International Experience Coordinator

Role Description

The postholder will play a key role in supporting the School’s strategic and operational delivery by providing high-quality administrative, organisational, and student support services. With a strong focus on enhancing the international staff and student experience, this role will lead initiatives that promote successful transitions into university and full engagement with academic and campus life. The postholder will provide tailored advice, guidance, and pastoral care to international students and staff, ensuring their wellbeing, academic success, and cultural integration. They will design and coordinate cultural orientation programmes, welfare interventions, and community-building events, using data and feedback to continuously evaluate and improve support services.

Working under the direction of The School Manager, the appointee will be responsible and accountable for delivering the day-to-day activities to support the operations of the Business School and best practice service delivery, as a member of the professional services team.

The successful applicant will work within a team of student support, recruitment and engagement specialists within the school and across the University. They will be committed to delivering in a flexible and dynamic working environment.

The postholder will be proactive and take responsibility for management and delivery of a wide range of projects and administrative tasks within the school as determined by the School Manager.

The role requires flexibility regarding the allocation of specific duties and may be further defined and developed in line with strategic developments within the School.

Principal Duties:

Pre-arrival Support

• Develop a communication plan from acceptance to arrival and deliver pre-arrival supports to ensure international students are well-informed and prepared for their journey to the university.

• Develop and distribute pre-arrival guides and checklists covering topics such as applications, travel, accommodation, student life, FAQ’s and what to expect upon arrival.

• Respond to pre-arrival queries via email, webinars, or virtual Q&A sessions to support students and their families.

• Liaise with admissions, accommodations, international office and wider university teams to ensure smooth transitions and consistent messaging.

Orientation and Induction Duties

• Organise a meet and greet arrival service for incoming students, move in assistance and first week logistics.

• Provide advice, guidance and directions to University supports on accommodation, health services, banking, and other settling-in needs.

• Provide in person one-on-one support to students during the critical settling-in period, including help with registration, payment of fees, navigating campus, understanding their timetable, banking, health access, and initial cultural adjustment.

Ongoing Activities

• Collaborate with the Student Engagement Manager, and Vice Deans for Graduate Studies, and Learning and Teaching to develop and lead events, workshops, and programs to foster cross-cultural engagement and social integration throughout the academic year.

• Use data to monitor applicant conversion rates and inform targeted communication strategies, in collaboration with the International Student Recruitment Manager.

• Serve as a primary point of contact for international students seeking support on welfare, academic, personal, and cultural integration issues.

• Track and report on student retention, academic progress, and welfare concerns; work with stakeholders to identify patterns and early warning signs and develop a plan to mitigate and manage these.

• Contribute to the design and use of evaluation tools, such as pre/post-orientation surveys or exit interviews, to assess the effectiveness of student support initiatives.

• Identify and support students experiencing difficulties making appropriate referrals to counselling, academic advisors, or external agencies and respond to urgent student support issues, including health and wellbeing, following School and University escalation procedures as appropriate.

• Oversee and manage all school incoming exchange activities, including Erasmus and BIPS as directed by School Manager.

• Act as programme administrator and first point of contact for students and support for Programme Directors on the Doctorate of Business Administration.

• Provide guidance and support to international academic and professional staff to aid their transition into the School and wider university environment, including orientation, relocation, and integration into institutional processes and culture.

Health & Safety: In addition to the statutory safety duties of all employees (as prescribed in safety legislation and the relevant local safety statement) each staff member is responsible for:

• Discharging any safety functions delegated to them by their Head of College \ School \ Department \ Centre \ Unit, in relation to the areas/ activities under their control.

• Co-operating and assisting the University and the Head of College \ School \ Department \ Centre \ Unit in the discharge of their statutory safety responsibilities.

• Ensuring that all work under their control, is undertaken safely and without risk to health and complies with the provision of all relevant statutory legislation.

Note: As the university continues to expand and evolve, it is likely that flexibility in regard to the allocation of specific duties will be necessary. Accordingly, the list of duties specified above is not intended to be exclusive or restrictive; duties may be added or withdrawn but any such alteration will take place after consultation with the appointee.

SELECTION CRITERIA

The successful candidate will be expected to have:

Essential Criteria

A third level degree and/ or other relevant qualification.

Experience supporting students in a higher education or similar setting.

Demonstrated ability to communicate clearly, empathetically, and cross-culturally with a diverse range of students, staff, and external stakeholders.

Ability to anticipate needs, resolve issues efficiently, and offer proactive solutions.

Experience of analysing data (e.g., engagement metrics, feedback, retention patterns) to inform service improvements and report on outcomes.

Experience organising and facilitating workshops, welcome events, or social/cultural programmes aimed at student engagement and integration.

Experience providing one-on-one pastoral or practical support and escalating where appropriate.

Proven ability to make decisions, take responsibility, exercise sound judgment and demonstrate leadership.

Demonstrated experience of the implementation of change management initiatives and continuous improvement.

Demonstrable evidence of IT and Digital Technology skills including advanced knowledge of Digital Technologies portfolios and implementation of Office 365 applications including OneDrive, SharePoint, TEAMS along with Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and the internet, to improve efficiency and effectiveness.

Excellent interpersonal skills including the ability to engage appropriately with University colleagues, external stakeholders at all levels.

Desirable Criteria

12. Comprehensive understanding of University information systems including UCC Apply, DMIS, ITS and Agresso.

13. Experience of LEAN/Six Sigma expertise and application.

14. A commitment to UCC’s key strategic area of internationalisation.

Candidates are requested to make a personal assessment of these criteria against their own qualifications, skills and abilities to assess whether they should apply for the post.

Please note: Candidates who do not demonstrate that they meet the criteria as detailed above will not be short listed.

The University, at its discretion, may undertake to make an additional appointment(s) from this competition following the conclusion of the process.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

Salary: Appointment may be made on the Admin V Salary Scale: €51,307 - €62,926 (Scale B) / €49,070 - €59,893 (Scale A).

Salary placement on appointment will be in accordance with public sector pay policy.

As required by public pay policy for the higher education sector, new appointments to a direct entry recruitment grade will generally be at the minimum (1st point) of the relevant scale.

For existing public servants, the restriction to the first point on scale may be varied where a person is appointed to the same or an analogous grade, role or position as their previous public service employment.

The rate of remuneration for all appointments may be adjusted from time to time in line with government policy.

The working hours for administrative staff are 35 hours per week with normal hours of duty from 9.00am to 5.00pm Monday to Friday, with 1 hour for lunch break.

Due to the nature and seniority of the post, however, it may be necessary to extend and vary these hours from time to time in order to meet the exigencies of the post.

Annual Leave will be 27 days per annum. This leave is exclusive of public holidays and Good Friday. The leave year commences on 1 July annually and four days annual leave must be held for the Christmas closure period.

Sick Leave: Sick leave will be granted in line with University policy in this regard which may change from time to time. You should familiarise yourself with the University Sick Leave Policy and University Sick Leave Management Policy.

The tenure of the post is permanent wholetime, based on the following provisions:

a) A probationary period of twelve months shall apply from commencement of employment in the post during which the contract of employment may be terminated by either party in accordance with the Minimum Notice and Terms of Employment Acts, 1973 to 2005.

b) Except in circumstances of gross misconduct justifying immediate dismissal, the appointee will receive one month's notice of termination of employment, or, if greater, such notice as is provided for in a minimum notice in terms of Employment Act, 1973.

c) The appointee is required to give one month's notice of termination of employment.

Pension: The Public Service Pensions (Single Scheme and Other Provisions) Act 2012 established the Single Public Service Pension Scheme. In general, anyone taking up pensionable public service employment on or after 1 January 2013 is a member of the Single Scheme. The Act provides that most members of the Single Scheme have a minimum pension age consistent with the age of eligibility for the State Pension (Contributory) and a compulsory retirement age of 70. A member of this group is generally referred to as a “Single Scheme member”. However, applicants who have previously worked in a pensionable post (non-Single Scheme terms) in the Irish Civil/Public service, may be offered membership of the UCC Pension scheme. The normal retirement date in this scheme is age 65. A compulsory retirement date of 70 may apply depending on date of first employment in the Irish Civil/Public service. The relevant pension scheme will be confirmed to the successful applicant on completion of the Pensions Declaration form prior to taking up employment.

Applicants that have previously availed of an Irish Public Service Scheme of Incentivised early retirement or enhanced redundancy payment should ensure that they are not precluded from re-engagement in the Irish Public Service under the terms of such Schemes. Queries should be directed to an applicant’s former Civil/Public Service Employer in the first instance. Applicants who are in receipt of an ill-health pension from an Irish Civil/Public Service body are required to declare that they are in receipt of such a pension.

Pension Abatement: If an appointee has previously been employed in the Civil or Public Service and that appointee is entitled to or in receipt of a pension from the Civil or Public Service or where a Civil/Public Service pension comes into payment during the appointee’s re-employment that pension will be subject to abatement in accordance with Section 52 of the Public Service Pensions (Single Scheme and other Provisions) Act 2012. Please note: In applying for this position, you are acknowledging that you understand that the abatement provisions, where relevant, will apply. It is not envisaged that the employing Department/Office/Body will support an application or an abatement waiver in respect of appointments to this position.

Additional dependants’ benefits can be provided by membership of the Supplementary Life Assurance Scheme. You will be automatically included as a member of the scheme on commencement of your employment but you may elect to opt out of the scheme at any stage. The current membership rate is 0.26% of your salary.

Membership of the Group Personal Accident Scheme shall apply to all employees, subject to individual acceptance by the Insurance Company. The salary quoted is subject to a deduction from salary at the rate of .06%.

The UCC Income Continuance Plan (ICP) provides a source of income in the event of long or short-term temporary disability. As part of your contract of employment you will be automatically included in the ICP with effect from the same date provided you have not previously opted out of the plan or you have been declined for cover under previous contracts of employment with UCC. An additional benefit is membership to Specified Illness Cover (SIC) which pays a once off lump sum benefit in the event of a member being diagnosed with a specified illness. The cost of membership of both plans will be deducted from your salary. The current combined membership rate is 1.05% of your salary.

The Pay Related Social Insurance Class A1 rate of Pay Related Social Insurance (PRSI) applies to the post.

Voluntary Health Insurance: VHI /Laya Healthcare & Irish Life Healthcare offer group schemes. Premiums must be paid via the UCC payroll. The Laya Group No is 32805 and VHI Group No is 137.

Additional benefits: We offer progressive employment and training policies including opportunities for further studies. Staff can avail of membership of a variety of clubs and societies and a wide range of facilities on campus, including a leisure centre.

As an equal opportunities employer we offer a comprehensive suite of Work Life Balance Policies. A list of such initiatives is available on our webpage.

UCC welcomes applications from non-EEA citizens. However, regulations regarding employment permits are set by the Department of Enterprise Trade and Employment and must be strictly adhered to. An offer of appointment to Non-EEA candidates is subject to the granting of a Work Permit by the Department of Enterprise Trade & Employment.

Candidates are requested to make a personal assessment against their own eligibility as to whether they should apply for this post.

Certificates and Testimonials: These documents should not be sent with the application. Candidates who are selected for interview will be requested to submit the necessary documentation.

References: Following completion of the interview process and the identification of the preferred candidate, any offer of appointment will be subject to receipt of satisfactory references. For internal candidates, the People & Culture Department will seek a reference from a candidate’s line manager once the preferred candidate has accepted a conditional offer of employment. Additional references may be sought on the request of the hiring manager.