International Projects and Partnerships Manager

Posting Summary:

The Office of Global Engagement at Teachers College, Columbia University seeks an International Projects and Partnerships Manager to advance the College’s global engagement strategy through the development and management of international partnerships, programs, projects, and study abroad initiatives.

Job Summary/Basic Function:

Reporting to the Executive Director of Global Engagement, the International Projects and Partnerships Manager leads international partnerships, externally funded projects, institutional programs, and study abroad initiatives. The Manager develops and manages collaborations with global partners, faculty and College departments from initial concept through implementation and evaluation, overseeing agreements, budgets and timelines and deliverables. The position requires strong relationship management, project leadership, problem-solving and the ability to manage multiple complex initiatives in a dynamic global environment.

CHARACTERISTIC DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:

International Partnerships and Strategic Engagement:

• Develop, manage, and strengthen strategic partnerships with universities, government agencies, ministries, international organizations, foundations, and other institutions abroad.
• Serve as a primary point of contact for designated international partners and maintain ongoing relationships throughout collaborations.
• Assess partnership opportunities for strategic alignment, feasibility, institutional value, and potential risks.
• Work with faculty, senior leadership, and administrative offices to identify opportunities for meaningful international engagement and translate ideas into actionable initiatives.
• Coordinate the development, review, negotiation, execution, renewal, and tracking of memoranda of understanding, partnership agreements, and related institutional agreements.
• Partner with the Office of the General Counsel and other relevant College offices to ensure agreements meet institutional requirements.
• Support faculty and academic units in developing and strengthening international collaborations.
• Prepare briefings, background materials, partnership analyses, and other materials to support senior leadership engagement with international partners.
• Coordinate and support visits by international delegations to Teachers College and TC leadership and faculty delegations traveling abroad.
• Maintain accurate institutional records of partnerships, agreements, activities, and related outcomes through the College’s global engagement management systems and databases.

International Project and Program Management:

• Lead international projects and programs from concept through implementation, evaluation, and closeout.
• Develop international programs, professional development initiatives, research collaborations, executive education programs, and other global projects with faculty, funders and College leadership.
• Develop project scopes, timelines, workplans, deliverables, and staffing plans.
• Coordinate implementation across faculty, consultants, vendors, external partners, and College offices.
• Develop, manage, monitor, and reconcile program and project budgets, including externally funded and revenue-generating initiatives.
• Coordinate contracts, payments, compensation, reimbursements, and other project expenditures with administrative and finance teams.
• Maintain systems to track project milestones, deliverables, budgets, agreements, participants, and reporting requirements.
• Identify challenges and develop solutions to keep projects on schedule and within scope.
• Prepare reports, presentations, program summaries, and other materials for partners, funders, and leadership.
• Support recruitment, onboarding, and coordination of faculty, consultants, facilitators, vendors, and other projects.
• Coordinate domestic and international program logistics, including travel, accommodations, venues, transportation, participant services.
• Support the design and implementation of international programs for visiting students, educators, professionals, and other international cohorts. Represent the Office of Global Engagement and International Affairs on College committees, working groups, meetings, and special initiatives as assigned.
• Contribute to office-wide planning, reporting, assessment, data management, communications, and strategic initiatives.
• Support international events, conferences, delegations, and special programs as needed.

Study Abroad and Global Learning:

• Support the growth and development of Teachers College’s study abroad portfolio.
• Partner with faculty to develop and manage short-term faculty-led study abroad programs aligned with academic and institutional priorities.
• Coordinate program implementation with faculty, international partners, providers, and vendors, including itineraries, accommodations, transportation, and activities.
• Develop and monitor study abroad budgets to ensure financial and operational viability.
• Coordinate student enrollment, approvals, risk management, travel, accessibility, health and safety, and other institutional requirements.
• Support participant recruitment, communications, orientations, pre-departure preparation, and program documentation.
• Serve as an escalation point for study abroad operational issues and work with faculty and partners to resolve concerns.
• Assess and improve study abroad programs, based on participant feedback, outcomes, finances, and partnerships.
• Identify opportunities for new study abroad destinations, institutional partnerships, and global learning models.

Other Duties:

• Perform other duties consistent with the responsibilities and evolving priorities of the Office.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of education, training, and professional experience
• 3+ years of progressively responsible experience in project management, program management, international education, higher education, partnerships, or a related field
• Strong digital literacy, including proficiency with Microsoft Office and ability to learn institutional, financial, CRM, and project-management systems.
• Demonstrated experience managing complex projects.
• Experience developing and managing program or project budgets and monitoring expenditures.
• Experience preparing proposals, reports, agreements, program materials, or other professional documents.
• Demonstrated ability to build and maintain productive relationships with diverse stakeholders.
• Strong project-management and organizational skills, with demonstrated ability to manage multiple initiatives simultaneously and follow projects through completion.
• Excellent interpersonal communication skills and demonstrated ability to exercise diplomacy, sound judgment, discretion, and cultural sensitivity.
• Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to operate effectively when processes, priorities, or circumstances change.
• Demonstrated ability to work both independently and collaboratively.
• Experience collecting, organizing, analyzing, and presenting information to support program management and institutional decision-making.
• Must be able to occasionally work outside standard business hours to accommodate international partners, programs, events, and time zones.
• Ability and willingness to travel domestically and internationally as required.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in international education, higher education, international affairs, education, public administration, business, or a related field.
• Experience developing or managing international partnerships in a university or complex organization.
• Experience managing study abroad, international programs, or global learning initiatives.
• Experience managing grants, externally funded, government-sponsored, or revenue-generating programs.
• Experience developing funding proposals, project concepts, scopes of work, or responses to requests for proposals.
• Experience working with financial, CRM, project-management, or enterprise systems such as Salesforce, Banner, Unimarket, Asana, Monday.com, Smartsheet, or comparable platforms.
• Experience coordinating international delegations, institutional visits, conferences, professional development programs, or executive education initiatives.
• Experience living, studying, or working internationally or demonstrated substantial experience working across cultures and international contexts.
• Proficiency in a language in addition to English.

Salary Range:

$ 76,800.00 - $ 96,000.00

Work Modality:

Hybrid

Competitive Compensation and Benefits

The salary range reflects the College’s good faith and reasonable estimate of the compensation for the position at the time of the job posting. Salary decisions are dependent on several factors including but not limited to market and organizational considerations, experience, and qualifications of a selected candidate as well as internal and external equity.

Our benefits contribute significantly to the total compensation package that includes medical, dental, vision, and supplemental insurance plans; flexible and hybrid work schedules; tuition remission; life insurance; short and long-term disability insurance; an exceptional employer retirement matching program; health savings accounts (HSA), flexible spending accounts (FSA), Public Service Loan Forgiveness eligibility, and a robust Employee Assistance Program (EAP).

Hybrid/Remote

Teachers College maintains a hybrid work environment, which provides employees with flexible work arrangements while ensuring we preserve the important aspects of our unique in-person college-campus culture. Depending on role and business needs, colleagues will either work onsite or in a hybrid model (a combination of in-office and virtual days). Employees are expected to live within a 150-mile radius of the College.