contact for student emergencies, and maintain contingency plans.
• Community Engagement: Build partnerships with local organizations, promote SIT's mission, and integrate community-based learning into the curriculum.
• Marketing: Support the production of SIT promotional materials by providing updates, content, and other information as requested.

Other: Participate as needed and possibly present at conferences or at other professional meetings; other duties as assigned.

The nature of the Center Director position is such that they may be called upon during irregular hours to deal with emergencies. Responding to urgent program or student needs off-hours is a regular part of the duties of a center director. For the duration of the program, the center director must remain in-country and physically at the program site or with the student group and will be reachable by mobile phone on an emergency basis.

SIT programs are situated in urban as well as remote locations where accommodation may be rudimentary, and accessibility limited. Some aspects of the program may require physical exertion such as, but not limited to, occasionally driving, walking, as well as remaining stationary for long periods. Depending on the theme of the program there may be excursions in rugged terrain which may require, but are not limited to, activities such as hiking, climbing and/or water-based sports.

Qualifications:

• Terminal degree in Himalayan/Buddhist Studies, Cultural Studies, Asian Studies, History, Sociology, Anthropology, or related discipline. (Master's degree in related discipline and proven academic program management experience will be considered).
• Minimum 5 years of experience in academic program management, program administration, experiential education, or international higher education.
• Academic and practical knowledge of Nepal.
• Advanced proficiency in English writing and speaking.
• Nepali language proficiency a plus.
• Demonstrated commitment to SIT's values in their approach to experiential education and to student well-being.
• Legal right to work and reside in Nepal

Benefits

World Learning/SIT provides a comprehensive and competitive benefits package that includes medical, Life, AD&D, Long Term Disability insurance, EAP, 403 (b) retirement plan or retirement stipend where applicable, for eligible full-time and part-time employees.

The World Learning Inc. Family

For more than 90 years, World Learning Inc. has been 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 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.

SIT | sit.edu

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. SIT programs are grounded in experiential learning, cultural immersion, decolonial and inclusive approaches, and strive to develop sustainable practices across its learning centers. We believe in developing respectful partnerships with local communities and seek to make accessible to our students the richness of local expertise and knowledge systems.

World Learning | worldlearning.org

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 | experiment.org

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.

A Commitment to Our Values

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.