Employment Opportunities
Open Position: Program Officer
Company: San Diego Diplomacy Council
Location: San Diego, CA
Employment Type: Full-time (Hybrid)
Position Summary
The Program Officer as part of the program team plays an important role in carrying out SDDC’s international and community-facing programs. The position’s primary focus is the coordination of international exchange work, including the International Visitor Leadership Program, international professional exchanges, and other visiting delegations. This includes developing thoughtful program schedules, researching relevant topics and local experts, coordinating meetings and logistics, supporting visitors during their time in San Diego, and maintaining accurate program records and expenses. The role also supports SDDC’s binational youth engagement work, including youth summits, leadership activities, and related events that connect young people across communities.
In addition to program delivery, the Program Officer contributes to communications, outreach, and development efforts that help share SDDC’s impact and strengthen relationships with partners, participants, alumni, and supporters. The ideal candidate is highly organized, responsive, and comfortable managing multiple details at once, while bringing good judgment, cultural awareness, and a collaborative approach to their work.
Compensation: This full-time, non-exempt hybrid position offers a starting wage of $28.00/hour and a comprehensive benefits package. SDDC offers eligible full-time employees medical, dental, and vision insurance, along with paid vacation, paid sick leave, a generous paid holiday schedule, and employer funded IRA plan. Employees also enjoy a flexible, collaborative work environment and opportunities for professional growth while contributing to SDDC’s mission of connecting San Diego with the global community.
Key Responsibilities
- Coordinate international visitor programs, including the International Visitor Leadership Program, international professional exchanges, and other visiting delegations
- Research program themes, policy areas, and professional fields to identify strong local speakers, institutions, businesses, organizations, and site visits
- Develop clear and meaningful program schedules that reflect participant interests, funder goals, and SDDC’s standards for quality exchange programming
- Arrange meetings, site visits, transportation, lodging, meals, interpretation support, and other logistics for visiting delegations and program participants
- Provide on-site support for visitors, speakers, partners, volunteers, and participants before, during, and after programs
- Support binational youth engagement initiatives, including youth summits, leadership activities, workshops, and related events
- Help recruit, prepare, and communicate with program participants, youth participants, interns, volunteers, alumni, and community partners
- Build and maintain relationships with local and international partners, including schools, universities, nonprofits, government offices, businesses, and community organizations
- Track project expenses, prepare basic financial documents, maintain program files and databases, and support budget monitoring and reporting
- Draft program highlights, impact stories, newsletters, social media content, fundraising materials, and reports as needed
- Support the planning and promotion of community events, mixers, public programs, and partner or donor engagement activities
- Represent SDDC at events and help identify new opportunities for collaboration
- Perform other duties as assigned
Desired Skills and Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience in international relations, public administration, nonprofit management, communications, education, or a related field.
- Demonstrated interest in international exchange, global affairs, diplomacy, education, youth engagement, or community development.
- Strong organizational and project coordination skills, with the ability to manage multiple programs and deadlines simultaneously.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills and the ability to engage effectively with diverse audiences.
- Strong interpersonal and cross-cultural communication skills.
- Ability to build and maintain positive relationships with partners, participants, volunteers, and community stakeholders.
- Experience coordinating events, educational programs, exchanges, conferences, or youth initiatives is preferred.
- Detail-oriented with strong time management skills and the ability to work independently.
- Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite; experience with CMR platforms, Mailchimp, Notion, WordPress, or similar platforms is a plus.
- Comfortable working in a dynamic environment and adapting to changing priorities.
- Familiarity with the San Diego community and/or the U.S.-Mexico border region is a plus.
- Ability to work occasional evenings and weekends during delegation visits, youth programs, and special events.
- Spanish language proficiency is desirable.
How to Apply
Please submit your resume through LinkedIn or email at employment@sandiegodiplomacy.org. While cover letters are not required and their absence will not affect your application status, you are welcome to submit one if you wish. The last day to apply is September 25th at 11:59 PM PDT.
The San Diego Diplomacy Council is an equal-opportunity employer and welcomes applications from individuals of all backgrounds and experiences. Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Thank you for your interest in joining our team!
Internships
Applications for Fall 2026 internships is now closed! We will accept applications for Fall 2026 internships until July 10, 2026, at 11:59 PM. Internships will begin on August 3, 2026.
Ready to apply, or have questions you would like to ask? Please submit your resume and a cover letter (optional, but strongly encouraged) to internship@sandiegodiplomacy.org
Internships require a six-month commitment of 12-15 hours per week. Please note that this is an unpaid, hybrid internship position based in the San Diego-Tijuana region. We strongly encourage interns to seek academic credit for their internship.
Gain hands-on experience in public diplomacy while learning about the work of a nonprofit in San Diego. Our internship program is open to applicants with a high school diploma and above. Internships completed as part of a college course are eligible for credit. Our internship program is attractive to emerging global leaders looking to expand their skills and knowledge.
Interns will gain substantive experience working directly through one of the following portfolios:
- Professional Exchange Programs - Gain practical experience coordinating exchange programs for groups of international leaders, including supporting itinerary development for visiting delegations, preparing physical and virtual program materials, assisting in tracking program metrics and data collection, and accompanying international visitors to professional appointments and engagements.
- Youth Exchange Programs - Gain hands-on experience supporting youth-focused diplomacy and leadership programs, including assisting with planning and scheduling cultural and educational activities for visiting and outbound students, and helping coordinate itineraries. Intern also supports major youth initiatives, such as the Binational Youth Summit and other youth programs.
- Communications - Take on a high level of responsibility and exposure to local, national, and global media sources in a professional, intercultural environment. A communications intern contributes to writing and distributing press releases, creating content for social media platforms and newsletters, and attending exchange programs to document and photograph visitor interactions.
- Operations - Gain hands-on experience in nonprofit management and executive administration. This internship offers exposure to organizational operations, membership engagement, database maintenance, grant reporting, and project management. The operations intern will also support executive leadership with calendar management, meeting coordination, document preparation, and internal communications, gaining valuable insight into how nonprofit organizations operate and achieve their mission.
Internship Details and Timeline: Our volunteer internships are approximately 12-15 hours per week, for a duration of 6 months. We are currently recruiting for the Fall cohort of interns. The Spring cohort will commence on August 3, 2026.
To Apply: Email your resume and a cover letter (optional, but strongly encouraged) to internship@sandiegodiplomacy.org. Please include "Fall 2026 Internship Application" in your subject line and let us know if there is a specific intern role you are interested in applying for.
