Senior Program Officer II - Military veterans preferred

Job Details

Description

Who We Are

IREX is a global development and education organization. We strive for a more just, prosperous, and inclusive world, where individuals reach their full potential, governments serve their people, and communities thrive. We work in four areas essential to progress: cultivating leaders, empowering youth, strengthening institutions, and increasing access to quality education and information

The Senior Program Officer II is based in the Information and Media Practice group and is responsible for the strategic and operational management of international development programs with focus in Latin America, ensuring high-quality implementation, compliance, and meaningful impact. This role leads project planning, budgeting, and reporting, while managing cross-functional teams and partner relationships. Moreover, the Senior Program Officer II is an entrepreneurial individual that completes tasks independently and leads and collaborates on business development ideas and strategies for the information and media work at IREX. The officer represents IREX externally, supports business development efforts, and fosters internal collaboration and learning. Key responsibilities include:

• Project Management: Oversees the full project lifecycle, including work plans, budgets, deliverables, and compliance with donor and IREX standards.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Builds and maintains relationships with donors, partners, and internal teams; represents IREX in external forums.
• Financial Oversight: Manages subgrants and contracts, monitors budgets and expenditures, and ensures financial accountability.
• Business Development: Identifies growth opportunities, contributes to proposal development, and gathers market intelligence, particularly in Latin America.
• Team Leadership: Mentors junior staff, promotes collaboration, and drives continuous improvement in processes and outcomes.

We are doers. Our decades of on-the-ground experience help us create greater impact, practical recommendations, and lasting partnerships.

Your Background & Skills

• Bachelor’s Degree in relevant field of work (social sciences, program management, business, etc.). Masters preferred.
• 8+ years of progressive job experience
• Exposure to or experience supporting media development, journalism, or freedom of expression initiatives, particularly in Latin America, is preferred.
• Proven ability to manage complex international development projects, including work planning, reporting, and adaptive management. Experience in information and media and supporting journalists, preferred.
• Experience managing subgrants, including drafting scope of works and budgets, compliance monitoring, and capacity building under US Government regulations.
• Fluent in both English and Spanish, with excellent communication skills across written and spoken formats and strong record of accomplishment of bilingual communication in international development settings.
• Budget development and financial oversight experience, including tracking expenditures, forecasting, and ensuring donor compliance.
• Strong stakeholder engagement and relationship-building skills with donors, partners, and local organizations.
• Demonstrated experience in proposal development, including technical writing, budgeting, and coordination with cross-functional teams.
• Familiarity with donor regulations (e.g., USAID, State Department, private foundations).
• Excellent organizational and time management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities under tight deadlines.
• Ability to lead and mentor teams, delegate tasks effectively, and foster a collaborative work environment.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and project management tools
• You must have unrestricted authorization to work in the United States.

Your Daily Tasks

• Lead the planning, implementation, and monitoring complex international development programs focusing on media and access to information, ensuring alignment with donor requirements and organizational goals.
• Coordinate cross-functional teams and partners to ensure timely execution of deliverables; develop and manage detailed work plans, timelines, and budgets.
• Oversee procurement processes, subgrants, and consultant contracts in compliance with IREX and donor regulations; draft, negotiate, and monitor subgrant and contract development with partners.
• Maintain subgrant trackers and projections; review and approve partner budgets, financial reports, and expenditures; monitor project spending and risk to ensure fiscal accountability.
• Facilitate regular project review meetings to assess progress, identify risks, and implement mitigation strategies; support adaptive management through data analysis and feedback.
• Ensure high-quality reporting by compiling inputs from teams and partners for donor submissions; support the use of project management tools and systems to track performance.
• Represent IREX in external engagements, effectively communicating program goals and fostering strong relationships with donors and stakeholders.
• Collaborate with project and practice leadership to support strategic donor engagement and ensure consistent messaging; share relevant updates across teams to promote cross-program learning.
• Identify and pursue opportunities to expand existing programs and capture new business for the information and media work at IREX; lead or contribute to proposal development, including technical design, writing, and budgeting; gather market intelligence with a focus on Latin America.
• Foster a collaborative environment by co-creating solutions, encouraging feedback, mentoring junior staff, and promoting continuous improvement in workflows and team development.

You Will Get:

Committed, passionate, collaborative, and mission-driven colleagues who make IREX a good place to work. You will receive best-in-class learning, development, and growth opportunities, as well as a comprehensive benefits package designed to help you thrive. This includes a well-being and employee assistance program, health, dental, and vision coverage, a flexible work schedule, generous PTO policy, a technology stipend, an inclusive work environment, and many more benefits.

The salary range for this role is $88,000 to $92,000 annually, depending on experience and qualifications. Final compensation will be based on the candidate’s relevant skills, experience, and alignment with the role’s requirements.

Please note: While we aim to offer competitive compensation, not all candidates will be eligible for the upper end of the salary range.

IREX will make reasonable accommodations in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments of 2008.

We conduct background checks on all successful candidates.

The eligible employee is a regular, full-time DC-based staff who works from a worksite outside the DC office for two or more days a week.

This position is not eligible for Remote work.

This position is not eligible for Immigration Sponsorship.

NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE

EOE – Equal Opportunity Employer

IREX is committed to equal opportunity and follows recruitment and selection practices that comply with all applicable employment laws. To this end, IREX recruits, hires, trains, and promotes individuals based on merit and experience.

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