About itrek

itrek introduces tomorrow’s leaders to Israel, helping them experience the country firsthand through peer-led, week-long treks. itrek’s unique peer-led model empowers students from the world’s top business, law, policy and STEM graduate programs to craft and lead authentic experiences for their classmates; experiences that reflect the diverse interests of the program’s participants and fields of study. Since 2011, more than 19,000 graduate student participants representing 103 nationalities have experienced the richness and complexity of Israel through itreks that combine education, culture, and fun.
itrek is a fast-growing and nimble organization with headquarters in New York City, and an office in Tel Aviv.
Position
itrek seeks a Chief Program Officer (CPO) to join our dynamic and growing team. The CPO, a new position at itrek, will play a critical role in overseeing the expansion of our programmatic footprint and impact. Reporting to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and a member of the Executive Management Team, the CPO will be responsible for shaping and implementing the strategic vision for itrek’s programming, in a manner that reflects our commitment to innovation and aligns with our core values. The CPO will design and implement monitoring, evaluation, and learning processes with the goal of enhancing programmatic results and impact. The CPO will lead a high performing programming team of 10 members.

Responsibilities Overview

● Serve as a key member of the Executive Management Team
● Articulate and implement the strategic vision of itrek’s programs, ensuring alignment with the organizational vision, mission and goals. This includes:
o 90+ annual treks (trips to Israel) across the top ranked MBA, Law, Policy and STEM graduate programs.
o itrek Network (alumni engagement program)
o Educational content and resources, oversee partnerships with key educational and logistical providers, including tour operators, educators and speakers
● Develop new areas of compelling programming, by embracing innovation, challenging the status quo, and looking outside the organization for inspiration and best practices
● Lead the work of the Programming Team in NY and Israel, guiding them through goal and priority setting and assigning work across the team members in ways that elevate their strengths and ensure the highest quality products
● Hold primary responsibility for itrek’s annual program plan, including all aspects of program development, execution and budgeting - This includes working closely with the COO and Director of Finance to budget and monitor programmatic operations to ensure sound fiscal and system management
● Lead a culture of learning amongst the Programming Team including ongoing in-house training and professional development
● Guide and oversee impact evaluation across all of itrek’s programmatic offerings. This includes working with researchers and evaluators to demonstrate a concrete, data-supported link between our Theory of Change and our measurable impact. Ensure the delivery of qualitative and quantitative goals that support and demonstrate the intended outcomes and impact articulated in our Theory of Change.

Profile and Qualifications

● Passion for our organization’s mission is a prerequisite for this position
● Strong professional demeanor, an ability to lead with authority balanced with humility and integrity, while promoting and facilitating healthy debate
● Expert project manager, adept at multitasking, unintimidated by uncertainty, and a driver of bottom line results and outcomes
● Analytic and decisive decision maker with an ability to prioritize and communicate key objectives and tactics necessary to achieve organizational goals
● Action-oriented, entrepreneurial, flexible and innovative approach to program management
● Significant team leadership experience, including teams spread over different continents, time zones and cultures
● Exceptional interpersonal, written and verbal communications skills in English
● An understanding of the discourse related to Israel in the U.S. and globally
● Outside of COVID-times, this position requires travel (approximately 20% of time) throughout the year, both domestically and to Israel
● Ready to work in a highly collaborative, fast-paced, committed team

Compensation and Benefits

This is an outstanding opportunity to lead a highly effective nonprofit’s program area and partner with the CEO and Senior Management Team. itrek will offer a competitive compensation package including base salary, bonus, health insurance, 401k and vacation benefits including Jewish and American national holidays.
itrek is an Equal Opportunity employer. Personnel are chosen on the basis of ability without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, marital status or sexual orientation, in accordance with federal and state law.

To Apply

Thank you for applying!