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The United States-Japan Foundation (USJF) is hiring a program manager who will be primarily responsible for the day-to-day operations of its US-Japan Leadership Program (USJLP), a next-generation network of Japanese and American changemakers. This is an exciting opportunity to directly impact U.S.-Japan relations through grassroots exchange, work with high-caliber individuals, and develop meaningful experiences to drive commitment and engagement. We seek an enthusiastic, flexible self-starter eager to bring their talents to our organization and deliver exceptionally managed results.
This position is full-time remote, working in both real-time and asynchronously with Foundation staff based in VA/DC and Tokyo. It will include occasional travel to Japan and within the U.S. to support key annual activities.
About USJF and USJLP: USJF was founded in 1980 with a mission to strengthen bilateral ties and address shared challenges between the U.S. and Japan. As the largest U.S.-based independent grant-making organization in this space, with an endowment of approximately $100 million, we work to empower next-generation leaders and fund innovative initiatives, catalyzing collaboration and exchanges among stakeholders in search of solutions.
The Foundation’s US-Japan Leadership Program was launched in 2000 to cultivate lifelong friendship, continuous dialogue, and greater shared understanding through a next-gen network of both rising and established thought-leaders, innovators, and boundary-breakers in the U.S. and Japan. Now a vibrant and diverse network over 500 members strong, our highly competitive program selects around 20-25 new members annually representing a broad spectrum of backgrounds and expertise in both countries. The cornerstone of the Program’s annual activities is a week-long summer conference that takes place in late July each year, alternating between the U.S. and Japan. It is here that new members (Delegates) are provided with their foundational exposure to the network which forms the basis of their continued engagement with USJLP as an alumnus (Fellow). The Foundation recruits for the upcoming class of Delegates in the fall and onboards them the following spring. In addition, the Foundation provides resources for members to remain connected, supports network engagement throughout the year, and seeks opportunities to augment USJLP’s in-network and outward-facing activities and impact.
Learn more at https://us-jf.org/ and https://www.usjlp.org/
About the position: The Program Manager will work closely with the Executive Director of USJLP and a counterpart in Japan to implement the annual activities of USJLP, support current and prospective members, and help shape the future development of the Program. Duties related to supporting new USJLP-related initiatives, as well as grants and/or other institutional programs, may also be assigned. The core areas of responsibility are as follows:
Program management
- Curate and implement the logistics of USJLP annual conferences in the United States, including but not limited to site and vendor vetting/selection and contract negotiation, as well as managing vendors, off-site transportation arrangements, room block, meeting space, audio-visual, and meals.
- Envision the attendee experience and manage the schedule of events.
- Provide logistical support to speakers / panels.
- Manage attendee registration, communications, and travel logistics.
- Produce event assets, including print and digital copies of the schedule and other information for attendees, signage, and swag.
- Assist with year-round virtual events, including conceptualization, scheduling, advertising, hosting, and archiving.
- Assist with annual recruiting including but not limited to opening the annual application cycle, prospective applicant communications, application processing, and review committee logistics management.
- Track expenses and responsibly manage the Program’s annual budget.
Network management
- Actively build relationships with and provide exceptional support to alumni (Fellows) and new members (Delegates).
- Manage member communication channels; support members’ experience with these channels.
- Ensure member profiles, as well as member resources and assets, are kept updated.
- Track and report member news, updates, and engagement metrics.
About you: The ideal candidate will have demonstrated experience in and/or aptitude for quickly learning the following:
- Large-scale event management (USJLP operates an intensive, 7-day conference for a core group of 50 all week and an additional 150-250 attendees at the close of the week)
- Program / project management
- Operating in an international / culturally diverse environment (experience with Japan is a considerable plus, but not required)
- Member communications and engagement management (e.g. creating community newsletters, overseeing member communications channels/platforms, virtual programming)
- Information collection and management (e.g. database/CRM, online forms)
- Website management (creating / updating content and visual assets)
- Visual and brand asset management; light graphic design (e.g. using Canva)
- Project management software (e.g. Asana)
- MS Suite (specifically Word, Excel, PowerPoint), or similar software
The ideal candidate will be someone who works well independently and with a distributed team, enjoys proactively seeking ways to contribute and improve, is naturally attuned to anticipating needs and resolving issues before they occur, and takes pride in delivering exceptional results.
Applicants must have legal authorization to work in the United States without the need for sponsorship.
Location / hours: This position is full-time (40 hours/week) remote and the candidate can be based anywhere in the U.S. Note that this position offers a flexible schedule, but requires occasional off-hours work (early mornings, evenings, and weekends) to attend meetings with staff / stakeholders in Japan, host/attend virtual events with a global membership, and execute core responsibilities such as the annual summer conference.
Salary: $60,000 annually
Benefits: Health, vision, dental insurance; vacation; sick leave; employee-directed 401k
To apply: Please send a cover letter and resume to jobs@us-jf.org with the subject line “Program Manager application — (your full name).”
Deadline: Applications will be reviewed through Friday, November 15, 2024.
Start date: We aim to fill this position by January 2025.
Equal Employment: The United States-Japan Foundation is an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to any protected class, including but not limited to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran, or disability status.
