Program Operations Specialist

Job Description The University of Washington (UW) is proud to be one of the nation’s premier educational and research institutions. Our people are the most important asset in our pursuit of achieving excellence in education, research, and community service. Our staff not only enjoy outstanding benefits and professional growth opportunities, but also an environment noted for diversity, community involvement, intellectual excitement, artistic pursuits, and natural beauty. Office of Global Affairs Overview The Office Of Global Affairs (OGA) is a catalyst and a hub for all things global at the UW, connecting the diverse internal and external networks of scholars, students, and community leaders engaged with international issues. OGA’s major activities include: Major Activities of OGA Initiating and supporting scholarly research on global issues across campus units and departments, disseminating information about relevant faculty expertise, funding opportunities, and institutional ties abroad. Providing a portal through which external stakeholders—including business leaders, representatives of local, regional, and national government, NGO activists, international alumni, and ethnic and cultural affinity communities—can learn about and participate in campus activities and resources. Serving as a central guide and resource for developing and successfully implementing study abroad programs, collaboration with international scholars, the conduct of global research, and the design and nurturing of foreign institutional partnerships. Supporting UW community members in planning and carrying out UW’s international scholarship and business in a safe, productive manner. To facilitate these functions, OGA has five main areas of responsibility: administration of study abroad; support for international research; oversight of UW’s centers and offices abroad; management of UW international relations and protocols; and coordination of strategic initiatives in the key areas of global health, global environment, global technology, global development challenges, and global cultural change. Program Operations Specialist Overview This is a Programs Operations Specialist position in UW Study Abroad, within the organization of the Office of Global Affairs. This position manages a portfolio of UW study abroad programs under the general direction of the Assistant Director. It involves extensive work with UW faculty and staff, international education partners, and program management. Responsibilities Program Administration and Development Manage a portfolio of study abroad programs as determined by the Assistant Director in consultation with the Student Programming Teams and UW Study Abroad leadership. These programs could be faculty-led programs, inbound or outbound exchanges, partner programs, or internships as needed. Advise faculty, academic departments, and administrative units on program operations, program processes, and both UW and UW Study Abroad specific policies. Guide campus partners through the steps necessary to develop and launch a study abroad program. Support the programs from the proposal review phase (if applicable) or application phase to the final wrap-up and evaluation. Work with contacts on campus and worldwide to build relationships of benefit to UW Study Abroad and our students. Review programs for student health, risk, and safety issues. Advise campus and international partners on program activity planning. Advise students about study abroad opportunities and scholarships to support their goals. Identify options that meet students’ personal and academic objectives. Provide guidance about application processes, academic credit, enrollment, pre‑departure planning, foreign visa applications, and funding opportunities. Select students for participation if applicable. Work closely with UW academic and administrative units to inform them about current UWSA programs/processes and to problem‑solve. Ensure that all program brochures, study abroad budget sheets, application instructions, application open and close cycles, and student records for programs are efficiently managed, instructive, accurate, current, and clear. Make updates according to the student programming team master calendar. Collaborate with the UWSA team to develop systems and resources to support study abroad students (outbound and potentially inbound) and ensure consistency in the way that advising services and scholarship resources are delivered. Respond to a high volume of email, phone calls and visits. Student Programming Team Duties Participate in the development of UW Study Abroad’s operational policies, procedures, and activities. This task may require coordination with other UW units, especially the Registrar’s Office, Financial Aid, academic departments, and the Global Travel Health & Safety Team. Assist in developing a strategy for reaching enrollment and interest goals in study abroad programming. Collaborate with the UWSA student programming team to develop training models and ongoing modules for more precision in student advising. Coordinate, assist with, and present at events, workshops, and orientations. Provide assistance to faculty, staff and partners to ensure compliance with state and federal laws, UW policies and procedures, and NAFSA/FORUM best practices. Develop and create promotional materials including brochures, posters, and web pages used to advertise and market study abroad options to students. Perform maintenance tasks in Terra Dotta specific to programmatic and team needs, including checking in proposals, opening programs, creating cost sheets, creating and updating templates. Provide general study abroad advising across all program types. Support other operational and/or administrative duties as assigned. Working Group And General Office Duties Participate and contribute to one or more office‑wide working groups (e.g., Strategic Planning, Sustainability, Race & Equity, Internal Culture, etc). Participate in Withdrawal/Emergency Withdrawal review processes. Supervise student workers (if applicable). Other projects as assigned. Minimum Requirements Bachelor's Degree 1 year of work experience with international education or a related field. Desired Qualifications Higher education experience Strong communication skills International experience Demonstrated capacity to identify, initiate, and implement business process improvements Experience with MS Word and Excel, Terra Dotta, Wordpress, institutional student databases and other administrative systems (preferred). Compensation, Benefits And Position Details Pay Range Minimum $54,204.00 annual Pay Range Maximum $57,600.00 annual Shift First Shift (United States of America) Temporary or Regular? This is a regular position FTE (Full‑Time Equivalent) 100.00% Union/Bargaining Unit Not Applicable Benefits For information about benefits for this position, visit https://www.washington.edu/jobs/benefits-for-uw-staff/. Our Commitment Our Commitment: The University of Washington is committed to fostering an inclusive, respectful and welcoming community for all. As an equal‑opportunity employer, the University considers applicants for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, citizenship, sex, pregnancy, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, disability, or veteran status consistent with UW Executive Order No. 81. To request disability accommodation in the application process, contact the Disability Services Office at 206‑543‑6450 or dso@uw.edu. Applicants considered for this position will be required to disclose if they are the subject of any substantiated findings or current investigations related to sexual misconduct at their current employment and past employment. Disclosure is required under Washington state law. #J-18808-Ljbffr