Director, Global Education Office

Duke University, located in Durham, North Carolina, is a leading research university with over 15,000 students and 40,000 employees. The Office of Undergraduate Education (OUE) seeks an experienced and visionary Director of Global Education to lead the Duke Global Education Office (GEO). This role involves shaping global learning opportunities for undergraduate students while advancing Duke's commitment to experiential education, intercultural learning, and academic excellence.

About the Role

As Director, you will provide strategic, operational, financial, and organizational leadership for Duke's portfolio of global and domestic study-away programs. You will collaborate with university leaders, faculty, students, and international partners to develop innovative educational experiences that prepare students for an interconnected world. This role offers the opportunity to influence institutional strategy, support global partnerships, and ensure the success of impactful educational programs.

Responsibilities

• Implement the strategic vision for Duke Global Education in partnership with senior university leadership and the Global Education Advisory Committee.
• Identify and launch innovative global and domestic study-away programs, partnership models, and experiential learning opportunities aligned with university priorities.
• Monitor international education trends and emerging opportunities to ensure Duke remains a leader in global learning.
• Foster a culture of innovation, responsiveness, and continuous improvement for student, faculty, and partner experiences.
• Provide executive oversight of GEO's compliance with U.S. regulations, international laws, Duke policies, host-country requirements, and accreditation expectations.
• Lead risk assessment, emergency preparedness, and crisis response efforts in collaboration with Duke's Office of Global Health and Safety.
• Serve as the primary liaison with legal counsel on contracts, institutional agreements, and partnership negotiations.
• Advise university leadership regarding significant legal, financial, operational, and reputational risks.
• Lead and develop a high-performing, geographically distributed team responsible for advising, program administration, marketing, faculty support, and student services.
• Establish operational priorities, staffing strategies, and workforce plans supporting organizational effectiveness and long-term growth.
• Manage GEO's overall financial performance, including budget development, revenue forecasting, enrollment targets, pricing models, and profitability analysis.
• Develop strategies to increase revenue diversification and growth while maintaining affordability and access for students.
• Oversee the full lifecycle of study-away programs, including program design, launch, evaluation, enhancement, and retirement.
• Ensure programs align with curricular goals, student learning outcomes, and institutional objectives.
• Direct credit-transfer activities, course approvals, registration processes, and international grade conversion practices.
• Advance student belonging, accessibility, intercultural learning, and educational outcomes through program design and advising services.
• Recruit, support, and engage faculty leaders while reducing administrative barriers associated with program leadership.
• Cultivate collaborations across schools, academic departments, administrative units, and external partners.
• Represent Duke University at national and international conferences, professional organizations, and partnership meetings.
• Enhance Duke's reputation as a leader in global education through professional engagement, thought leadership, and strategic partnerships.

Requirements

• Earned doctorate (Ph.D. or Ed.D.) with demonstrated relevance to global education, international education, higher education administration, or a related field.
• Minimum of five years of progressively responsible leadership experience in international education.
• Experience leading international education programs with responsibility for personnel management, operational oversight, risk mitigation, and financial stewardship.
• Demonstrated experience developing, expanding, and sustaining successful study-away or international education programs.
• Experience negotiating partnerships, contracts, and agreements with domestic and international institutions.
• Experience navigating legal, compliance, risk management, and safety considerations associated with international programming.
• Proven ability to lead complex teams and organizational change initiatives.

Preferred Qualifications

• Eight or more years in the field of international education.
• Extensive knowledge of undergraduate global education and study-away program administration.
• Experience expanding global education opportunities in emerging or underrepresented regions.
• Demonstrated success managing complex budgets, growing revenue streams, and program financial performance.
• Experience collaborating with faculty, academic leadership, student affairs professionals, legal counsel, and risk management partners.
• Experience with university-developed offshore entities.
• Working knowledge of data analytics, assessment methodologies, CRM systems, advising technologies, and AI-enabled tools.
• Active involvement in professional organizations such as NAFSA: Association of International Educators or The Forum on Education Abroad.
• Record of professional presentations, publications, or contributions to the field of international education.

Other Requirements

• Ability to respond to time-sensitive international incidents and emergency situations.
• Commitment to fostering inclusive, accessible, and culturally responsive learning environments.
• Strong interpersonal, communication, negotiation, and relationship-building skills.
• Ability to travel domestically and internationally as needed.
• Ability to work effectively across a complex and decentralized university environment.

Benefits

Duke University provides comprehensive and competitive medical and dental care programs, generous retirement benefits, and a wide array of family-friendly and cultural programs to eligible team members. Learn more at: Duke Benefits.