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Position: Center Director, CIEE Vienna (Founding Director)

Reports To: Regional Director of Operations, Europe

Department: Global Operations, Outbound Exchange Division

Location: Vienna, Austria

Who we are

CIEE is a nonprofit study abroad and intercultural exchange organization that transforms lives and builds bridges between individuals and nations through study abroad and international exchange experiences that help people develop skills for living in a globally interdependent and multi-cultural world.

Why work with us are

• You will change the world. CIEE builds bridges between people, countries, and cultures. We help young people participate in high-quality international exchange and study abroad programs that bring the world together. We change lives; our alumni change the world. Be part of the change!
• You will be part of a fast-paced, international, and collaborative team of professionals.CIEE operates the largest nonprofit network of study abroad locations, with facilities and staff in over 30 countries. Additionally, we help international participants from over 140 countries come to the USA each year. Committed to excellence and solving whatever problem the world throws at them, CIEE professionals work on international teams and are dedicated to advancing our almost 80-year-old mission to make the world a more peaceful place

Who you are

The Center Director will lead the launch, establishment, and long‑term management of the CIEE Vienna Center. This role requires a dynamic leader capable of building operations from the ground up while ensuring alignment with CIEE’s global standards.

You will be responsible for center start‑up, strategic planning, and operational execution, including developing academic programming, building a local team, securing partnerships, and establishing CIEE’s presence in the Vienna market. Once operational, you will oversee all aspects of center performance, quality, and growth.

What you'll do

• Center Launch & Strategy: Lead the establishment of the Vienna Center, including finalizing legal entity setup, compliance, and operational readiness; identify, secure, and manage key local partnerships (universities, internship providers, housing vendors, service providers); oversee facility selection, setup, and operational readiness, including student housing solutions; ensure readiness for first student cohort launch, meeting all academic, operational, and safety standards.
  
• Academic Program: Ensure that the academic department meets its goals in the planning and delivery of theprograms, to include overseeing internship opportunities, hiring,managing, and developing academic faculty; producing course syllabi and materials, managing academic matters of students, etc.
• Student Services: Design and implement student life and support services from the ground up; establish processes for visas, orientation, programming, emergency response, and implementation of CIEE health, safety, and security protocols and procedures, etc.
• Human Resources: Lead recruitment, hiring, and onboarding of founding staff;Maintain overall responsibility for all center staff and faculty; plan and execute a strategy to fill key positions necessary for the delivery and development of programs and all operations.
• Health, Safety, and Security: Implement CIEE standards and ensure compliance with local regulations and global protocols and standards for health,safety, andsecurity.
• Program Evaluation: Oversee the management of the student evaluation processes in accordancewiththe policies and protocols of CIEE and the partner institutions and other stakeholders.
• Financial and Legal Management: Serve as managing director of the legal entity and assume related responsibilities.
• Facilities and Student Housing Management: Identify and establish center premises and student accommodation solutions; oversee vendor selection and operational setup.
• External Relations/Internships/Community Engagement: Ensure the development and implementation of strategies to increase awareness of CIEE’s mission and goals throughout the community,engagingand networking with all relevant stakeholders; ensure thattheCIEEcentermeets CIEE standards andcomplies withlocally applicable standards andlaws
• Marketing: Support the promotion of CIEE by partnering closely with the Marketing and Institutional Relations teams on the development of promotional materials, contributing to project implementation, and providing timely updates, content, and relevant information as needed.
• Other: Participateas needed andpossibly presentat the CIEE Annual Conference or at other professional meetings; other duties as assigned.

What you'll bring

Successful applicants will be seasoned professionals with a minimum of ten years of experience in a leadership role within study abroad, international educational exchange, or a related higher education institutional setting. A Ph.D. is preferred, while a master’s degree or its international equivalent isrequired. In addition, applicants with the following experience and skills are particularly sought:

• Readiness to grow and develop yourself, our client group, and our Company.
• Relevant work experience in Vienna.
• Leadership – Proven ability to build and lead teams through the complexities and challenges in a constantly changing environment.
• Staff management – Demonstrated ability to manage teams and deliver strong results.
• Financial management – Demonstrated experience in developing and managing budgets and ensuring compliance.
• Extremely strong servicing skills and superior judgment: ability to resolve issues fairly, expediently, and cost-effectively.
• Academic culture – In‑depth knowledge of and first‑hand experience with U.S. and local academic institutions and their cultures and processes.
• Interpersonal skills– Ability to engender the trust and confidence of several stakeholders and be able to deal effectively with a wide variety of often sensitive issues.
• Superior written and verbal communication skills in English and German
• Ability to effectively communicate with students, U.S. university partners, faculty, local authorities, and CIEE staff internationally.
• Exemplary ambassador of CIEE and its mission and programs.
• Ability to embrace CIEE’s Core Values (Excellence, Integrity, Respect, Inclusion, and Problem Solving) and culture.
• Additional Skills and Experience:
  • Ability to function well in a complex institutional framework.
  • Ability to work well within the highly collaborative and tightly coordinated structure of the Global Institute network throughout CIEE.
  • Presentation, knowledge, background, and experience must be credible to local and U.S. administrators.
  • Maintain CIEE's commitment to providing and preserving a safe and supportive environment in which individual ideas and uniqueness are recognized, valued, and allowed to grow

Conditions

• The position is a management role with reciprocal flexibility in terms of working hours.
• Responsibilities may change over time..

CIEE believes that professionals with varied backgrounds bring unique approaches and ideas to solving problems and advancing our mission to bring the world together. Qualified candidates from underrepresented groups are strongly encouraged to apply.

Applicants must have the authorization to work in Austria.

Please submit a resume and cover letter.