Deadline: Open Until Filled
The Turkmenistan Higher Education (THE) Prep4Success and GRE programs provide promising Turkmenistan citizens with the knowledge and skills necessary to successfully enter U.S. colleges and universities, independently, while increasing their chances of receiving financial aid. During an intensive 5-month P4S or GRE program based in Ashgabat, or 12-month regional Undergraduate Cohort Advising program, participants will focus on developing reading and essay writing skills, building critical thinking skills, and learning effective ways for taking the SAT and TOEFL tests, or GRE test.
The Program Director position will be responsible for the design and implementation of the programs, including participant and staff recruitment, training, and mentoring.
PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES INCLUDE:
- Supervise and manage the P4S and GRE program staff and EducationUSA Country Coordinator, and jointly supervise and manage the Regional EducationUSA Advisers in the three regional American Corners in conjunction with the American Corner Representatives.
- Implement, oversee, and evaluate the weekday P4S program in Ashgabat, the Undergraduate Cohort Advising program in three regions and Ashgabat, and the hybrid GRE program in Ashgabat.
- Manage the coordination of the participants and materials prior to the start of each session.
- Design and implement a fair and transparent recruiting strategy for each session, resulting in the selection of a balanced pool of suitable participants.
- Build program recognition for Prep4Success and EducationUSA through public relations efforts in Turkmenistan and the U.S.
- Purchase and deliver necessary supplies for the programs in the U.S. and Turkmenistan.
- Monitor and ensure the quality of the project operations on a regular basis during the recruiting and set-up phase, and then manage the successful implementation of each session.
- Lead Prep4Success workshops and seminars for the regional American Corners and other venues.
- Regularly interact with the Country Director in Turkmenistan on all relevant issues related to the implementation of EducationUSA, Prep4Success, and GRE activities.
- Closely follow the project budgets, gather receipts for all expenses, and comply with local financial laws and American Councils accounting procedures.
- Work with local staff to prepare regular reports for active grants on recruiting, implementation, and results of the course semesters, including photographs and recruitment, attendance, standardized test and academic performance, admissions, and other relevant statistics, for submission to PAS by the deadlines stipulated in the grant, in cooperation with the Country Director and D.C. based Senior Program Manager.
- Conduct strategic review of the programs based on collected performance data and develop new strategies or changes to the program structure to improve performance.
- Coordinate the preparation of proposals for renewal of PAS grant funding for the programs.
- Liaise with the Public Affairs Section, Cultural Affairs Officer for overall program strategy.
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree or higher from a U.S. institution, preferably related to international development, education or management;
- Strong project management and team-building skills; experience overseeing people, projects, and events;
- Demonstrated high level of maturity and understanding of what it takes to work in a politically sensitive context;
- Demonstrated effective organizational, planning, and budgeting skills, attention to detail, and ability to manage multiple project elements simultaneously;
- Demonstrated skills in teaching, student advising, and developing curricula;
- Effective communication and interpersonal skills and ability to be a bridge between cultures;
- One to three years of experience supporting development projects, including monitoring, evaluation and reporting, and working with grantees and consultants;
- Propensity for mentoring ambitious young adults;
- Excellent writing and reporting skills;
- Proficiency in spoken and written Russian or Turkmen a plus;
- Study, work, or extensive travel experience in Central Asia;
- Ability to obtain a visa to live and work in Turkmenistan