Position Summary
The Program Director provides strategic leadership and oversight for a portfolio of private sector-funded initiatives and potentially other international STEM career pathway and workforce development programming. The portfolio currently comprises the Lifting Futures and Next Engineers projects, funded by GE Aerospace Foundation andthe Engineers of Change project funded by GE Vernova Foundation.
This role leads multidisciplinary project teams, provides oversight to Project Directors and staff, and serves as the primary point of contact and relationship manager for GE Aerospace and GE Vernova (clients). The Program Director is accountable for ensuring successful program implementation, operational excellence, stakeholder engagement, achievement of strategic objectives across the portfolio, and identification of opportunities to strengthen and expand these partnerships with the clients.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership & Program Management
- Ensure the overall quality and financial and operational success of the projects in this portfolio
- Lead portfolio planning, performance monitoring, risk management, and continuous improvement efforts
- Provide overall leadership to each project within the portfolio, through the following assignments:
- Provide strategic leadership, oversight, and technical assistance, including research and thought leadership, per project needs and available funding.
- Support Project Directors in implementation of project activities
- Conduct routine reviews of project status, actions, decisions, risks and issues, and schedules for relevant projects
Project Team Leadership
- Foster a culture of innovation, problem-solving, respect, openness, and learning within and between teams and among project stakeholders
- Liaise with FHI 360 organizational leads to coordinate a matrix management approach to project staffing, professional development, and support and oversight of technical staff
- Support workforce planning, succession planning, and talent development within the portfolio.
Donor & Stakeholder Engagement
- Serve as the primary point of contact and maintain strong relations with client counterparts.
- Increase project visibility within FHI 360, and among project stakeholders and external parties where feasible and advisable
- Lead regular reviews, strategic discussions, and communications with clients regarding program performance, risks, opportunities, and future initiatives.
- Represent the organization externally with donors, partners, educational institutions, community-based organizations, and government stakeholders.
Financial & Compliance Oversight
- Ensure project financial health and compliance, the proper stewardship of client funds, and adequate resources to complete project tasks, in collaboration with Associate Director, Finance, and respective project leads.
Business Development, Innovation & Growth
- Oversee and support the development of high-quality models, products, modules, and other assets and liaise with organizational leads to identify opportunities for their integration into existing or new programming
- Support business development efforts, in collaboration with Strategy and Resource Mobilization, to maintain and grow the project portfolio
Required Qualifications
Education
- Master's Degree in Education, Economic Development, Workforce Development, Public Administration, International Development, Business Administration, Engineerin