Director, Study Abroad Program

The Director of Study Abroad, under general direction, develops and directs study abroad programs. Provides general and region-specific study abroad advising, promotion, and outreach activities.

Responsibilities:

Direct Study Abroad including strategy, program planning, and budget oversight. Promote international opportunities and a global focus on campus. Develop, implement, refine as necessary and monitor rules and procedures of International Programs. Hire, supervise, train and evaluate Study Abroad staff.
Perform international recruitment initiatives including recruiting sponsored students and international students. Liaise with embassy officials, international education organizations, government officials, international agencies, etc. to achieve international recruiting objectives.
Administer study abroad programs. Manage administrative and risk management issues. Collaborate with faculty on the development and implementation of faculty-led programs. Conduct site visits. Assess education abroad programs. Collaborate with Contracts staff and the Office of the General Counsel staff as necessary to establish affiliation agreements and administer the affiliate agreements.
Serve as a liaison for faculty, administrators and researchers for international activities. Collaborate with the Special Advisor to the President to achieve the international objectives of the university. Serve on the International Programs Advisory Board and other committees pertaining to the university’s international initiatives. Establish and maintain professional networks with local, state, national and international organizations. Represent the university at international education-related events and activities to elevate PVAMU’s International profile.
Pursue external and internal funding to support international activities. Oversee grant and/or contractual funding requirements.

Required Education and Experience:

Bachelor’s degree in applicable field.
Ten years of related experience developing or managing study abroad programs.

Preferred Education and Experience:

Master’s degree in applicable field.

Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

Generally supervises

Preferred Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

Excellent decision-making and organizational skills.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills including cross cultural competencies.
Ability to communicate and work effectively with diverse constituencies including, students, parents, faculty, administrators and external groups (e.g., international institutions, U.S. government officials and officials/individuals from other countries, community leaders.)
Proficient using standard office software applications.

Study Abroad Site Specialist

CEA Study Abroad

Position Summary:

The Site Specialist team serves a very important role in the organization by being students’ and families’ main point of contact and support system as they prepare for their academic experience abroad. The Site Specialist provides comprehensive advising for students on a broad range of study abroad programs, including academic year, semester, summer and short-term programs. The Site Specialist helps students by answering questions, creating reports, advising on student health and safety matters, credit transfer, the visa process, and housing while meeting retention goals. In addition, the Site Specialist works closely with international staff in order to best prepare students for their time abroad and serves as an expert of his/her designated sites.

Position Accountabilities:

The accountabilities listed below are not all-inclusive of what the employee may be responsible for.

Retain students through the pre-departure process and successfully prepare them both logistically and culturally for their program
Will be accountable to monthly and term based metrics around student retention, collection of confirmation payments, and facilitating quality advising phone calls
Serve as primary point of contact (via phone, text, and email) for students and families from program acceptance through program start
Develop and maintain extensive knowledge of program details and become an expert on designated sites
Actively participate in weekly coaching sessions being prepared to discuss performance data, currant applicant concerns, and creative solutions to enhance team performance.
Monitor student progress to ensure effective communication in tandem with pre-departure deadlines.
Master the visa processes for several countries, and provide accurate guidance and advice to students
Work collaboratively with various departments across the organization, both domestic and internationally to create and continue to improve the student’s experience and business efficiencies
Coordinate with Student Accounts department for general financial advising and payment plans
Demonstrate an excellent level of customer service and an ability to respond professionally to common inquires and/or complaints from students, staff, employers or community at large
Record detailed notes in Customer Relations Management tool (SalesForce) regarding all internal and external email, phone, text, and chat communications to ensure proper follow-up and effective customer service
Ability to respect confidentiality and ethical boundaries with regard to student privacy
Create and maintain site-specific program literature to help improve the pre-departure process
Must have superior interpersonal skills with a demonstrated commitment to cultural diversity

Experience Requirements:

Bachelor’s degree
1-3 years of related student advising, advanced international travel and/or customer service experience preferred
Experience studying, living, or working abroad preferred
Ability to excel independently and collaboratively
Experience using CRM databases, Salesforce preferred
Proficient in MS Office: Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint
Experience working in a cross-functional team
Excellent oral and written communication skills
Must thrive in a fast-paced, constantly changing environment