Colleges of Fenway, Inc. (COF) is seeking an individual to join the team as the Director of the Global Education Opportunities Center (GEO).

The mission of the Colleges of the Fenway is to add value to student academic and social life while seeking innovative methods of investing in new services and containing the costs of higher education. The Director of the GEO Center works directly with the Offices of Study Abroad and International Programs at each of the member institutions, Emmanuel College, Massachusetts College of Art and Design, Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Simmons University, and Wentworth Institute of Technology, to facilitate and coordinate key shared services, systems, and opportunities related to study abroad, support of international students, cross registration for travel courses, and processes related to emergency procedures for travel.

The Director of the GEO Center provides strategic leadership and direction to the COF Global Education Opportunities Center, working closely with key administrators from the member institutions to identify and implement initiatives and programs that are reflective of the needs of the members.

The Director of the GEO Center responsibilities include:

Responsibilities:

• Analyze the internationalization needs of the institutions; identify and make recommendations for opportunities for shared services and support related to study abroad and international student and scholar support.
• Lead the development of centralized resources that support efficiency in study abroad and international student and scholar operations.
• Develop best-practice protocols for emergency preparedness and risk management of education abroad; serve as tertiary on-call staff in case of emergencies; research and coordinate joint travel insurance contracts.
• Manage the ongoing development and maintenance of shared information management resources (such as TerraDotta) that provide critical support and infrastructure to colleges.
• Facilitate International Initiatives, Study Abroad Operations, and International Student and Scholar Engagement committees to ensure that decision making processes are informed and collaborative. The director ensures that these groups identify goals and priorities and engage in projects that support the overall goals of COF and have mutual value to the participants and the member institutions.
• Facilitate effective communication between departments including International Committees, Student Affairs, and Human Resources in support of the COF Strategic Priorities and global engagement initiatives.
• Serve as the Responsible Officer and oversee immigration advising for J exchange students and scholars for all institutions, update SEVIS to ensure compliance with federal regulations, prepare SEVIS annual report and biennial redesignation.
• Serve as a Fulbright Program Advisor at COF member institutions as requested.
• Counsel individual institutions on a variety of international education needs as requested; serve as stand-in staff during vacancies at the institutions’ international programs offices as requested.
• Develop international education benchmarks for students, faculty, and administrators that can be customized by each institution.
• Implement project plans for international student engagement, study abroad events, pre-departure and re-entry programs across the Colleges of the Fenway through consultation and collaboration with the Committees and all other interested and involved constituents.
• Manage vendor relationship for online US tax preparation software; ensure timely deployment of communications and materials for international students and scholars.
• Oversee GEO Center budget and maintenance of expense
• Manage the GEO Center office and supervise the Assistant Director of the GEO center.
• Serve as a key member of the COF staff; attend monthly COF staff meetings, provide monthly reports, represent COF at various functions.
• Represent the COF at professional development meetings and conferences.

BASIC KNOWLEDGE/SKILLS 

• Strong meeting facilitation, collaboration, project management, organizational, negotiation and interpersonal skills.
• Knowledge of collegiate international education processes and issues.
• An understanding of group/organizational development and dynamics; ability to build consensus.
• Ability to foster trust and build interpersonal relationships, be energetic and have a high tolerance for ambiguity and nuance.
• Excellent attention to detail.
• Excellent analytical, written, and oral communication skills.
• Ability to take initiative, work independently and with groups, and manage several projects simultaneously. 
• Knowledge of visa regulations for J exchange visitors

• Strong familiarity with computer applications including SEVIS, relational databases (such as TerraDotta), Microsoft Word, Excel, Access, and Microsoft Publisher.

EXPERIENCE/EDUCATION

Master’s degree in education, international education, management or a related field. Minimum six years related experience, preferably working within a higher education setting. The Director must have proven experience in international program development and management. Must be US citizen or lawful permanent resident (federal requirement for SEVIS).

About Colleges of the Fenway

Colleges of the Fenway is a collaborative effort of five neighboring Boston-based colleges in the Fenway area. This collaboration was created to add value to student academic and social life while seeking innovative methods of investing in new services and containing the costs of higher education. Collectively, the colleges represent more than 12,000 undergraduate students, comprising 16.2% of the total Boston population of undergraduates attending four-year colleges, more than 700 full-time faculty, and 2,300-course offerings.

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