Program Officer, Critical Language Scholarship Program 2021

SUMMARY:
The CLS Program, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, is an immersive language and cultural program for American students enrolled at U.S. colleges and universities. Each summer students spend eight-to-ten weeks abroad studying one of fifteen critical languages. The program includes intensive language instruction and structured cultural enrichment experiences designed to promote rapid language gains. In addition to summer study abroad programming, the CLS Program is developing innovative initiatives to engage with students virtually. By prioritizing inclusion and access, the CLS Program ensures that the next generation of America’s global leaders reflects its diversity.

Based in Washington, DC, the Program Officer for Virtual Initiatives leads the planning and administration of virtual exchange programming by recruiting for the program, developing preparatory materials, advising students, and working with colleagues and implementing partners on program planning and implementation. The Program Officer also provides some support for study abroad programming. The Program Officer has a special role in preparing and supporting students to cooperate with their diverse cohort members and fostering leaderships skills, recruiting candidates from diverse backgrounds, building relationships with program stakeholders across the United States, and supporting participants from a wide array of backgrounds. The position requires close attention to detail. The Program Officer will report to the Program Manager.

While organizational skills and administrative experience will be an important plus for any candidate, an extensive understanding of academic culture for study abroad programs is also important. The position will require the ability to work independently as well as a member of a team. Limited, occasional travel to conferences or for recruitment activities is required.

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES
FALL VIRTUAL INSTITUTES

• Respond to student and university advisor inquiries;
• Track participants’ completion of program requirements;
• Design pre-program materials and trainings to prepare participants to be members of a diverse cohort;
• Organize and conduct student orientations;
• Develop materials and trainings to foster inclusivity for participants during the program;
• Lead group meetings and other activities on topics related to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) for participants;
• Provide on-program support to participants including those who may be struggling;
• Prepare program highlights for the program funder and general audiences, including for social media;
• Assist in the administration of institutional partner agreements and budgets;
• Coordinate with overseas partners on program components; and
• Prepare student stipend requests, track stipend issuance, process partner invoices, and complete and track partner payments.

SUMMER STUDY ABROAD INSTITUTES

• Assist in training Resident Directors and other staff members on topics related to DEIA;
• Collaborate with team of Program Officers to develop materials to support DEIA; and
• Provide backup support for Program Officers during site visits or during emergencies. This may potentially involve a limited number of unscheduled work hours.

OUTREACH AND SELECTION

• Contribute to the design and implementation of an outreach and recruitment plan for virtual institutes;
• Perform targeted outreach for the CLS Program to underrepresented institutions and populations;
• Recruit and maintain relationships with university faculty and administrators from diverse institutions to strengthen existing networks and develop new contacts, with a focus on community colleges and minority-serving institutions;
• Serve as a point of contact for university faculty and staff, including study abroad and fellowship advisors, career services and multicultural offices, and language instructors;
• Support the administration of an equitable selection process by developing selection criteria, recruiting and training evaluators, and managing the selection of participants;
• Develop print and electronic materials to promote virtual initiatives;
• Coordinate and conduct presentations, webinars, and virtual information sessions about the CLS Program for students, study abroad administrators, and faculty, including promotional trips to U.S. universities and conferences;
• Evaluate and assess the results of outreach, recruitment and selection activities;

OTHER DUTIES & RESPONSBILITIES

• Assist in maintaining and updating participant database;
• Encourage ongoing communications with program alumni;
• Assist in writing and preparation of reports and grant proposals for funding agencies;
• Assist in drafting outward facing communication throughout the year, such as social media posts; and
• Additional duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• A minimum of two years of relevant full-time work experience;
• Experience with study abroad, international education, language learning, or virtual learning;
• Experience communicating with and advising individuals from diverse backgrounds;
• Commitment to supporting diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility in study abroad;
• Familiarity with issues pertaining to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility (DEIA) in American society and/or higher education;
• Strong written and oral communication skills in English;
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail;
• Demonstrated problem-solving skills;
• Ability to manage multiple priorities quickly and effectively;
• Ability to work independently while contributing to an overall team effort;
• Ability to work effectively in a cross-cultural work environment;
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office;
• General financial accountability; and
• Effective interpersonal skills.

PREFERRED BUT NOT REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree;
• Familiarity with American higher education landscape, including diverse types of institutions and departments;
• Experience designing and/or implementing DEIA focused initiatives;
• Knowledge of a critical language offered by the CLS Program (Arabic, Azerbaijani, Bangla, Chinese, Hindi, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Persian, Portuguese, Punjabi, Russian, Swahili, Turkish, Urdu);
• Experience mentoring or advising students.

Position contingent upon funding.

Job Type: Full-time