Academic Director – Prague

Academic Director – Prague

Verto is on a mission to provide the best possible start to college. We start by making travel and experiential education a core part of every student’s first year of university. Verto student participants begin college overseas in one of 5 Verto locations, before transferring to one of over 50 partner universities in the United States. While completing their time abroad with Verto, participants become more mature, empathetic global citizens who have a greater sense of purpose and direction for their lives.  

At Verto, we’re creating a different model. We’re driving the costs down and acceptance rates up. We connect participants to the world and give them a chance to discover who they are before making them choose a major. We’re out to build a transformational company that makes higher education more accessible and impactful. We are backed by First Round Capital and other top VCs.  

At Verto Education we value voices of all backgrounds and experiences. We know that creating a diverse environment takes dedication and intentional hiring practices. We are cognizant of the gap between our current state and our commitments. In order to bridge that gap, we have to humbly evaluate where we are today.  

POSITION DESCRIPTION 

Verto is seeking a qualified individual to serve as the academic leader of its new study center in Prague, Czech Republic, which is scheduled to open for Fall 2024. The anticipated title for the position is Academic Director. All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply.  Additional titles may be considered such as Assistant/Associate Academic Director or Academic Manager, commensurate with educational qualifications and professional experience.   

The Academic Director oversees the coordination, quality, planning, and delivery of all components of educational programming onsite. This position provides day-to-day academic leadership, and oversees the learning environment to ensure it is a rigorous, engaging, and supportive experience that fosters participant academic success. The Academic Director ensures that academic programming, faculty, and staff are in compliance with Verto and its Academic Provider/School of Record academic protocols, all of Verto’s policies and practices, and overall standards of academic excellence for teaching and learning. 

The Academic Director directly reports to the Program Director for day-to-day academic program management and the implementation of academic affairs onsite. The Academic Director has a secondary reporting line to the Vice President of Academic Affairs, and collaborates closely with the global Academic Affairs Headquarters team on all matters related to strategic planning and academic development, academic operations, staff and faculty management, and participant academic success and advising. The Academic Director is responsible for creating and maintaining a positive and transformative learning environment in partnership with key stakeholders across the organization.  

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES 

Academic Leadership

• Academic Leadership: Lead the day to day academic program, providing academic quality assurance and regularly reviewing academic data and trends, anticipating and addressing academic needs of relevant staff, faculty, and participants in cooperation with the Program Director and the Academic Affairs (AA) team at Verto Headquarters (HQ) and its Academic Provider/School of Record. Organize periodic site-specific self-studies, host visits or respond to requests from academic partners and/or accreditation teams as needed.
• Academic Program Management and Implementation:  Implement and oversee academic programs, the Verto curriculum, academic standards, and policies in compliance with Verto and Academic Provider/School of Record requirements, employing education and study abroad industry good practices and innovation in the execution of courses, experiential learning, co-curricular activities, academic success and academic interventions, advising, etc. consistent with Verto’s priorities, mission and vision. 
• Teaching and Learning Environment: Monitor teaching and learning and support faculty, staff, and participants to create and sustain positive and engaging learning environments. Facilitate transformational experiential learning and support the implementation of organizational initiatives, such as Verto Discovery, to maximize effectiveness and innovate pedagogical best practices for experiential teaching and learning. 
• Academic Partnerships: Manage and develop local academic partnerships and maintain a positive working relationship with local faculty, associations, and institutions.  Identify appropriate courses to be taught at the Verto Study Center and/or with local partner(s) and identify faculty who meet the academic credentialing requirements of Verto’s US Academic Provider/School of Record.
• Faculty and Staff Management: Manage faculty and academic staff, including recruitment, hiring, credentialing, onboarding, training, and evaluation under the oversight of Academic Provider/School of Record in partnership with Verto HQ. Participate in the hiring and training process for all local study center staff as needed.
• Student Management: Address academic student needs, identify students of concern, ensure timely resolution of escalated student issues, academic complaints, grievances and appeals in coordination with Verto HQ. 

Academic Success and College Counseling 

• Supervise onsite academic staff and faculty, and ensure staff/faculty are supported to implement and monitor ongoing participant academic accommodations, academic progress and performance, and corresponding academic actions or interventions. 
• Develop initiatives that advance student academic success, including ensuring participant access to tutoring and learning support services, coordinating faculty/student engagement through office hours, review sessions, etc. as appropriate.
• Support ongoing academic advising and college counseling for all participants; through related pre-departure planning, academic interventions, programming and post-Verto transfer support as appropriate.
• Provide training to faculty and staff to better understand and address student academic success and support needs, work directly with students to resolve escalated needs or support faculty and staff to advance student academic success. 

Academic Operations and Management 

• Provide day-to-day management of local academic operations, including the academic calendar, course schedules and timelines for required academic events. 
• Serve as academic lead with local partner institutions to facilitate appropriate sharing of student academic records and documents for student visas and registration; develop a course timetable for courses to be held at local partner, and ensure students have access to authorized campus resources (e.g. library, tutoring, support services).
• Serve as the onsite resource for key technology needs relevant to student information systems, learning management systems, online textbooks and library resources, and course registration needs. Maintain up-to-date data in all relevant academic systems and databases. Oversee implementation and utilization of learning management systems (e.g., Canvas), for all teaching and learning activities. 
• Lead key start of term activities including faculty/staff onboarding, student orientations; Review all course syllabi to ensure compliance with standards set by Academic Provider/School of Record, and AA HQ.   
• Coordinate course registration activities with the Program Director and the AA HQ team, monitoring changes in enrollment, forecasting appropriate academic schedules and hiring, reviewing participant data and eligibility, academic budgeting, and reporting on any participant  enrollment changes.
• Manage course evaluation processes, engage staff and participants to yield high response rates, evaluate responses and distribute/discuss and utilize feedback. 

WHO WE’RE LOOKING FOR

• Strategic Thinker: You can plot the chess moves a year ahead of time and develop a credible plan to deliver amazing value to our participants.
• Influential communicator: You are a thoughtful communicator who can sell ideas, gather resources, and rally stakeholders.
• Strong Executor: You value getting things done and hitting deadlines. You have a track record of delivering under pressure. 
• Humble Collaborator: You bring kindness and empathy to your working relationships and put the team’s success before your own.  
• Mission-Driven: You deeply believe that education has the power to transform lives and you want to give more young people a chance to thrive. 

 REQUIREMENTS & QUALIFICATIONS

• Terminal degree (PhD) and 3 – 5 years experience in educational administration preferred.
• Must be a resident of the Czech Republic, or have a valid work authorization
• Demonstrated teaching experience in undergraduate education, preferably with U.S. college participants, with a minimum of 2 years teaching in a university or study abroad environment with a participant -centered, experiential learning approach.
• Prior role at a university or study abroad organization or education management in an international setting, and/or direct experience with US higher education and study abroad. Experience working with first-year college participants is a plus. 
• Czech and English language fluency required
• Enjoyment of working with staff and participants to create transformational educational experiences, serving as a bridge to the local culture to inspire participant  learning.  
• Commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion and comfort addressing relevant issues directly with staff and participants. 
• Ability to handle multiple ongoing tasks and prioritize within a complex administrative environment, flexible and able to adapt to changing circumstances.
• Ability to complete detail-oriented tasks on time without sacrificing accuracy or quality.
• Experience supervising staff, comfortable working in global teams across time zones with demonstrated cultural competency. 
• Prepared to work in a fast-paced, start-up organization that is striving for rapid growth, innovation, and long-term success.