DukeEngage, Duke University’s renowned civic engagement program, is now accepting applications for the position of site coordinator. Numerous two-month, paid positions are available for current and recently graduated professional and graduate students. Openings are in programs located in the United States, Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and India. Some positions require specialized language skills, but many are open to any mature, motivated individual with a strong desire to support undergraduate students who are engaged in volunteer service.
The Site Coordinator (SC) is a key member and front-line administrator of each DukeEngage site. The SC’s primary responsibilities are to mentor program participants; support faculty/staff site leader(s); serve as the liaison between students, DukeEngage staff, and community partners; and coordinate service, social, cultural enrichment, and recreational activities and reflection sessions in consultation with program participants. The SC is also responsible for managing program finances, working with vendors providing goods and services for the DukeEngage site, gathering program data, and preparing periodic reports for program directors and the director of DukeEngage or his designate. Responsibilities will include on-site residence, day, evening, and night commitments throughout the week; SCs may not hold other employment or enroll in courses while the DukeEngage site is in operation.
Specific duties:
Participant Welfare
- Manage all concerns regarding student health, social/cultural adjustment, program participation, living accommodations, and site safety, and report issues in a timely fashion to the program director(s) and the director of DukeEngage or his designate.
Community Building
- Serve as the primary liaison between DukeEngage students and community partners. Support partner/student relationships and address concerns. Visit all DukeEngage volunteer placement/project locations throughout the program to ensure the safety and success of the DukeEngage participants. Meet individually with student participants to discuss progress with service placements/projects and to develop plans for continued curricular and co-curricular engagement back on campus.
- Work with the site leaders and student participants to design and lead weekly reflection sessions. Identify, budget for, and coordinate weekly cultural, social, and recreational activities designed to immerse student participants in the life of the host community.
Support and Enforcement of Community Standards
- Create an environment of mutual respect that supports the rights of both the Duke and host communities, while also safeguarding the rights of individuals, and that holds participants accountable for their decisions and actions.
- Establish regular, open office hours each week at an accessible location(s) for program participants, site leaders, and community partners. In addition to regular office hours, the SC should encourage students to meet him or her by appointment.
- Mediate conflicts between student participants and between students and community partners, when necessary, to maintain a positive and productive program environment.
Operations and Financial Management
- Drive vehicles, including vans, rented for DukeEngage use.
- Track expenditures against approved budget and ensure that funds are spent as budgeted, that program stays within budget, and that DukeEngage staff are notified before the program exceeds the budget in an expenditure category.
- Collect receipts for purchases, document expenses, and reconcile expenses at end of program.
- Serve as primary point of contact for issues related to housing and other logistical commitments during the summer.
- Transport, distribute, re-collect and inventory all capital equipment for the DukeEngage site that must be returned to Duke University.
- Contribute to the documentation of the DukeEngage program: photograph representative activities and events of the program; advise student bloggers when appropriate; work with site leaders to prepare, write and submit an end-of-program report within two weeks of the end of the DukeEngage program.
Training
- Complete pre-departure training and orientation for DukeEngage SCs; read and review all DukeEngage training materials; read the Duke Staff Handbook and sign the Handbook’s “Acknowledgement of Receipt”; attend program staff training in late April, and attend and facilitate sessions with program-specific cohorts during the 2015 DukeEngage Academy in Durham, North Carolina, scheduled for Monday, May 4th and Tuesday, May 5th.
Qualifications
Required of all site coordinators:
- Bachelor’s degree in any field of study
- Eligibility or authorization to work in the United States
- Eligibility for hire as an exempt employee of Duke University
- Driver’s license valid at site of specific DukeEngage program
- Documentation of a safe driving record
- Proof of health insurance coverage for entire period of employment with DukeEngageSpecific knowledge of and experience living, studying or working in region where DukeEngage program is located
Additional requirements for DukeEngage programs that involve international travel:
- Passport with an expiration date no earlier than six months after end of DukeEngage program
- Ability to meet visa requirements of host country
- Fluency in at least one local language or dialect
Skills:
- Works well independently of direct supervision
- Possesses excellent communications, organizational and problem solving skills
- Works cooperatively with others in a non-routine environment
- Productively and sensitively negotiates the needs of student participants and community partners in varying cultural contexts
Required work experience or training:
Three years of post-college work experience or education/training
Preferred work or volunteer experience:
- Advising and counseling college students or other adolescents
- Volunteer management
- Event planning
To decide if this is the right opportunity for you, you can learn more by browsing the DukeEngage web site or visiting the DukeEngage YouTube channel.
To apply for a site coordinator position, you must submit your application on online, a process that will take about 30 minutes. The first round of employment interviews will take place during December but we will continue to interview eligible candidates until all positions are filled. A PDF of outlining the job responsibilities is also located online.
This job description contains an illustrative but not exhaustive list of the types of job-related tasks, duties and responsibilities required of the DukeEngage Site Coordinator. Duties will vary depending upon the location of each DukeEngage program.
This is an exempt, full-time term appointment that confers no university benefits.