UCLouvain is hiring a Director of International Office

Reference: SF  30904
Internal and external offer – applications online only, before the 16th of December 2021.

Main working place :  Louvain-la-Neuve
Unlimited fulltime contract
Starting date: as soon as possible in January 2021.

Context

The University of Louvain, UCLouvain, was founded in 1425 and is amongst the top French-speaking comprehensive universities in the world. It hosts more than 31.000 students and 6.000 staff members spread across 7 locations in Brussels and Wallonia. UCLouvain is a research-intensive university known also for its drive for quality and innovation in teaching.

UCLouvain has a long tradition of international outlook. Through international mobility schemes, international recruitments and internationalization@home activities, UCLouvain thrives to provide intercultural experiences for their students and staff.  Around 20% of the student body is international, originating from more than 120 countries. One in four graduates has accomplished part of their degree abroad. All newly appointed professors have significant international experience.

UCLouvain has an extensive number of partnerships with universities across all continents. It has a long history of working with universities in Africa and South America and has its own NGO, Louvain Cooperation, to foster transfer of knowledge in the service of development. UCLouvain is also actively involved in university networks. For example, it currently holds the presidency of the ‘Guild of European Research-Intensive Universities’, and it formed the alliance ‘Circle U.’ in the context of the European Universities initiative with the University of Oslo, Aarhus University, Université de Paris, University of Belgrade, King’s College London and Humboldt University of Berlin.

Mission

Internationalization is carried out collectively at UCLouvain with the participation of all central administration services, the 14 faculties and the 21 research institutes. In this landscape, the International Office is in constant interactions with other entities and plays a key role in shaping and implementing international policies as well as coordinating international actions. The International Office is currently composed of 18 persons and its specific missions include support to staff members for the submission and management of grant proposals (Erasmus+ and other internationalization funds), monitoring at the institutional level of the university’s internationalization process, coordination of mobility programs, support for the welcoming and integration of international students, monitoring and prospection of international partnerships, preparation and follow-up of incoming and outgoing institutional visits, coordination of actions towards refugee students and scholars at risk, and liaising with university associations and funding bodies.

The Director of administration will manage the International Office, under the authority of the General Administrator, and will work in close collaboration with the Pro-rector in charge of international affairs.

As part of his or her activities, the Director of the International Office will

– Manage the International Office, including :

• Manage the team in accordance with the university’s Human Resources policies;
• Update the office’s missions in accordance with internationalization and cooperation for development trends as well as in accordance with the university’s policies and strategic plans;
• Ensure that the office’s activities efficiently align with the missions;
• Plan, monitor and review the budget allocated to the office.

– Advise the authorities and university entities on matters related to international affairs and policies :

• Participate in the elaboration of international affairs policies;
• Coordinate the development of indicators to help decision making;
• Advise and participate in the management of international crises.

– Implement international policies through efficient internal processes across the university and in interaction with other entities within UCLouvain :

• Monitor and participate in the development of internationalization strategies and processes across all levels of the institution;
• Identify, analyze, report and propose solutions to problems in the internationalization processes, including problems raised by other entities.

– Contribute to the university’s international outreach through interactions with various stakeholders at the national and international level :

• Represent and defend the views of UCLouvain towards various national and international associations or institutions that have an impact on the internationalization of Higher Education;
• Represent UCLouvain in various external bodies, such as non-profit organizations in connection with the university;
• Take an active role in managing partnerships in full accordance with the institution’s strategic orientations in terms of internationalization and cooperation for development;
• Supervise the preparation and follow up of international visits and missions.

Qualifications and skills

Qualification: At least Master level or equivalent.

Profile, skills and qualities :

• Excellent team management and leadership skills ;
• Ability to develop strategies and goals as well as manage their implementation ;
• Ability to deal with complex issues, adopting a problem-solving orientation ;
• Good organizational skills ;
• Good budget management skills, including financial planning ;
• Good political and diplomatic skills ;
• Ability to work efficiently in a collaborative context ;
• Excellent written and oral communication skills in French and English (C1 level of Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) ;
• Knowledge of European funding schemes (Erasmus+, Horizon2020-Horizon Europe) and models of higher education across the world, including in Belgium ;
• Knowledge about Internationalization of Higher Education frameworks (current trends) and tools (e.g., joint degrees, partnership agreements, etc.).

Other information

• The mission includes travels abroad
• The International Office is located in Louvain-La-Neuve but the mission includes meetings on other university sites in Brussels and Wallonia as well as meetings in different parts of Belgium with external stakeholders
• The mission includes occasional meetings in the evenings or weekends.

In order to apply, please press “submit” or “postuler” hereunder.