Local ISM Director

Introducing IFI, and why you want to be an Local ISM Director with us: International Friendships, Inc. is a growing faith-based organization, whose mission is to extend life-changing hospitality and friendship to international college students. We do this by offering services, such as airport pickups, holiday hosting, temporary housing, conversation partnerships, and social events and trips. Our home office is based in Columbus, OH, and this position can be a work-from-home position from elsewhere in the U.S.

IFI is a faith-based organization. This position leads the National Ism Strategy and oversight for Local ISM across IFI, with responsibilities that include strategy development, staff development, partnerships, and cross-departmental alignment.

• Full-time, flexible schedule
• Occasional evenings and/or weekends for specific events/projects
• Attendance at several conferences each year, including IFI Staff Retreats

• Requires the development of a ministry partner team which supplies the necessary prayer and financial support to cover salary, benefits, and ministry expenses
• Training is provided to develop a team of ministry partners
• Pay range is typically between $51,140 and $131,552 after the period of support development, based on experience and other factors

• Paid vacation, sick, holidays, and more (once eligible)
• Health benefits (medical, dental, and vision)
• 403(b) retirement savings plan to help you plan for the future
• Flexible hours and work-from-home availability
• Work for a growing Christian organization
• Staff care to support mental, social, and spiritual health for all staff

The Local ISM Director will (list not all inclusive):

• Lead the national strategic direction for Local ISM within IFI, ensuring growth, alignment, and long-term health across 50+ ministry locations.
• Build and continually refine scalable ministry systems, including volunteer pathways, discipleship models, partnership frameworks, and annual planning rhythms.
• Develop the operating architecture that undergirds IFI's local ministry, integrating national standards with contextualized flexibility.
• Establish national ministry metrics, evaluation tools, and reporting processes to assess local effectiveness.
• Identify national trends, emerging opportunities, and risks affecting international student ministry; propose strategic responses.
• Partner with the Chief Program Officer to shape multi-year ministry strategy, resource allocation, and organizational priorities.
• Oversee processes for launching new local ISM sites, including readiness frameworks, partnership models, and support systems.

• Lead and develop a national team of Regional/Area Coaches who directly support, mentor, and monitor local ISM staff and leaders.
• Create coaching frameworks, accountability structures, and resource toolkits that strengthen consistency across regions.
• Provide macro-level analysis and guidance to Coaches to ensure local teams are spiritually healthy, mission-aligned, and operating effectively.
• Facilitate cohorts to share best practices, address systemic challenges, and align on national priorities.
• Ensure Coaches have clarity, support, and strategic guidance to execute their roles with excellence.
• Collaborate with Staff Care and Mobilization to ensure local staff pathways, onboarding systems, and development processes are functioning effectively.

• Design and oversee national partnership strategies with churches, denominations, volunteer networks, and university stakeholders that strengthen the local ISM ecosystem.
• Collaborate with the Partnerships Lead to develop scalable partnership models, agreements, and engagement pathways usable by all local teams.
• Build and maintain high-level relationships with national church networks, ministry organizations, and key volunteers who advance IFI's mission.
• Equip Regional/Area Coaches with frameworks and tools that help them support local teams in cultivating strong partnerships and volunteer pipelines.
• Strengthen IFI's national presence through speaking engagements, conference involvement, and partner-facing communication.
• Develop and maintain financial and prayer partnerships for the budgeted needs of the role by sharing the vision of the ministry, ensuring minimum monetary standards are achieved, partner care, and sending out a ministry newsletter at least every other month to partners

• Serve as the primary connector between Local ISM and other national initiatives, ensuring alignment with the Innovation Lab, Administrative, Fundraising and Communications.
• Represent Local ISM within the Senior Leadership Team, shaping national program priorities and resource strategies.
• Ensure that new national initiatives, including curriculum, trainings, technology platforms,…