Staff

Nuwan Dinushka is Fulbright Sri Lanka’s Finance Consultant assigned by Sathis & Company, Chartered Accountants. He works closely with the Executive Director and other staff on all finance activities. He has over eight years of accounting and auditing experience and previously worked at Deloitte Sri Lanka and IBM World Trade Corporation. 

Soraya Fajudeen has served as Executive and Program Assistant for 20 years at US-SLFC. She works closely with our staff to successfully administer the Fulbright programs. Prior to joining the Fulbright Commission, she worked at the Asia Foundation-Sri Lanka, Television Trust for the Environment-Sri Lanka, and in the NGO and the corporate sectors.

Sabitha George is EducationUSA Student Adviser and Special Projects Assistant at US-SLFC. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Geography from University of Jaffna and a Master’s degree in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Remote Sensing from the University of Sri Jayewardenepura. She previously worked as Project Coordinator at the Center for the Study of Human Rights at the Faculty of Law, University of Colombo. She was a temporary lecturer in Geography at University of Jaffna.  Working at Fulbright Sri Lanka gives her the opportunity to use her connections and experience to promote US-Sri Lanka educational exchanges.

Upali is the driver for US-SLFC. He served in the Sri Lankan Forces. His number one priority is the safety of his passengers.

Patrick McNamara, Ph.D., serves as Executive Director of the United States-Sri Lanka Fulbright Commission. He has worked with universities, governments, corporations, nonprofits, and foundations for over 35 years. Before joining Fulbright Sri Lanka, Patrick was at the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) where he taught conflict resolution, sustainable development, and social entrepreneurship. At UNO, he also served as Senior International Officer, Director of the International Studies major and minor, Director of the Sustained Dialogue Initiative and Director of the Omaha World Affairs Council. Dr. McNamara achieved distinction as a Fulbright-Nehru Senior Scholar in India in 2011, during which he spent time on a Regional Travel Grant to Sri Lanka.

Other past experience includes: Director of Philanthropic Services at Omaha Community Foundation which annually donated over $80 million to nonprofits; Director of the Omaha Hate Crimes Project, a partnership funded by the U.S. Department of Justice to fight hate and discrimination; managing a printing ink manufacturing company; litigation paralegal at a Wall Street law firm; and Capitol Page in the U.S. House of Representatives. He is on the governing board of Initiatives of Change, a global interfaith NGO “building trust across the world’s divides.” Patrick’s TED Talk is Water Conflict, Water Peace.

Dr. McNamara earned a Ph.D. from the School of Public Administration at UNO. His dissertation research, funded by a fellowship from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, focused on public-private partnerships to solve homelessness. He earned a M.Sc. in Conflict Analysis and Resolution from George Mason University with specializations in international and organizational dispute resolution. His B.A. in Religion is from Swarthmore College where he studied comparative religions and ethics.

Overview

The United States-Sri Lanka Fulbright Commission (US-SLFC) was established by an Agreement signed by the U.S. and Sri Lankan governments on November 17, 1952. We are an autonomous, bi-national, non-political, non-governmental commission promoting mutual understanding through academic, cultural, and professional exchanges. We also oversee EducationUSA which promotes study in American colleges and universities.

We are seeking a self-motivated and dynamic person to provide program leadership in a fast-paced environment. The Program Officer (PO) reports to and works collaboratively with the Executive Director (ED) of the Fulbright Commission. 

Key Responsibilities

• Outreach, public relations, and online communications to promote the Fulbright programs and EducationUSA
• Oversee Fulbright application management, reviews, interviews, and committees for selection of grantees
• Advise and support Fulbright grantees, both Americans to Sri Lanka and Sri Lankans to the U.S.
• Liaise with Sri Lankan and U.S. higher educational institutions, government officials, and NGOs to promote Fulbright awards and education in the USA
• Evaluation and reporting to appropriate partners
• Assist with alumni engagement

Required and Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree required; experience in the U.S. education system, especially with Fulbright, preferred
• At least 5 years of work experience in a relevant field such as international education, public diplomacy, or international development required; program management in a collaborative environment preferred
• Superior knowledge of the Sri Lankan education system required; advanced knowledge of the U.S. education system preferred
• Fluency in written and spoken English required; fluency in Sinhala and/or Tamil preferred 
• Strong computer skills (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, WordPress, and other platforms) required; ability to regularly post on social media (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X/Twitter) preferred
• Experience in cross-cultural settings required; studied, lived, or worked in the U.S. preferred
• Ability to work on your own as well as in a team environment required
• High ethical standards, honesty, and positive spirit required
• Ability to extensively travel within Sri Lanka and occasionally outside Sri Lanka required 

Salary and Terms

Salary commensurate with qualifications and experience.  This initial contact will be for one year and is renewable, subject to good performance reviews.

Timeline

Applications will be reviewed as they are received on a rolling basis. This position will stay open until filled. 

To Apply

Application must include: 1) Cover Letter; 2) CV/Resume; and 3) List of three professional references.  The cover letter should specifically explain in detail with examples how the candidate’s past experiences fulfill the key responsibilities and meet both the required and preferred qualifications above. Please also indicate present salary. The list of professional references must include each referee’s name, position, and circumstances of knowing the applicant, plus the referee’s contact phone number and email address. 

Please send application material as a .pdf file to inquiries@fulbrightsrilanka.org

Please Note: No follow-up phone calls, personal visits, or inquiries related to this vacancy will be accepted.  Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

The U.S.-SLFC seeks a diverse workforce and is an equal employment opportunity employer.