Team Development Specialist - AFS USA - San Antonio / Austin TX

About AFS-USA AFS-USA works towards a more just and peaceful world by providing international and intercultural learning experiences to individuals, families, schools, and communities through a global volunteer partnership.

AFS-USA is particularly proud of its staff of over 175 people. AFS-USA is equally proud of its network of more than 5000 volunteers located in communities throughout the United States. Our staff and volunteers work in partnership to deliver quality intercultural exchange programs to adolescents and adults, both those interested in coming to the U.S. as well as those interested in experiencing life abroad.

Overview: The Team Development Specialist works in partnership with the existing volunteer leadership in an Area Team or cluster of Unaffiliated Chapters to support the development, maintenance and growth of healthy teams of AFS volunteers in AFS-USA. This partnership contributes to the team functioning at a level that would ensure the successful delivery, support and growth of AFS programs, fulfillment of the AFS mission, and result in the highest satisfaction of AFS participants, families, schools, and volunteers in the team.

While the Team Development Specialist should not replace the volunteers in activities that fall under their purview (such as host family recruitment and screening, outbound student recruitment, interviews, and orientations, participant support and orientations, etc), it will be the Team Development Specialist's responsibility to ensure that AFS programs are delivered locally in full compliance with all AFS International and CSIET standards and U.S. State Department regulations. The Team Development Specialist will also be responsible for ensuring that their volunteer team is structured and operates in accordance with all AFS USA policies and procedures and that their team successfully meets its annual hosting and sending goals.

A key role of the Team Development Specialist is to spearhead collaboration between numerous AFS USA staff departments and volunteers to ensure achievement of volunteer team goals in alignment with AFS USA organizational priorities and requirements.

Key areas for such collaboration between local and national efforts include but are not limited to: • AFS Program promotion events or strategies

• Orientation activities for students, returnees, and families

• Initiatives to strengthen collaboration with schools

• Fundraising and identification of possible donors

• New Program Development

• Participant Support

• Government Relations and Sponsored Programs

• Compliance

• Volunteer Development

Finally, the Team Development Specialist will work with his or her team to ensure that AFS USA is able to maximize its presence locally through expansion of our footprint either by establishing relationships with new schools or additional community organizations, building new chapters, and continually growing and developing the local volunteer force.

Responsibilities: Programs • Collaborate with the area team or chapter leadership volunteers, in order to develop hosting and sending plans with the team to ensure achievement of program goals with maximum volunteer involvement and in full compliance (including the State Department, CSIET, AFS, and IRS).

• Ensure that the volunteer team is informed about and has access to all tools, materials, and resources made available to them by AFS-USA.

• Monitor sending recruitment and hosting placement progress throughout each program cycle. Work with volunteers to revise plans, as needed, throughout the program cycle.

• Monitor team compliance indicators throughout the program cycle, ensuring appropriate processes are in place and appropriate interventions occur when needed.

• In conjunction with the volunteer leaders in the team, develop a three year plan identifying areas for growth of programs both traditional and new, increased community outreach and relationships with like minded organizations (CBO's), new chapter development, opportunities for fund-raising, diversity, etc.

• Ensure that any critical situation or problem arising from the CSE (Customer Service Evaluations) or annual AFS USA Team Assessment, or any other source is properly managed by the team leadership.

Volunteer Team Growth and Health • Maintain in-depth knowledge of the volunteer teams present in assigned areas ensuring accurate and complete data in Global Link (AFS database).

• Identify gaps in the volunteer team where more people are needed for specific tasks related to hosting participants or sending participants, including participant recruitment, support, and orientations, and ensure volunteer recruitment, lead management, and integration activities are happening to fill these gaps.

• Work to build a strong leadership function within the team ensuring at a minimum the team has a Chair and Treasurer and ensuring sufficient leadership in other key functions such as Hosting, Sending, and Participant Support.

• Ensure that there is a process in place for volunteer leadership development which includes succession planning and mentoring of new volunteer leaders in the team.

• Ensure that the volunteer roles and tasks required in key functional areas such as hosting, sending, participant support and orientations are clearly defined and communicated within the team so that the work is well distributed amongst individuals, volunteers know what is expected, and new volunteers can be well integrated into the team throughout the program cycle.

• Ensure the presence of a strong volunteer participant support team including a Support Coordinator, Liaison Coordinator (for larger teams), Liaisons, and emergency families.

• Ensure that all chapters within the team are actively engaged in the delivery of the AFS program within the team. This includes close coordination and collaboration among the volunteer leaders, involvement in planning for the team, and providing the chapters with sufficient support so that they are able to work effectively.

• Implement organizational projects and strategies, which will lead to the development of new chapter(s) in the assigned team.

• Ensure volunteer recruitment plans include a focus on diversifying the volunteer team to include people of different ages, races, gender, etc. and ensure the volunteer team reflects the make-up of its surrounding community.

• Establish processes within the team to ensure that new volunteers are oriented, registered and trained for whatever tasks or roles they take on.

• Oversee volunteer performance and ensuring implementation of the volunteer management policy as needed.

• Develop a process for returnee integration which begins from the time applicants are recruited and continues throughout the returnee life cycle.

• Maintain strong team health through ensuring consistent and varied communications, meetings, social events. Etc.

• Promote and facilitate appropriate volunteer recognition efforts within the team.

School Relations and Community Outreach • Ensure team plans and activities for fund-raising, public relations, marketing, and promotion all remain in alignment with AFS USA National strategies and campaigns.

• Ensure all team communications and promotions both internal and external are in alignment with the AFS branding campaign.

• Ensure a school relations strategy is employed in alignment with the National School Strategy recommendations.

• Ensure data on all schools data is up to date and accurate in Global Link (AFS database).

Skills and Qualifications: • 3-5 years work experience in volunteer management/development, community organizing, organizational development or other related field including experience recruiting, orienting and integrating volunteers into established teams or to begin new teams. .

• Previous supervisory experience preferred

• Broad knowledge/experience of AFS or other intercultural student exchange program or cross cultural experience preferred

• Demonstrated ability to motivate and organize groups of people to achieve common goals

• Ability to effectively monitor plans to ensure progress on goals, an ability to define qualitative and quantitative success indicators for plans and an ability to make quick course corrections as needed as plans are implemented.

• Ability to create statistical reports and analyze data.

• Demonstrated experience facilitating group meetings, delivering training content, and making presentations.

• Excellent written and oral communications skills as well as excellent computer literacy skills including MS Word, Excel, Power Point and database programs.

• Strong interpersonal communication skills, ability to maintain good rapport and cooperative relationships with diverse groups of volunteers and staff.

• Demonstrated success and ability to manage conflict in a positive and timely manner. Ability to resolve complaints in a quick, professional manner

• Self-motivated with strong organizational skills and ability to multitask

• Willingness and ability to travel, up to 40% of the time.

• Ability to maintain confidentiality of information acquired pertaining to staff and volunteers

• Commitment to the mission and principles of AFS Intercultural Programs

• Valid driver's license

Salary and Benefits: AFS-USA is committed to attracting and retaining top quality staff. One way we support this goal is to offer a benefits package that is competitive. AFS-USA's wide array of benefits (including but not limited to health and dental coverage, retirement plan, short-term and long-term disability, fully funded life insurance, generous time-off, and commutation reimbursement) not only enhance your financial security and well-being, but also add significantly to your total compensation. Salary will be negotiated at the time of hire.

Work Conditions AFS USA work hours are generally from 9:00 am – 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday, however given the nature of this position and necessity to work closely with volunteers, evening and weekend work will be required as well as significant domestic travel (up to 40% of the time).

Other: It is the policy of AFS-USA to provide equal employment opportunity in all employment practices without regard to race, color, religion, gender, age national origin, marital status, sexual orientation, disability, or any other unlawful basis. Our goal is to foster a diverse workforce which reflects a broad spectrum of society and maintain an organization free from unlawful discrimination towards any employee or applicant for employment. Full commitment to this policy is required to produce a work environment in which we can take pride.