Executive Director of International Affairs

Market Range: 15

Hiring Salary: Salary Commensurate with Education and Experience

JOB SUMMARY/ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS: The Executive Director of International Affairs provides strategic level leadership and vision for supporting the internationalization of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC), partnering with other international-serving units and positions. This position provides campus-wide leadership in the development and implementation of strategic planning and programming related to international education at UTHSC to include: programs that increase international student enrollment, international student and scholar services, international student success, and in-bound and outbound international experiences for students and faculty. . This position ensures compliance with all applicable federal and state laws, rules and regulations regarding the employment and training of international workers, students, and visitors. This position provides guidance and advice to foreign nationals, supervisors and employees regarding all aspects of the visa/work authorization process and ensures the highest level of customer service to all UTHSC employees by the Office of International Affairs team.

Duties And Responsibilities

• Provides expert immigration advice to international clients (students, faculty, staff, and scholars) with a primary focus on employment-based non-immigrant visas (J-1, H-1B, TN, E-3, O-1) and permanent residency as well as with F-1 and J-1 student visa issues.
• Develops and maintains relationships with university departments that sponsor international faculty, staff, and scholars; provides consultation and guidance to department administrative staff to determine employment solutions, including assessing eligibility for various visa types and instructions on application processes.
• Researches, interprets, and applies complex federal immigration regulations and institutional policies related to the employment of foreign nationals as well as related to international students.
• Applies counseling, human development, and intercultural communication to work with international clients on issues related to career, academic, intercultural, and/or personal matters.
• Prepares U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and Department of Labor (DOL) documents including I-129 and I-140 petitions, labor condition applications, prevailing wage requests, labor certifications, and public access files.
• Serves as the Responsible Officer (RO) for the university’s J-1 Exchange Visitor program to maintain scholar and dependent records in SEVIS and serves as Principal Designated School Official (PDSO) for the university’s F-1 students to maintain student and dependent records in SEVIS.
• Manages all SEVIS reporting, staying current with immigration policies, and ensuring student, scholar, and institutional compliance.
• Conducts advising meetings with international employment-based clients to obtain information about employment history, immigration status history, and educational background to identify paths toward meeting personal, academic, and career objectives.
• Monitors and/or manages multiple databases including Banner, Sunapsis, and FLAG. Manages Sunapsis alerts and reports, as needed.
• Assists with the planning and presentation of training and information sessions for international faculty, staff, scholars, and their sponsoring departments.
• Negotiates and reviews service contracts and approves invoices for the Office of International Affairs.
• Leads and supervises Office of International Affairs staff.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.
  
  

Minimum Requirements

EDUCATION: Bachelor’s Degree in I nternational Education, International Studies, or related relevant field . (Master’s Degree preferred.) (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED)

EXPERIENCE: Three (3) years of experience working in higher education preparing and filing employment-based non-immigrant petitions or advising on immigration matters in a high-volume international office, immigration law practice, or similar setting; OR Master’s Degree and (1) year of experience. Must be a U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident to serve as RO and PDSO, per federal government requirements.

Knowledge, Skills, And Abilities

• Knowledge of H-1B, E-3, O, TN, B, F, J, and EB Permanent Residency immigration statuses.
• Strong interpersonal, written, and oral communication skills.
• Excellent organizational, analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
• Strong cross-cultural communication skills and experience working in a diverse environment.
• Ability to multitask, meet deadlines, and adapt to changing demands and priorities.
• Ability to learn, understand, and apply complex immigration regulations to individual situations and hiring processes and to communicate information to others using clear, concise language.
• Ability to exercise discretion and independent judgment.
• Skilled using word processing, spreadsheet, and presentation applications, such as Word, PowerPoint, and Excel.
• Knowledge of Sunapsis or similar international client databases.
• Ability to work and communicate effectively with colleagues.
  
  

Job

Executive/Administrative

Primary Location

US-Tennessee-Memphis

Organization

Academic Affairs

Campus/Institute

Memphis

Schedule

Full-time

Job Posting

Dec 3, 2024, 5:50:01 PM

For benefits information, please visit https://www.uthsc.edu/hr/benefits/documents/benefits-preview-packet.pdf

Applicants should have a demonstrated commitment to and knowledge of equal employment opportunity and affirmative action.

The University of Tennessee is an EEO/AA/Title VI/Title IX/Section 504/ADA/ADEA/V institution in the provision of its education and employment programs and services.

THE UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER

The University of Tennessee Health Science Center is the flagship statewide, public, academic health institution in Tennessee. Founded in 1911, the mission of the University of Tennessee Health Science is to improve the health and well-being of Tennesseans and the global community by fostering integrated, collaborative, and inclusive education, research, scientific discovery, clinical care, and public service. Employing more than 4,600 people on its faculty, staff, and not-for-profit corporation faculty practice groups, and with more than 3,200 students across the state, UTHSC contributes $4 billion to the economy of Tennessee.

Part of the University of Tennessee System, the Health Science Center is headquartered in Memphis and includes all six of UT’s doctoral-degree-granting health science colleges -- Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Nursing, Graduate Health Sciences, and Health Professions. UTHSC spans the state with its four major, regional clinical health science locations in Memphis, Knoxville, Chattanooga, and Nashville, as well as more than 100 clinical education sites across Tennessee. UTHSC is the largest educator of health care professionals in the state and operates the state’s largest residency and fellowship advanced training programs.

Located in West Tennessee on the banks of the Mississippi River, Memphis is the second-largest city in the state and among the largest cities in the Southeast. The Greater Memphis metropolitan area has more than 1.3 million residents, and the city ranks among those with the lowest cost of living in the country. It is home to a v ibrant restaurant scene, a revitalized Downtown, the Midtown Arts District, many scenic neighborhoods, an active medical district, and a burgeoning airport in the midst of a $214 million modernization.

Memphis boasts attractions, including Elvis Presley’s Graceland, the Memphis Grizzlies, historic Beale Street, the National Civil Rights Museum, the second-largest urban county park in the United States, and the Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest.