Employment

Bard College Berlin is seeking to recruit a full-time Program Officer to oversee and implement the administrative and logistical aspects of OLIve-AY ’s university preparatory program Academy Year (OLIve-AY) for students with refugee status or in a refugee-like situation. The initial appointment is for twelve months.  OLIve-AY is an initiative funded by the Open Society Foundations through the Open Society University Network which links Bard College Berlin with Central European University and the University of East London in a consortium working to enhance education opportunities for people of refugee backgrounds in Europe. The OLIve-AY program is a full-time track within BCB’s existing Academy Year program that has two goals: (1) preparing students to make competitive applications to university BA programs and (2) providing these students with language, writing and study skills and disciplinary knowledge to be successful in these BA programs. The Program Officer will report to the  OLIve-AY Program Manager at Central European University and in Berlin to the OLIve-AY Academic Director. They will  work with relevant BCB staff to finalize and ensure the successful operation of the program.

Specific duties will include:

• Implementing general program operations of OLIve-AY including:
  • Budget management
  • Reporting
  • Program evaluations
  • Communications
  • Scheduling
• Researching, designing and implementing a BA transfer advising module linking OLIve-AY students with further BA study and training opportunities and supporting students with transfer and scholarship applications (including making connections with other Berlin university welcome programs, Studienkollegs, on-line pathways, etc)
• Supporting study-skills workshops and other extracurricular activities to benefit OLIve-AY  students
• Overseeing recruitment of students
• Supporting students in interface with German bureaucracy, specifically but not exclusively with regard to visa/residency issues
• Actively pursuing additional funding sources that will allow for continuation of the program and enable BA scholarships for students, via preparation of related third-party funding applications and/or fundraising campaigns
• Maintaining regular communications with OSUN and BCB OLIve-AY project leadership and members and promoting knowledge sharing and resource synergy within BCB and OSUN

Requirements:

• MA degree
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills
• Excellent project management and organisational skills, including long term planning, developing processes and implementation of practices to achieve goals
• Experience working with people of refugee backgrounds, and/or with higher education, public sector institutions, foundations,  NGOs or community organizations in Berlin
• English and German fluency required. Additional languages spoken by refugee communities in Berlin a plus.
• EU work permit or eligibility

To apply, please send your CV, a cover letter and references, to jobs@berlin.bard.edu with “OLIve Academy Year Program Officer” in the subject line (email with pdf-attachments only). Applications will be considered as they are received and continue until the job is filled, with start date July 1 or to be negotiated. Please direct your questions to jobs@berlin.bard.edu.

Bard College Berlin is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate against any employee or job applicant because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, physical or mental disability, or age.