Country: United States of America
Closing date: 11 Dec 2015
Program Description: IIE Scholar Rescue Fund (IIE-SRF) fellowships support visiting appointments for threatened scholars to continue their work in safety at partnering academic institutions worldwide. At the heart of IIE-SRF is the idea that each scholar we help who continues his or her work in safety is a beacon of hope in our world. Since 2002, IIE-SRF has assisted more than 575 scholars from 52 countries, placing them at over 300 host partner institutions in 40 countries around the world.
The IIE Scholar Rescue Fund (IIE-SRF) Program Officer manages all phases of pre-grantee administration and grantee management and monitoring for a complex caseload of scholars from around the world. The Program Officer represents the IIE Scholar Rescue Fund both internally and externally and participates in host partner and scholar outreach. Work is carried out independently under general supervision.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities include the following.
Case Evaluation & Management, Grant Administration and Grantee Assistance
•Monitors, tracks and responds to in-coming applications and inquiries. •Processes and prepares candidate applications. This includes collecting all relevant information from applicants for consideration by the program; corresponding with candidates to seek clarification about their application materials; and conducting research on applicants’ academic backgrounds, circumstances, and home countries, as necessary. •Manages a caseload of approximately 30-50 active grantees. •Participates in grantee placement in the US and abroad. In consultation with the scholar and the IIE-SRF program team, determines appropriate placement for scholars based on a variety of factors in accordance with the scholars’ needs and the program’s policies. Negotiates scholars’ temporary appointments at partnering host institutions, including terms of appointment and the host’s matching contribution. •Conducts monitoring, advising and follow-up with grantees and host institutions during and after fellowships. •Prepares grantee and host agreements, compiles grantee documentation for payments, and processes insurance enrollments. •Assists in the development and implementation of training opportunities, materials, and evaluation measures aimed at improving the services offered to current grantees and alumni. •Visits grantees and host institutions as needed; meets with university faculty, administrators and officials.
Information Management & Reporting
•Contributes to and prepares reports and grantee narrative data for internal and external use, such as reports to program sponsors and/or IIE or IIE-SRF senior leadership, proposals, talking points for senior staff, and other materials.
•Responsible for maintaining in-house records and databases with up-to-date information on program applicants, grantees, and alumni for monitoring and evaluation purposes. •Participates in country- and case-specific research related to scholars’ countries of origin, reported threats, scholar and host outreach, and other topics.
Program Outreach
•Assists senior staff in implementing IIE-SRF’s outreach system to promote awareness of the IIE-SRF fellowships in the US and abroad. •Responds to general inquiries about the program, briefs visitors; represents IIE-SRF at meetings. •Assists in updating the IIE-SRF website and program materials.
Program Administration
•Supervises temporary staff, including interns; responsible for training and coordination of tasks; recruitment of volunteers and interns, as needed. •Assists in program development and fundraising activities, as needed. •Contributes to the development and implementation of special initiatives, as required. •Responsible for complying with applicable contract and sponsor requirements and following all IIE policies and procedures. Performs other related duties and functions as assigned.
Job Requirements
Education/Experience:
•Bachelor’s degree in relevant field, such as international education, law, international affairs, project administration or regional/area studies. •At least two years of related work experience in human rights research, immigration/refugee services, social work, international education/exchange, program management or related field. •Fluency in Arabic and/or French is preferred. •Experience living or working in developing countries preferred.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
•Demonstrated professional maturity in communicating with internal and external stakeholders. •Excellent research and analytical skills. Attention to detail. Flexibility, initiative and good problem-solving abilities.
•Excellent communication skills, both written and oral. •Solid judgment and demonstrated ability to handle sensitive, confidential information in a discrete, professional manner.
•Demonstrated ability to meet deadlines, to handle increasing levels of responsibility, and to work without supervision. •Excellent interpersonal and cross-cultural skills.
•Knowledge of international and US educational organizations and systems (i.e.: IAU, UNESCO, ACLS, AAUP), human rights/relief/refugee organizations, or other relevant entities. Knowledge of other IIE programs and operations beneficial. •Computer skills, familiarity with Microsoft Office software required; website and/or database design skills preferred. •Commitment to the principles and purposes of IIE and the Scholar Rescue Fund.
Work Environment and Physical Demands: Essential functions are typically performed in an office setting with a low level of noise. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
IIE is an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer of Females/Minorities/Veterans/ Individuals with Disabilities.
How to apply: