Description:
The Western Heads East (WHE) and Global Development Coordinator organizes and facilitates the activities of the WHE Program and the WHE Management Committee including supporting the Management Committee, facilitating communication with African program partners to identify program and research priorities, coordinating student intern recruitment, selection, pre-departure preparation, placement, debriefing and post-internship presentations. The Coordinator manages all administrative, human resource, financial and logistical functions for the above activities and facilitates campus community engagement, provides leadership to the student Fundraising and Education Committee, and coordinates communications including social media and website updates in collaboration with WI communications team. The position is also responsible for the seamless coordination and facilitation of supports for students and at-risk scholars related to Scholars at Risk (SAR), Scholar Rescue Program (SRP) and WUSC Western Chapter (World University Services of Canada), and Western Universities programs for at risk scholars. The Coordinator works with the Director, International Internships & Development and the Management Committee on implementing best practices with international relationships, internship evaluation and reporting, and overall results-based management and research reporting.
Qualifications
Education:
- Undergraduate Degree in International Development, Education, or related field
- Master’s in International Development or Education preferred
Experience:
- 3 years of experience providing project management and/or support for international development programming
- Experience developing and maintaining partnerships; preferably with African institutions in the Global South and civil society, in an African context
- Previous experience in an academic setting and providing leadership to student organizations preferred
- Experience related to development issues in the Global South (such as poverty, nutrition and gender issues) preferred
Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:
- Knowledge of theory and best practices in international development, including participatory research and of theory and best practices related to gender, nutrition, poverty and development
- Understanding of, and sensitivity to, cultural practices and norms in East African countries (especially Tanzania, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda) would be considered an asset
- Demonstrated intercultural competency and knowledge of cross-cultural research and work practices
- Judgement, analytical and problem-solving skills with a consultative and collaborative approach to addressing issues and opportunities
- Ability to ensure expenditures and resources are within allotments, and to make appropriate modifications when required
- Ability to delegate work and provide staff and students with clear direction and support in meeting their objectives
- Project management skills to manage a project from conception to completion within tightly prescribed timelines
- Ability to coordinate wrap around support for incoming students and scholars at risk in collaboration with colleagues (Housing, Office of Registrar, Student Experience, Office of Faculty Relations, SSGPS, etc.) to ensure smooth onboarding and follow up
- Ability to plan and manage events of various sizes including budgeting, logistics, volunteer support, and evaluation; familiarity with large scale events an asset
- Familiarity with Western Head East programming would be an asset (including about the health benefits of probiotics and social enterprise)
- Demonstrated ability to build strong, collegial relationships with students, faculty, staff, the public and colleagues across the University
- Excellent oral and written communication skills, including proposal and report writing skills
- Critical thinking and discernment to assess and scope areas of improvement and an ability to offer creative solutions
- Intermediate proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word and Excel) required; and with content management systems (such Dream Weaver or Cascade) would be an asset