Assistant Director, International Operations

Description

The Assistant Director of International Operations, housed with the Center for Global Education, is responsible for the seamless execution of day-to-day administrative, logistical, and operational functions of an international joint institute. Students enrolled in the joint institute will earn their entire four-year degree located in another country, making this role a vital operational bridge.

The assistant director acts as the central liaison between university faculty, administrative and academic departments, and the leadership teams located at both institutions. This position requires strong project management skills, cross-cultural understanding, and the ability to travel internationally to facilitate program reviews, faculty transitions, and key institution milestones. The working location is located in Warrensburg, Missouri, but international travel is required.

Examples of Duties

Coordination & Communication - 25%

• Serve as the central hub connecting all the moving parts of the international partnership.
• Act as the main day-to-day point of contact between UCM, UCMs service provider, and the partner institutions international office.
• Facilitate regular communication, schedule cross-time zone committee meetings, and manage agendas.
• Represent the office in meetings with campus departments on matters related to the joint institute.
• Monitor operational timelines and deadlines across both campuses to ensure compliance with academic calendars.

Student and Faculty Success & Program Management - 25%

• Provide indirect support to ensure international students thrive academically and socially during their enrollment in the joint institute.
• Assist in communications with students enrolled in the joint institute.
• Coordinates with internal and external entities to facilitate international student requests, as needed.
• Assist in the management of efforts between various on-campus entities (such as the Registrar, International Admissions, Office of Technology, and English Language Institute) to develop and maintain programs, services, and record-keeping.
• Assists with planning and implementing student and faculty support through our Learning Management System.
• Organize and deliver operational orientations for UCM or globally recruited faculty regarding teaching expectations, local IT infrastructure (VPNs, LMS access), and cultural norms.

Data Integrity, Systems, & Academic Records - 25%

• Ensure the secure flow of academic records, enrollment data, and grades between the US and Chinese institutions.
• Serve as the point of contact for gathering details needed to correct Slate, Banner, Testing Services, or other application-related issues; communicate system issues to the CRM manager.
• Engage in UCM systems (Brightspace, Slate, Banner, etc.) training to help with updates and improvements, and periodically assist the Director and Vice Provost with the review and assessment of student workflows, response times, and process improvements.

Compliance and Program Administration - 15%

• Support leadership in preparing materials for program audits and US regional accreditation reviews.
• Assist with tracking and reconciling the institute's US-side operational budget and vendor payments.
• Manage expense reports and travel reconciliations for faculty and staff traveling on behalf of the Joint Institute.
• Maintain a centralized digital location for all documentation of institutional agreements, protocols, and operational workflows.
• Assist in developing new policies and procedures for the institute, as needed.
• Assist leadership with various administrative tasks such as interviewing, training, and serving as a mentor for new faculty or staff.
• Assist with the preparation of reports on the Joint Institute.

Hosting Foreign Delegations or Visiting Scholars - 10%

• Develop and manage itineraries for visiting foreign delegations or visiting scholars.
• Make on-campus arrangements for foreign delegations or visiting scholars, including housing, insurance, office space (if needed), and welcome gifts.
• Provide event planning for welcome or farewell receptions and MOU signings.

Requires periodic international travel to Guangzhou, China, including potentially extended stays (1-2 weeks per trip) during peak operational periods.

General Operations: Perform other duties as assigned.

Typical Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor's Degree Required

Experience

• Three years of professional experience in project coordination, operations, or international program management, preferably in higher education required.
• Strong cross-cultural management experience preferred.
• Experience traveling abroad, preferably work-related, and within higher education is preferred.
• High level of autonomy, adaptability, and the ability to work flexible hours to accommodate the time differences between campuses is preferred.
• Bilingual and/or ESL training is preferred.

Supplemental Information

Current or previous member of NAFSA: Association of International Educators preferred

Special Instructions:

Full-time staff & 12-month faculty benefits-eligible position: Benefits include competitive salary; health, dental, vision, life insurance, AD & D, long-term disability; 3 weeks paid vacation per year; 3 weeks of accrued sick leave per year; 13 paid holidays; retirement; and generous education assistance for an employee, spouse and dependent children taking classes atUCM.

9-month faculty benefits-eligible position: Benefits include competitive salary; health, dental, vision, life insurance, AD & D, long-term disability; 3 weeks of accrued sick leave per year; 13 paid holidays; retirement; and generous education assistance for an employee, spouse and dependent children taking classes atUCM.

Part-time benefits-eligible positions: Benefits include generous education assistance for the employee.

Temporary, adjunct, student employment, or graduate assistant positions: Benefits are not included.

CompletedUCMonline application for employment required. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

A review will begin immediately and continue until filled unless indicated otherwise.

NOTE: A background check is required for the selected candidate of all staff, faculty, adjunct, and temporary positions and any job offer is contingent on the results of this check. Student employees and graduate assistants do not require a background check to be conducted prior to employment.

The University of Central Missouri is an Equal Opportunity Employer.