Project Officer, Social Impact Leadership

Position Summary

Columbia World Projects seeks a Project Officer (PO) to support the development of CWP’s Social Impact Leadership program portfolio. The PO will serve as a key staff member, managing a range of administrative and programmatic activities and working across CWP and various schools and departments at the University to support the development and implementation of fellowship activities focused on building the capabilities of emerging social impact leaders. The PO will work independently and collaboratively on a range of activities aimed at building the capacities of program participants and positioning CWP as a global influencer in transformative leadership The PO will regularly engage with high-profile leaders from a variety of sectors who partner with CWP and the Social Impact Leadership unit to deliver programming, including workshops, seminars, and events for all program participants. The PO will manage communication with prospective scholars, student and intern candidates, current program participants, and alumni who are emerging and established global leaders. The PO will engage with key CWP partners (e.g., funders, faculty), and must be comfortable and confident communicating CWP’s social impact goals and objectives and the fellowship portfolio. The PO will have opportunities to engage with all Columbia Global departments and participate in project development and may be asked to participate in helping to plan key CWP events. The Project Officer will report to the Assistant Director, Social Impact Leadership, and work closely with the Director, Social Impact Leadership.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement social impact leadership curricula for the current portfolio programs: Obama Foundation Scholars Program (OFSP), Columbia Global Internship Program (CGIP), and Columbia University Scholarship for Displaced Students (CUSDS), as well as future portfolio programs, managing and leading core programmatic activities for workshops, convenings, panel discussions, weekly seminars, orientations and graduations, and speaker series.
• Work in close and sustained partnership with key external stakeholders (e.g., Obama Foundation partners and other external partners), as well as internal leadership of Columbia Global, and managing essential long-term program relationships with other University schools and departments (e.g., the School for Professional Studies, the School of International and Public Affairs, the Columbia Business School, the International Scholars and Students Office, the Office of University Life, etc.).
• Serve as the frontline and primary point of contact for program participants, including daily support and management in advance of and throughout the entirety of their program year, managing all weekly communications on program activities and action items, and strengthening cohort and alumni connections.
• Manage relationships with program guests and speakers, including building and sustaining partnerships, collaborating on and finalizing session formats and goals, assigning tasks, and confirming logistics, including managing catering, travel, accommodations, space rentals, and agreements.
• Collaborate with the Director of Social Impact Leadership, to implement the Obama Foundation Scholars’ weekly seminar, working closely with seminar conveners to develop the annual course syllabus, execute curriculum, and communicate key action items to scholars and guests.
• Evaluate, improve, and innovate annual programming, analyzing data from monitoring and evaluation tools to strengthen existing programming and identify areas of improvement.
• Participate in identifying program participants, including playing a core role in the management of the annual application cycle, managing all communication with prospective and selected applicants, reading and vetting all submitted applications, coordinating and leading applicant interviews, preparing materials and memoranda for senior leadership and the fellowship selection committee, and ensuring appropriate and timely communication between all parties around the world.
• Analyze data and document application trends, program curricula, goals, and outcomes for ad-hoc and annual reports for CWP, Columbia Global, University, and Obama Foundation leadership and prospective and current funders.
• Assist senior staff with financial and operational aspects of the program, including tracking expenditures, monitoring budgets, coordinating benefits and housing, submitting expense reports, and drafting scopes of work for external program partners.
• Participate in the development and implementation of an alumni-building strategy with the CWP leadership and key stakeholders (e.g., foundation partners, faculty, and program alumni).
• Manage logistics for program participants, including facilitating University course selection and enrollment, leading incoming participants through the visa acquisition process, and managing international and domestic travel, and housing.
• Participate in the development and growth of CWP’s social impact leadership portfolio and advance its tenets to deliver high-quality educational experiences for program participants that align with CWP’s strategic objectives.
• Other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree and/or equivalent required and 2-4 years of related experience. 

Preferred Qualifications

• Keen interest in working in a university setting and on programming related to education, leadership development, and/or the social sector
• Outstanding organizational and time management skills
• Detail-oriented in a high-volume, entrepreneurial environment
• Ability to build a network of contacts and interact effectively with people at varying organizational levels
• A self-starter who is confident in proposing new ideas and strategies to contribute to the ongoing development and delivery of program-related activities
• Proficiency with research, data collection, review, analysis, and documentation
• Ability to manage multiple projects at once independently
• Excellent interpersonal skills and an ability to work in a team-oriented environment
• Demonstrated experience planning and coordinating events in higher education or the social sector
• Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Google Drive, and information databases
• Confidence to propose ideas and strategies as work unfolds

The candidate should be a self-starter with experience working on a fellowship or student leadership program. They should be people-oriented, with demonstrated evidence of highly collaborative communication skills and strong interpersonal skills. Committed and open to working with diverse communities and organizations. Ideally, the candidate will have worked with or managed data management or application software.