Senior Compliance Specialist

Senior Compliance Specialist Global Programs

Reports to: Senior Director, Global Programs

Salary Range: $75,000-$85,000 (part-time proportionate salary, not to exceed $85k)

Anticipated Start Date: October 1, 2026

Term of Employment: Part-time (32 hours/week)

Base of Operations Designation: Washington, DC

Remote Eligible: Remote

Conditional on Funding? No

World Learning seeks a Senior Compliance Specialist to advise on and monitor organizational compliance with U.S. federal award requirements, from the U.S. Department of State as well as other public and private donors. This role serves as a trusted and knowledgeable compliance resource for program and operations staff, supports agreement management from proposal through closeout, and helps strengthen World Learning's compliance policies, training, and internal controls. The ideal candidate combines deep knowledge of federal grants and contracts regulations with sound judgment, excellent problem-solving skills, strong communication, and the ability to manage multiple time-sensitive priorities across a global portfolio.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Organizational Compliance

• Advise on and analyze donor compliance requirements and help establish practices and policies to ensure a culture of adherence to federal regulations, other donor requirements, and agreement terms and conditions.
• Serve as the go-to compliance resource for World Learning's Global Programs unit, providing technical guidance to program staff on compliance questions and issues.
• Responsible for organizational Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act reporting.
• Review and resolve issues that fall outside standard policies and procedures, escalating as appropriate.
• Develop compliance monitoring and evaluation procedures for sub-recipients.
• Support the management and resolution of issues identified in internal audits.
• Assist in preparing and submitting compliance-related documents.
• Participate in the vetting and selection of local legal counsel.
• Serve, as assigned, as the primary point of contact with local counsel for registration and maintenance of overseas entities and related ongoing legal support.
• Stay current on organizational programs, priorities, and policies.

Agreement Management and Administration

• Advise program and operations staff on award terms and conditions, compliance risk, and related issues.
• Lead agreement readings with program staff and help design processes that address agreement requirements.
• Ensure World Learning maintains appropriate policies and staff training to comply with agreement terms and conditions.
• Contribute to developing standard templates and terms and conditions for subawards, contracts, and other agreement types.
• Review, as assigned, memoranda of understanding, teaming agreements, contracts, sub-agreements, participant agreements, office leases, and approval letters.
• Review draft awards and agreements to identify risks and concerns.
• Advise on compliance considerations during business development and proposal preparation.
• Support proper project start-up and closeout, as assigned, including oversight of closeout plans with program staff.

Policies and Operations

• Contribute to establishing and enhancing operational policies and procedures for donor compliance and grants/contracts management.
• Deliver in-house training on compliance topics and develop related guidance documents, tools, and resources.
• Advise on compliance with World Learning's Purchasing Policy and procurement best practices.
• Represent Compliance on tender committees.
• Stay current on industry and regulatory developments through professional resources, publications, and continuing education; share updates with staff through training and refresher sessions.
• Maintain compliance files and workflows on the World Learning intranet for staff-wide use.
• Attend key organizational meetings (e.g., town halls, quarterly meetings) and learning sessions to understand and maintain awareness of organizational priorities and policies.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

REQUIREMENTS

Education and Experience

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited university.
• At least seven years of relevant experience in federal grants/contracts management.
• Prior experience with U.S. Department of State award requirements.

Required Skills

• Demonstrated expertise researching, interpreting, and applying U.S. government donor regulations.
• Working knowledge of 2 CFR 200, the Department of State's Standard Terms and Conditions, and other rules and regulations governing federal award implementation.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to compose reports, presentations, memos, and other documents in a clear, organized, and concise manner.
• Sound judgment and discretion in interpreting and applying regulatory guidance to achieve organizational goals.
• Strong organizational and time-management skills, with the ability to manage multiple time-sensitive priorities.
• Strong attention to detail and multi-tasking ability.
• Highly developed collaboration and leadership skills, with a demonstrated ability to build positive working relationships across units and locations.
• Proficiency in Microsoft 365.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting international exchange programs.
• Experience managing or advising on sub-recipient monitoring for international sub-awardees.
• Knowledge of Federal Acquisition Regulation.

ABOUT WORLD LEARNING

For more than 90 years, World Learning has advanced American leadership at home and abroad by equipping students, professionals, and institutions with the skills, networks, and real-world experience needed to address today's most pressing challenges. Through dynamic, experiential education and exchange programs, we strengthen 21st-century competencies, foster innovation, and expand economic opportunity-building more secure and prosperous communities worldwide.