Manager, Educational Programming

The Manager, Educational Programming (Mgr. EP) plays a pivotal role in delivering diverse and inclusive educational programs supporting WEF’s mission to inspire the water sector - ranging from online courses to in-person events and tailored for the water community. This position is responsible for full-cycle project management, including budgeting support, quality assurance, scheduling, and stakeholder engagement to ensure program success. The Mgr. EP collaborates with staff, volunteers, and key stakeholders to facilitate program development, drive continuous improvement, and implement innovative solutions. The ideal candidate will have experience developing and delivering high quality and impactful programming for annual online and in-person programs addressing technical and educational needs supporting the water sector. This position reports to the Senior Manager, Educational Programming.

The Manager, Educational Programming must thrive on initiative, problem solving, being agile, inclusive, and a team player. The ideal candidate will have experience working in high-performing teams and demonstrate success working across and supporting mission-based organizations. A desire to help WEF serve the Water Community is critical.

NOTE: This role is hybrid and requires working in the office (Alexandria, VA) 2 days every other week. Travel is required (up to 20% of the year) for meetings and events.

Lead full-cycle program management: budget support, scheduling, quality assurance, and stakeholder engagement of assigned programsCollaborate with the Sr. Manager, Educational Programming to enhance technology to, streamline the Call for Papers, strengthen conference structure, and implement process improvementsGuide and communicate with key WEF volunteers and committees, collaborating organizations, member associations, presenters, vendors, and other WEF departmentsManage program resources updates, ensuring proofreading of materials, timely website and community site updates, smooth app integrations, and data managementServe as primary project-related contact to strategic partners, sponsors, and volunteers addressing and resolving concerns based on project urgencyAnalyze industry trends and event results and make recommendations to leadership to identify opportunities for growth and development to improve the overall educational programming experience for the event participantOther duties as assigned within scope of the role

Bachelor’s degree in related field, or equivalent training and experience5+ years of relevant experienceProven experience managing small-to-large scale events or conferences and overseeing program logisticsDemonstrated knowledge of abstract management systems, association management software, mobile apps, Microsoft office, and other related industry softwareExperience in education programming, communications, and/or event management, and a solid grasp of project management principlesProven experience in volunteer management and engagement at all levels of the organizationClear and persuasive oral and written communicator, capable of crafting messages for diverse audienceDemonstrated dedication to detail and ability to work under pressure in a deadline driven environmentDemonstrated emotional intelligence through sound judgment, discretion, and sensitivity when managing stakeholders experiencing difficulties/concernsPositive work ethic and excellent customer services skills; demonstrated ability to exercise tact and discretion in dealing with colleagues, members, and the publicDemonstrated knowledge and ability to problem-solve independently and proactively, and to lead collaborative efforts to define solutionsExperience with finding creative and innovative solutionsDemonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts in procedures, practices, and engagementDemonstrates a proactive, self-starter attitude, thriving in fast-paced environments

Preferred Qualifications: Project Management Professional (PMP) or similar certification highly desiredKnowledge of the US water sector or previous experience working with a scientific organization

This person will work primarily in an office environment using standard office equipment. Must be able to lift at least 25 lbs.

The Water Environment Federation (WEF) is a global leader in water, with over 30,000 members and 75 affiliated Member Associations. Our mission is bold: a world free of water challenges. Through our Strategic Plan, we’re driving transformation across three pillars - Workforce Development, Community Engagement, and the Circular Water Economy - with cross-cutting priorities in Global Engagement and Artificial Intelligence.