Academic Director

CIEE is a nonprofit, non-governmental organization and the world leader in international education and exchange. For over 70 years, CIEE has helped thousands of people gain the knowledge and skills necessary to live and work in a globally interdependent and culturally diverse world by offering the most comprehensive, relevant, and valuable exchange programs available.

Summary of Position:

The Academic Director oversees, in collaboration with and under the supervision of the Centre Director, the coordination, quality, and planning of all courses and educational programming year-round for CIEE London. The position is responsible for instructor staffing, finalization of syllabi, the course evaluation process, and program development. The Academic Director is also available to teach courses in their area of expertise. More generally, it is the job of the Academic Director to provide intellectual leadership and to ensure a rigorous, engaging, and supportive learning environment.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Academic oversight of all CIEE London programs, including Open Campus Block, Comparative Public Health, Global Internship, High School, Faculty-Led and Custom programs, as well as direct enrollment programs at local universities, as applicable.
• Recruitment, evaluation, hiring, training, and management of CIEE London instructors.
• Foster existing professional relationships within the broader academic community in London and lead recruitment of new faculty as necessary.
• Curriculum development and monitoring compliance of CIEE’s academic policies.
• Design and deliver academic orientation sessions for all programs, highlighting academic policies maintained by CIEE Academic Affairs.
• Organize course schedules (class hours and classroom use) for CIEE courses for all programs.
• Observe courses and offer constructive feedback to improve instructional quality and ensure the successful delivery of established learning objectives.
• Teach in area of expertise, as time allows.
• Supervise CIEE London Academics Department staff, including the Academic and Pre-College Coordinators.
• Manage CIEE London’s annual return to the QAA.
• Manage requests for course registration changes, academic accommodations, course withdrawals, grade appeals, etc.

Additional Responsibilities:

• Schedule all CIEE London courses and provide oversight of co-curricular activities.
• Review instructor and course evaluations for all courses taught by CIEE London instructors and create action plans for instructor improvement and development, as well as suggest modifications to course structure and content, as appropriate.
• Academic advising for incoming and current students.
• Offer academic, and where appropriate, professional guidance to students through appointment-based office hours.
• Program development including new and existing academic tracks in the Open Campus Block program; short-term programs; Faculty-Led and Custom programs and other ancillary programs as needed.
• Oversight of placements into Academic Projects (practice-based seminars with established minimums for hours of field-based work through an internship site, service learning project, or directed independent research hours). Advise students in the area of “Directed Independent Research” for the Open Campus Block program, along with designated faculty.
• Record student grades in CIEE student information system.
• Facilitate student communications with appropriate administrative staff at their home schools, as necessary.
• Participate in the writing and editing of academic program materials (promotional materials, website copy, bulletins, handbooks, course syllabi, etc.).
• LMS (Canvas) management, including regularly reviewing course sites, attendance records, and syllabi to ensure that courses and instructors are prepared to meet the learning objectives.
• Respond in a timely manner to all questions, issues, problems and needs of stakeholders (students, home schools, site staff, enrollment advisors, etc.), as assigned.
• Participate in the emergency staff-on-duty telephone rotation system.

Selection Criteria/Requirements:

• Teaching – Minimum three years of teaching in a university environment with a student-centered approach. Previous experience working in the field of academics within Study Abroad in London preferred.
• Organization – Ability to reconcile statistics and handle multiple ongoing tasks and prioritise within a complex administrative environment.
• Communication with students – Strong communication skills, both written and verbal, and needs to be enthusiastic about working with and giving time as motivator and educator to our students.
• Communication with Instructors – Need to have the confidence, experience, and soundness of judgement to provide effective leadership in the context of recruiting and overseeing a pool of adjunct faculty, some of them senior scholars of standing.
• Demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• Flexibility – Must be flexible and be able to respond quickly to changing circumstances. Ability to work occasional weekends and evenings, as required. Available for some weekend or overnight program-related travel with participants.
• Language – Fluency in English.
• Technology – Strong computer skills and the ability to learn new programs quickly (Microsoft Office Suite, Canvas, Salesforce, etc.). Familiarity with online teaching is a plus.
• Local Expertise – Detailed knowledge of UK culture, an understanding of the higher education system in the UK, and the network to recruit London-based instructors.
• Education – Ph.D. degree required.
• Authorized to work in UK.

Miscellaneous:

• Support and maintain the highest standards of quality and academic excellence for participants in all programs in London.
• Perform weekly on-call responsibilities with emergency phone in accordance with the standard rotation between staff. Other duties as assigned that are reasonable, provided that these correspond to the employee's knowledge and skills.

What we offer: A competitive salary dependent on experience, a workplace pension, and an internationally collaborative work environment.

CIEE believes that diversity matters and that professionals with diverse backgrounds provide diverse approaches and ideas to solving problems and finding ways to advance our mission to bring the world together. Candidates from underrepresented groups with diverse backgrounds and experiences are strongly encouraged to apply.

Candidates must be able to work in the UK. We cannot provide visa sponsorship. All CIEE London staff are subject to a background check as a condition of employment.

Please send your covering letter and CV to ckibblewhite@ciee.org. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis, until the position is filled.

CIEE London 46-47 Russell Square London WC1B 4JP