Director of Academic Relations, Fulbright Program

Role Summary:
The Institute of International Education (IIE) seeks a talented academic scholar and professional to join the Fulbright Program as the Director of Academic Relations. This individual will be responsible for overall outreach strategy for the Fulbright Scholar and Fulbright Student Programs. The Director of Academic Relations will represent the Fulbright Program externally, engage with higher education leaders in the United States, and supervise Fulbright outreach and recruitment activities that will impact and benefit both U.S. and non-U.S. Fulbright Programs. The Director of Academic Relations will have a special focus on extending the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program’s reach by fostering increased collaborations with higher education institutions and academic and professional associations and enhancing its identity and levering IIE-wide support for the Scholar Program.

About the Fulbright Program:
The Fulbright Program is the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. Government to “increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries.” The Fulbright Program has provided over 380,000 participants---chosen for their academic merit and leadership potential---with the opportunity to study, teach and conduct research, exchange ideas, and contribute to finding solutions to shared international concerns. The Fulbright Program offers more than 8,000 grants annually for U.S. citizens to study, teach, or conduct research abroad and for non-U.S. citizens to come to the United States.

The primary source of funding for the Fulbright Program is an annual appropriation by the U.S. Congress to the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA). Participating governments and host institutions, corporations, and foundations in foreign countries and in the United States provide direct and indirect support. The Fulbright Program is managed, coordinated and overseen by ECA under policy guidelines established by the Presidentially-appointed J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board and with the assistance of binational Fulbright Commissions in 49 countries and U.S. embassies in more than 100 countries. Binational Commissions plan and implement educational exchanges, recruit and nominate candidates for fellowships, support incoming U.S. Fulbrighters, and develop priorities for the program, including numbers and categories of grants. In a country without a Fulbright Commission, the Public Affairs Section of the U.S. Embassy develops and supervises the Fulbright Program.

Fulbright Student and Scholar Programs support approximately 8,300 participants each year in nearly 100 different fields of study. Participants came from more than 160 countries including the United States. Roughly 1,300 U.S. higher education institutions serve as hosts for Fulbright Students and Scholars from abroad and/or assist in the recruitment of U.S. Students and Scholars, along with an additional 250 non-academic institutions and research centers.

The Institute of International Education is the cooperating agency which administers the Fulbright Scholar Program, the Fulbright U.S. Student Program, and portions of the Fulbright Foreign Student Program on behalf of the U.S. Department of State.

Essential Functions:

• Develops and implements a strategic plan to engage higher education leadership in the United States
  Identifies any challenges related to Fulbright programming and the higher education community and recommends corresponding program improvements to counter these challenges.
• Manages the Council for International Exchange of Scholars (CIES) Advisory Board and works with board members to evaluate the Fulbright Scholar Program administration and activities. Presents to the board plans and ideas to ensure the continued relevance of the Fulbright Scholar Program to U.S. higher education; specifically, recruitment goals and strategies, selection processes, program models, to seek their guidance and feedback.
• Monitors the landscape and identifies trends in international higher education. Presents findings to Fulbright Program stakeholders including ECA, Fulbright Commissions, and U.S. Embassies.
• Represents the program externally by conducting presentations, attending conferences, and engaging with higher education leadership on the benefit and impact of the Fulbright Program.
• Leads the promotion of the Fulbright Program by continuously evaluating existing outreach and recruitment strategies and recommending new activities to improve engagement with potential applicants and program stakeholders. Develops new cost share opportunities for the Fulbright Program.
• Leads the Fulbright Outreach and Recruitment Team and directs resources in order to effectively attract potential applicants, including academics and professionals, to the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program.
  Oversees Fulbright campus networks and liaises with U.S. campuses to ensure and improve Fulbright-friendly policies both for U.S. and Visiting Scholars.
• Promotes program policies and practices worldwide to enhance research and teaching experiences during the Fulbright grant.
• Leverages IIE-wide expertise and support to enhance the key role the Fulbright Scholar Program plays, engaging students and senior administrators in the full range of Fulbright programs.

Education and Work Experience:

• Ph.D. and at least 12-15 years of increasingly responsible management experience in the field of higher education administration, international educational exchange, or a closely related field.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Significant knowledge of academia in the U.S. and abroad, as well as teaching experience.
• Demonstrated management experience and ability to motivate, inspire and direct team members.
• Excellent analytical skills and creative thinking. Demonstrated experience making presentations to groups of higher education leaders.
• Excellent interpersonal, oral, and written communications skills; proven ability to communicate on a personal, intercultural, and group level.
• Must thrive in a dynamic, fast-paced, and challenging program environment.

Work Conditions & Physical Demands:

Essential functions are performed in a general office setting with low noise. Job demands may require long periods of sitting; telephone work and/or computer work, as well as interactions with other team members and external stakeholders. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. IIE is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or veteran status.