Program Assistant, Part-Time (Townsville, Australia)

Are you a life-long learner, curious about the world around you? 

Are you looking for meaningful, part-time work with flexible hours?

Do you enjoy being a part of a student’s journey?

If so, we would love to welcome you to our global community!

We are looking for an individual to support the IFSA James Cook University program in Townsville as Program Assistant.  This position supports the Student Experience Manager by handling logistical, operational, and cultural integration tasks. This role ensures that all program activities are well-organized and that students receive the necessary support during their stay. The Program Assistant is also available on call to support students in crisis during program term.

This is a part-time, fixed-term role (August-December), approximately 5 hours per week, plus some extra hours for orientations and excursions. You will work from home and then meet students on campus or at activities/excursions. This role would suit a post-grad/PhD student at JCU.

IFSA (Institute for Study Abroad), a US-based nonprofit organization, creates global learning environments to help students gather the critical perspectives, knowledge, and skills essential for future success. With innovative programming and world-class support, IFSA delivers future-focused study abroad options in 19 countries and 48 cities around the globe. Our commitments to inclusive excellence, intercultural agility, individualized learning and enduring impact are present in every aspect of our programs.  

Inclusion is a driving passion of our organization. We are committed to building a community where the thoughts and opinions of all team members are valued and contribute to our collective success, just as we build programs with the same focus. If you share our unwavering commitment to Inclusive Excellence and want to join a community that actively strives to improve in all that we do, IFSA is the place for you.

Learn more about IFSA at https://www.ifsa-butler.org/

The standard duties included, but are not limited to:

Cultural and Social Integration:

• Act as an ambassador for IFSA and the country and share enthusiasm for local culture
• Help students feel welcome and assist with understanding the local culture and environment.
• Support students with practical tasks such as obtaining a public transport card and getting a phone plan.

Ongoing Program Support:

• Accompany students to activities, events, and excursions.
• Confirm participation of lecturers and guest speakers and ensure classroom spaces are properly equipped.
• Be able to support students in crisis during program terms.

Incident Management and Reporting:

• Handle student incidents by sending detailed reports to the Student Experience Manager.
• Ensure students have downloaded and registered on the Alert Media App.

Financial Management and Post-Program Review:

• Document all spending, save receipts, and prepare a petty cash report.
• Organize the farewell activity and create a post-program document outlining what went well (WWW) and what could be even better if (EBI).

Emergency Response and Student Welfare:

• Attend and review relevant training materials - including Health and Safety 101 and Emergency Response
• Contribute to emergency response and student incident management based on established protocols.
• Participate in after-hours emergency response, as needed during on-call hours.

Person Specification

Requirements, Work Experience and Education

• One - two years of work experience.
• Contagious enthusiasm for IFSA’s mission, vision and commitments.
• Success in engaging with and supporting students with diverse lived experiences including students of color, students with mental and physical disabilities, first-generation college students, and LGBTQIA+ students.
• An ability to respond calmly and professionally to emergency situations
• General knowledge of university system and student life in Australia
• This position is open to university students.
• The legal right to work in Australia.

We know there are great candidates who won’t check all of these boxes, and we also know you might bring important perspectives, experiences and skills that we haven’t considered. If this describes you, please don’t hesitate to apply and tell us about yourself.

Physical and Work Environment

• Working on a computer, placing phone/video calls.
• Required to navigate and travel around the city and for excursions, potentially outdoors in the heat
• Occasional physical activities such as arranging chairs/tables in conference room settings.
• Some work on the weekend or in the evening, depending on scheduled activities

To Apply

To apply, please submit your cover letter and resume for this position through IFSA's career site at https://ifsa-butler.org/careers/ 

In your cover letter, offer a compelling “Why” statement as to your suitability to the role using the job responsibilities.

Review of applications will begin immediately, and the position will remain open until filled.

IFSA is an equal opportunity employer, and our hiring process is inclusive of all genders and gender expressions, races and ethnicities, ages, religions and sexualities as well as veterans and people with disabilities.