Associate Director, Students and Educators Initiative, Outreach

About the Role

The associate director is the lead staffer for the Students and Educators Initiative within CFR Outreach, which provides programming and resources for college and university students, educators, and administrators to foster understanding of global affairs and cultivate relations with the academic community. This position manages the day-to-day workflow of the initiative and one support staffer, while also supporting programming across the National and Outreach department. The role is based in CFR’s New York City office at least four days per week, with Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays as institutional anchor days.

Responsibilities

• Lead the CFR Students and Educators Initiative and its virtual and in-person programmatic offerings, including the Global Affairs Expert Webinar series, briefings, CFR’s annual College and University Educators Workshop, and CFR representation at external conferences and professional gatherings.
• Frame event agendas and generate speaker/topic ideas for virtual and in-person events.
• Take a lead role in scheduling and implementing events, including managing contracts and catering, drafting and editing correspondence, preparing meeting materials, and writing summary reports.
• Oversee the day-to-day workflow for the initiative and one support staffer.
• Monitor, report, and advise on the Students and Educators Initiative budget.
• Collaborate with the vice president, senior director, and director of Outreach on programmatic and outreach strategy, efforts, and innovation.
• Research and identify partnership opportunities and external conferences to attend, schedule meetings, and write meeting recap notes.
• Grow CFR’s Outreach community and expand its impact through audience development by identifying and building relationships with new and diverse contacts in academia.
• Act as a core member of the CFR Briefings team, coordinating with external groups—particularly higher education institutions—interested in visiting CFR.
• Contribute to communications and resource dissemination efforts by maintaining webpages, conducting email campaigns, placing advertisements, and managing a LinkedIn group for past participants of the College and University Educators Workshop.
• Track metrics and conduct qualitative and quantitative analysis across program offerings for reporting and strategic decision-making.
• Manage event records in CRM, run advanced queries, and maintain clean contact records.
• Collaborate with staff in other departments—particularly CFR Education—as well as external partner organizations on coordinating schedules, organizing events, and sharing information.
• Provide general project support for institutional projects and the department, including attending and working at National Program and Outreach events held outside of business hours.
• Perform any other duties or tasks as assigned or required.

Requirements

• BA in international relations or a related field with proven interest in current U.S. foreign policy and international affairs issues; MA preferred.
• Five or more years of experience working in outreach, strategic partnerships, international relations, academia, government, or community engagement.
• Nuanced and deep understanding of the higher education landscape required.
• Event or program management experience preferred.

Skills

• Ability to multitask and manage multiple ongoing projects simultaneously; superior organizational and time management skills, as well as attention to detail.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills to effectively engage with multiple audiences; strong writing, proofreading, and editing skills.
• Ability to meet demanding deadlines with a positive attitude and interact professionally with members and the public.
• Team player with the capacity to take initiative, demonstrate flexibility, and work both independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced environment.
• Experience working with high-level contacts or in member relations; ability to maintain confidentiality and use appropriate discretion.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Word and Excel; experience with Microsoft Dynamics CRM or other databases preferred.
• Availability to work flexible hours and overtime as necessary.
• Ability to travel several times each year.
• Ability to assist with packing materials for shipping and physically setting up meeting materials for workshops and conferences.

Benefits

The Council on Foreign Relations offers a competitive benefits package, including an award-winning health and wellness program, an on-site fitness center, and generous leave policies and health insurance programs.

Pay

The full-time annual compensation range for this position is $85,000 – $95,000, depending on experience.