Airport Assistant, Secondary Schools Program Administration

The Future Leaders Exchange (FLEX) and Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study (YES) programs are funded by the Educational and Cultural Affairs Bureau (ECA) of the U.S. Department of State. FLEX and YES provide one-year, life-changing scholarship exchange opportunities in the U.S. to competitively selected secondary school students from Europe, Eurasia, the Middle East, Africa and Southeast Asia.

The Airport Assistant provides administrative and logistical support to FLEX and YES students during travel to the U.S. from their home countries and back. The Airport Assistant reports to the Operations Manager. Some work shifts occur outside of standard working hours, including evenings and weekends. This is a temporary position based at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) and John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and covering the following dates (others may arise) in 2021:

wAugust 5-6 wAugust 19-20 wAugust 22-23 wSeptember 9-10

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES: TWO DAY SHIFT

DAY 1

Meet internationally arriving groups of students and assist them with safely transferring via bus to the designated hotel; assist arriving students with lost luggage issues;

Assist with hotel check-in, group meals, and group supervision at the hotel;

Remain onsite overnight to be the point of contact for students and hotel staff in case of student emergency;

Ensure student safety at all times and account for all students;

Ensure that arriving students behave in an orderly manner in the hotel and enforce all program and Covid-19 safety rules, including but not limited to social distancing, staying in their rooms, and curfew. Effectively intervene if students give hotel staff any cause for concern;

Provide students with a brief orientation on hotel and travel rules and logistics; and

Communicate all arrival delays or issues and safety, health, or behavioral issues promptly to Washington, DC based YES or FLEX program staff;

DAY 2

Ensure that students get breakfast and board the bus to the airport on time;

Assist students with domestic flight check, baggage screening, security and finding their gates;

Advocate on behalf of students whose flights are cancelled or delayed or who otherwise need to be rebooked;

Effectively intervene if airline staff attempt to bump a student from his/her scheduled flight;

Communicate flight delays, cancellations, student illness and other travel problems promptly to Washington, DC based YES or FLEX program staff; and

Account for all expenditures and submit receipts as instructed.

Qualifications

Proficiency in English

Excellent communication skills and ability to work professionally with a variety of service providers under pressure

Ability to prioritize and handle multiple tasks in an organized manner

Experience working with groups of teenagers

Experience coordinating international and domestic travel

Familiarity with EWR and JFK airports and airline procedures and policies

Reliable means of transportation

Proficiency in Russian, Polish or Serbian preferred, but not required (Only for FLEX shifts)

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

American Councils is committed to taking affirmative steps to enhance employment opportunities for minorities, women, veterans, and people with disabilities, and strives to ensure that meaningful employment and promotional opportunities are maintained for everyone. American Councils’ commitment to equal employment opportunity is based not only on federal requirements, but also on a longstanding commitment to maintaining a diverse workforce reflective of the communities in which we operate.

PAY TRANSPARENCY NONDISCRIMINATION PROVISION

The contractor will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor’s legal duty to furnish information.