Seasonal Compliance Assistant

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 approximately 150 people nationwide, located in three RegionalServiceCenters in Maryland, Minnesota and Oregon and the NationalServiceCenter in New York City. AFS-USA is equally proud of its network of more than 6000 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 U.S. citizens interested in experiencing life abroad.

Overview:

The Seasonal Compliance Assist (SCA) will work as part of the Risk Management, Compliance and Quality Assurance team to review over 2,000 host family applications for families hosting foreign exchange students during the 2013-2014 academic year. The SCA will verify that all required pieces of the host family application have been collected by Team Development and National Hosting Operations staff, and ensure that the application content meets AFS requirements for a family to host a student. The SCA will track and communicate discrepancies to other AFS staff and follow up on missing items as needed. S/he will also assist Government and Legal Affairs staff in the processing of criminal background checks on volunteer and host family applicants as needed.

Responsibilities: (Key functions)

Review Host Family Applications:

1. Review components of the Host Family Application Process, including application forms, interviews, references, school placement forms, criminal background checks, and orientations.
2. Follow up with staff, host families and volunteers by phone and email to obtain missing forms and/or information, helping to ensure that all of the required application materials are submitted to AFS prior to the departure of the hosted students from their home country.
3. Contact host family applicant references, complete references over the phone and enter information in Global Link, AFS-USA's internal database, as needed.

Complete Manual Checklist Process:

1. Complete compliance checklist for each application and note discrepancies or missing items in the Global Link Compliance Checklist.
2. Follow up with appropriate staff and track the status of any missing items or discrepancies until each application, including references, in-home interview and background checks, is complete.
3. Communicate any concerns or issues regarding placement quality to the appropriate Quality Assurance and Compliance Coordinator.

Process Criminal Background Checks:

1. Data Integrity and maintenance of directory files to include the review and update of criminal background checks of host family members and volunteers over the age of 14 as provided by a secondary source.
2. Provide customer service support via email and phone related to criminal background checks to host family applicants, volunteer applicants and AFS-USA staff as needed.
3. Work closely with staff in other departments to inform them of any potential delays in the processing of background check.
4. Follow up with host family and/or volunteer applicant on any discrepancies listed on a "flagged" background checks.

Additional responsibilities:

Assist RMCQA staff with other duties as requested.

Knowledge and Skills:

• Detail oriented
• Comfortable with linear thinking and processes
• Well organized and able to effectively manage multiple priorities under tight deadlines
• Excellent communication skills (verbal and written)
• Customer service oriented
• Able to work independently and as a member of a team
• Able to work with confidential information in an appropriate manner
• Able to work with people of diverse backgrounds

Qualifications:

• 1-3 years work experience and/or education that demonstrates effective use of the knowledge and skills listed above, for example experience in admission, customer service, research, quality assurance and compliance, etc.
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Office applications
• Ability to be flexible with work schedule
• Experience in international or intercultural education preferred

Salary and Benefits: $12.00 per hour.

Work Conditions:

The Seasonal Compliance Assistant will work 20-35 hours per week for up to six months between April through October; initially Monday through Friday, 9:00 to 6:00 PM. Schedule may shift to Tuesday through Saturday, beginning in May. Evening hours and weekend work will be required during June through early September.

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.