Program Specialist (STRIVE) in Washington, District of Columbia at World Learning

Reports to: Program Manager

Grade: 5, exempt

Salary Range: $75,000 to $85,000 a year, depending on experience

Term of Employment: Full-time

Base of Designation: Washington, DC (hybrid), will consider remote candidates

The Strengthening Talent, Research, Innovation and Vital Engagement (STRIVE) Program, funded by the U.S. Department of State, provides competitively selected subawards and resources to U.S. colleges and universities to establish international partnerships and programming that prepare U.S. undergraduate and graduate students for careers in industries critical to U.S. prosperity and security. World Learning is seeking a Program Specialist to lead the implementation of capacity-building, outreach, and knowledge-sharing activities for the STRIVE Program. This mid-level role applies subject matter expertise in study abroad and U.S. higher education to design and deliver trainings, lead communications, and outreach efforts, and represent the program within the international education community. The Specialist works collaboratively with the U.S. Department of State to strengthen institutional capacity for high-quality study abroad programming and contributes to program visibility through capacity building initiatives for U.S. higher education institutions, international education conferences, partnerships, and outreach initiatives.

Please note that this position is contingent upon funding from the U.S. Department of State.

Responsibilities:

Capacity Development and Training

• Lead the design and delivery of capacity building initiatives (approximately six per year), which include: in-person and virtual workshops, webinars, and training sessions for U.S. higher education institutions (HEIs).
• Conduct needs assessments to inform training topics on education abroad and ensure alignment with field trends.
• Develop training materials, guides, and tools that reflect best practices in education abroad.
• Coordinate logistics, speakers, and materials for training events.
• Manage virtual platforms to implement webinars, virtual workshops, and training sessions.
• Contribute to the development and maintenance of an online program library of resources.
• Ensure trainings reflect current trends in the international education field and are aligned with U.S. foreign policy priorities.

Conferences and Professional Engagement

• Represent the STRIVE Program at in-person or virtual regional and national conferences, workshops, and professional meetings. There will be an average of three to four in-person conferences per year with two to three days of travel.
• Support development of conference proposals and presentations.
• Present or co-present at sessions to share program resources and best practices, as appropriate.
• Build and maintain relationships with key stakeholders and professional associations in study abroad.
• Stay informed of emerging trends to inform training content and program messaging.

Marketing, Outreach, and Communications

• Implement outreach strategies to engage U.S. HEIs and increase program participation.
• Draft and update content for newsletters, website, social media, and promotional materials.
• Develop communications that highlight program activities, successes, and impact.

• Develop visually engaging communications products (e.g., infographics, one-pagers, digital campaigns) with support from World Learning's marketing and communications team.

• Support conference and event promotion efforts.
• Contribute to maintaining consistent branding and messaging across program materials.

Collaboration and Support

• Participate in team meetings, planning sessions, and organizational learning activities.
• Maintain organized documentation and contribute to internal knowledge-sharing.

• Contribute to organization's business development for program renewals and rebids leading to the production of innovative and high-quality proposals. Contribute technical knowledge on other organizational bids, as requested.

• Other duties as assigned.

Requirements:

Education and Experience

• Master's degree and 3-5 years of relevant experience, or bachelor's degree and 5-7 years of experience.
• Experience in study abroad, international education, or higher education programs.
• Demonstrated experience supporting or delivering trainings, workshops, or outreach initiatives.
• Experience contributing to communications, outreach, or marketing projects preferred.
• Experience developing visually engaging materials (e.g., presentations, digital content, or publications) preferred.

Knowledge, Skills, and Competencies

• Knowledge of the U.S. higher education system and study abroad practices.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to translate technical content into clear materials.
• Creative design skills, including the ability to produce clear, engaging, and visually appealing materials for training and communications (e.g., PowerPoint, Canva, Adobe tools, or similar).
• Strong organizational and time management skills with attention to detail.
• Ability to work independently while contributing to a collaborative team environment.