Working Title: Director of Global Learning and Partnerships - Center for Global Engagement

State Role Title: N/A

Position Type: Administrative & Professional (Non-teaching Faculty)

Position Status: Full-Time

FLSA Status: Exempt: Not Eligible for Overtime

College/Division: Center for Global Engagement

Department: 100148 - CGE Administration

Pay Band: 

Pay Rate: Pay Range

Specify Range or Amount: $70,000 - $75,000 

Is this a JMU only position? No

Is this a grant-funded position? No

Is this a Conflict of Interest designated position? No

Beginning Review Date: 6/14/2026

About JMU:

Mission
We are a community committed to preparing students to be educated and enlightened citizens who lead productive and meaningful lives.

Vision
To be the national model for the engaged university: engaged with ideas and the world.

Who We Are
Located in the heart of Virginia’s beautiful Shenandoah Valley, the city of Harrisonburg is approximately 120 miles from Washington, D.C. and Richmond, VA. With a population of just over 53,000, Harrisonburg is one of the most diverse communities in the Commonwealth of Virginia. JMU is a selective, public institution with a growing national reputation for offering experiences that lead to an outstanding education and inclusive environment for students, faculty and staff. The student body includes approximately 20,000 undergraduate and 1,900 graduate students, with over 1,000 full-time instructional faculty.

JMU offers thriving programs in the liberal arts, science and technology, and professional disciplines at the undergraduate, master’s and doctoral levels. The university is committed to expanding diversity, fostering equity and inclusion, and supporting superlative teaching and scholarship. JMU has achieved national recognition for the high quality of its academic programs, focus on maintaining strong student/faculty interaction, and innovative faculty research.

General Information:

James Madison University’s Center for Global Engagement (CGE) is seeking a strategic and collaborative leader to serve as the Director of Global Learning and Partnerships. Reporting to the Associate Provost for International Initiatives & Executive Director of the CGE, this position provides leadership for JMU’s international partnerships, global learning initiatives, and collaborative academic engagement efforts.

The Director oversees the strategic growth and operational management of the Global Learning and Partnerships (GLP) unit and works closely with faculty, academic leaders, students, and international partners to advance the university’s mission of comprehensive internationalization.

This is a full-time, primarily in-person position based in Harrisonburg, Virginia, with some flexibility and occasional international travel required.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Partnership Strategy & Administrative Leadership
• Lead the Global Learning and Partnerships (GLP) unit, providing oversight for departmental budgets, operational workflows, and strategic alignment with CGE goals
• Design and execute a comprehensive global partnership strategy that integrates university-wide academic goals with robust administrative and financial models
• Oversee the full lifecycle of Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) and a variety of activity agreements (MOAs), ensuring legal compliance, risk mitigation, and mutual benefit
• Develop and implement frameworks to evaluate the long-term sustainability and effectiveness of partnerships in accordance with the JMU and CGE strategic plans

Collaborative Leadership
• Serve as the primary administrative partner to faculty leadership (including the Faculty Director of Global Learning), translating academic and pedagogical goals into actionable international agreements and programs
• Coordinate between the GLP staff and academic leads to ensure that global learning initiatives (such as COIL, exchange programs, or dual degrees) are supported by robust administrative and contractual infrastructure
• Partner with academic deans, department heads, and other university divisions to curate and scale partnership opportunities that align with faculty research and student learning objectives

Relationship Management & Outreach
• Serve as the lead relationship manager for a portfolio of high-priority global partners, cultivating long-term trust and alignment with senior leaders at international institutions
• Coordinate and host international delegations, lead global networking and partnership missions, and support other global activities, including international recruitment
• Identify and share external funding opportunities and grants to support collaborative projects and international partnership activities

Team Leadership
• Direct and supervise Global Learning and Partnerships (GLP) professional staff, fostering a culture of professional growth and operational excellence

Qualifications:

Required
• Master’s degree in International Education, International Relations, Public Policy, Business Administration, or a related field
• Significant professional experience with international education, specifically in partnership development, global engagement, or administrative management
• Proven track record of developing, negotiating, and managing complex international partnership agreements and multi-stakeholder projects
• Experience overseeing administrative operations, budgets, and professional staff
• Experience leading complex projects and cross-functional collaboration in a fast-paced higher education or international education environment
• Demonstrated intercultural communication and relationship-building skills with experience working across diverse global stakeholders, faculty, and university leadership
• Collaborative, strategic, and systems-thinking approach to leadership and problem solving

Preferred
• Fluency in a second language and experience living or working overseas
• Deep regional expertise and/or professional networks in key global regions such as East/Southeast Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, or the Middle East
• Experience bridging university administrative operations and faculty-led academic initiatives
• Experience developing and sustaining international institutional partnerships in higher education
• Experience supporting collaborative academic initiatives such as COIL, exchange programs, dual degrees, or faculty-led global engagement programs

Additional Posting Information:

Candidates should complete the online application and provide:
- A current resume or CV (uploaded under ‘Resume’)
- A cover letter

JMU’s Dual Career and Community Resources Program is available for candidates that will be relocating to the area. For more information, please visit https://bit.ly/2OTF1NG.

Conditions of Employment:  

Employment is contingent upon the successful completion of a criminal background check.

E-Verify Notice: After accepting employment, new hires are required to complete an I-9 form and present documentation of their identity and eligibility to work in the United States. James Madison University uses the E-Verify system to confirm identity and work authorization.

EEO Statement:

James Madison University is committed to creating and supporting a diverse and inclusive work and educational community that is free of all forms of discrimination. This institution does not tolerate discrimination or harassment on the basis of age, color, disability, gender identity or expression, genetic information, national origin, parental status, political affiliation, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation or veteran status.

We promote access, inclusion and diversity for all students, faculty, staff, constituents and programs, believing that these qualities are foundational components of an outstanding education in keeping with our mission. The university is interested in candidates whose experience and qualifications support an ongoing commitment to this core quality.

Anyone having questions concerning discrimination should contact the Office for Equal Opportunity: (540) 568-6991.

Reasonable Accommodation:

If you are an individual with a disability and need assistance searching or applying for jobs please contact us at (540) 568-3597 or jobs@jmu.edu. You may also visit the JMU Human Resource Office, located at 752 Ott Street, Harrisonburg, VA 22807 and we will be happy to assist you.