Deputy Executive Director, Core Services World Education Services

Transcription

1 An Invitation to Apply for the Position of, Core Services World Education Services New York, New York EXECUTIVE SUMMARY World Education Services (WES), the world s leading credential-evaluation service and a leading provider of research regarding student mobility, international enrollment management, transnational education, and professional immigrant integration, is seeking a Deputy Executive Director to lead its Core Services. As a not-for-profit organization, the mission of WES is to foster the successful integration of persons educated in foreign countries into academic and professional settings in the United States and Canada. In the service of that mission, the organization offers expert credential evaluation services and provides research and expertise about international education and workforce trends. WES is dedicated to helping immigrants and international students achieve their higher education and professional goals by evaluating and advocating for the recognition of international education qualifications. As a key member of the Executive Management Team, the will be responsible for leading the organization s core businesses: its evaluation service and related revenue-generating businesses, with a total staff size of 200 employees. To continue to build this $50 million enterprise, the new will provide strategic vision, innovative/entrepreneurial thinking, sound leadership, and implement strong business practices. Reporting to the Executive Director, the candidate will need to effectively and efficiently operate the businesses and build new revenue streams by leveraging WES knowledge and expertise through new business ventures, products, and services. The ideal candidate for this key position will be committed to WES s mission, vision, and guiding principles; possess relevant and extensive business experience that includes managing a large budget and achieving earned-income targets; have executive-level experience leading an enterprise or business unit with full profit and loss responsibility; proven experience as an innovator and successful business developer; demonstrate knowledge of and familiarity with highly process-driven functions, knowledge-based enterprises, operations management, and strategic planning; demonstrate success in building and managing high-performance teams; and possess experience in board relations.

2 Page 2 of 7 Isaacson, Miller, a national executive search firm, is assisting WES with this nationwide search. Inquiries, nominations, and applications should be directed to the firm as indicated at the end of this document. All communications will be treated confidentially. For more information concerning WES, please review the materials on its website at WORLD EDUCATION SERVICES History and Mission WES was founded in 1974 by returned Peace Corps volunteers who saw an unmet need in the United States: people with advanced degrees from international academic institutions were unable to use their academic credentials to advance their professional careers. In order to provide this necessary service, WES began evaluating academic credentials of immigrants living in the US. Through many years of significant growth, WES has remained committed to advancing the global mobility and integration of people into academic and professional settings by evaluating and advocating for recognition of international educational qualifications, and enabling individuals to fully utilize their education. Ms. Mariam Assefa has led WES for more than 34 years, assuming the role of Executive Director soon after her arrival. Under her leadership, the organization has achieved remarkable growth. The organization s annual revenue of approximately $50 million is derived primarily from its evaluation services. WES has a full time staff of 240 employees. 164 employees are located at WES headquarters in New York, 30 are located at WES Canada, based in Toronto, and 46 work remotely throughout the US and Canada. A 12-member Board of Directors governs the work of WES as an independent, nonprofit organization. The current chairperson is June Noronha, a senior manager working on indigenous nation building at the Minnesota-based Bush Foundation. With a staff representing 37 nations and speaking more than 40 languages, WES currently serves more than 200,000 clients per year and has completed more than 1 million evaluations since it was founded, making it by far the largest credential evaluator in North America. By authenticating and converting foreign education in US or Canadian terms, WES evaluation reports allow employers, professional licensing boards, and academic institutions to make informed decisions regarding their foreign-educated candidates. WES's proprietary database contains information on the education systems of more than 200 countries, 45,000 foreign institutions, and 20,000 academic credentials.

3 Page 3 of 7 WES works with thousands of universities and colleges, providing credential evaluation, academic research and workshops on credential evaluation methods, country-specific presentations, and international student recruitment. In 2011, WES created its Global Talent Bridge (GTB) program as an extension of WES s mission. GTB s programs are designed to enable immigrants to make the best of their education in the US and Canada and include: support, training, and resources for community organizations, government agencies, and employers; and direct outreach to skilled immigrants, including seminars and comprehensive online resources. GTB also houses the IMPRINT coalition and works closely with business, government, higher education, and other partners to raise awareness about the talents and contributions of immigrant professionals. IMPRINT also advocates for the adoption of policies and best practices that facilitate the rapid integration of these skilled workers. CORE SERVICES Through its services, WES enables students and professionals educated outside the US and Canada to gain recognition for their educational qualifications so that they may pursue education or employment opportunities. WES also helps academic institutions, employers, and licensing bodies in the US and Canada assess and select applicants who hold educational credentials obtained abroad. WES s specific services include: For Individuals Credential Verification & Evaluation WES provides students, job seekers, and immigrants with credential verification and evaluation services. A WES credential evaluation makes it easier for admissions officers to understand foreign-educated applicants degrees, courses, and grades in US terms. WES also provides access to two online tools: the WES International Degree Preview (IDP) tool, which gives individuals an immediate indication of how their degrees are viewed in the US, and the WES International Grade Point Average Calculator (igpa) tool, which allows individuals to calculate their grade point averages according to US standards. Through WES Student Advisor, WES provides free advice to international students seeking admission to US universities and colleges. WES Student Advisor offers international students access to webinars, student guides, and blogs written by international students and admissions experts. For Academic Institutions/Employers/Licensing Bodies Credential Verification & Evaluation WES provides academic institutions with evaluation packages that include verified transcripts and evaluation reports.

4 Page 4 of 7 Research & Advisory Services (RAS) International Enrollment Research and Consulting As the largest non-profit credential evaluation service in the US, WES has a deep understanding of global higher education at both the institutional and student level, and 40 years of data on USand Canada-bound international students. With exclusive access to this data and knowledge, WES is uniquely positioned to help institutions reach their international enrollment goals. WES Research & Advisory Services provides thought leadership and insights on: Best practices in international student enrollment, recruitment, and retention Institutional partnerships and transnational education models International education trends and strategies Knowledge Resource Exchange Through its Knowledge Resource Exchange (KRE) program, WES offers academic institutions a wide range of online publications, training, and tools designed to support their international enrollment management activities. The KRE program also designs and offers fee-based training at various locations in the US and Canada. THE DEPUTY EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR The reports directly to the Executive Director and oversees the revenue-based services of WES. A member of the executive leadership team, the Deputy Executive Director provides the strategic vision for WES as it pursues new revenue streams that align with its mission and guiding principles. Specific duties include: Leading the Core Services Unit, which includes the following functions: o All credential evaluation teams US and Canada o Documentation intake and validation US and Canada o Evaluation policy and knowledge o Data management o Research o Customer experience and services o Process management and metrics o Institutional relations o Marketing and communications Ensuring that WES s core revenue-generating businesses achieve earned-income targets and develop new sources of revenue. Working with other members of the Executive Management Team to develop a strategic vision for the organization with a sound and responsible annual budget.

5 Page 5 of 7 Encouraging innovation and the contribution of ideas for new products, processes, and services. Expanding the WES knowledgebase through research and technology. Leading the development and effective growth of the Evaluation Management structure; Identifying, motivating, and recruiting appropriate quality staff that will enable the Evaluation Unit to reach its objectives and goals. Ensuring the quality and efficiency of Evaluation Unit performance by setting goals and establishing priorities to ensure the provision of consistently high-quality, error-free, and reliable evaluation reports delivered within the contracted time. CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES Continue to Grow the Core Business and Explore Ancillary Revenue Streams The will oversee the Evaluation Unit, the core revenue stream for the organization. S/he will provide leadership to grow the business by accurately anticipating future resources for growth. S/he will be responsible for reading market trends and pursuing strategic investments that align with WES s mission. S/he will also think strategically about opportunities for additional expansion into new territories or markets. The will work to provide the organization with the innovative thinking, strategic planning, visionary leadership, and entrepreneurial spirit necessary to grow in a global and dynamic marketplace. Manage Increasingly Complex Operations The will be charged with the task of leading the Evaluation Unit Management Team. Over the past three years, surging demand for WES s credential evaluation and verification services has catalyzed the most significant growth the organization has seen in its 40-year history. The drivers of recent growth in the US and Canada have been slightly different. In the US marketplace, a strong continuing focus on higher education predominates the demand for credential verification. While in Canada, immigrant workforce integration has been the principal driver. In order to process an increasing number of evaluations, WES continues to expand and improve upon its operations and procedures. It is the responsibility of the to consistently and continuously monitor, maintain, and improve these operations and procedures. In order to ensure a streamlined process, s/he will work to predict and respond to changes in the field of credential evaluation and verification.

6 Page 6 of 7 Connect With the Mission The will work with the Director of Global Talent Bridge and members of the Executive Management Team to ensure that business practices support WES s overall mission to advance the global mobility and integration of individuals with foreign educations and their pursuit of both academic and professional opportunities. The Deputy Executive Director will understand and support the programs and services not driven by market factors but by WES s dedication to its mission. S/he will uphold the integrity and credibility of WES s programs and services and work to connect entrepreneurial pursuits with those programs and services, as well as the overall mission of WES. Leverage Knowledge and Data Working across the teams that s/he oversees, the should leverage the extensive global higher education knowledge that WES has amassed during its 40-year existence to bolster and innovate the consultative and advisory services that it provides to its higher education partners. S/he will bolster WES s position as a trusted partner and thought leader in the field. QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE For its, WES seeks an exceptional leader who is passionate about the organization s mission and guiding principles, as well as forward-thinking and entrepreneurial. WES will consider candidates from a variety of backgrounds, including leadership in the nonprofit, government, private, professional, and business sectors. No single candidate will possess all of the ideal qualifications, but WES seeks a Deputy Executive Director who has a track record of experience and the personal talent to lead and build an exceptionally effective organization. The following qualifications are of particular interest: Commitment to WES s mission, vision, and guiding principles Relevant advanced degree strongly preferred 10+ years of relevant business experience 5+ years at the executive level leading a business or business unit with Profit & Loss responsibility Demonstrated experience managing a large budget and achieving earned-income targets Demonstrated experience as an innovator and successful new business developer Experience with highly process-driven functions, knowledge-based enterprises, operations management, and strategic planning

7 Page 7 of 7 Demonstrated success building and managing high-performance teams Previous Board experience preferred APPLICATION PROCEDURE Applicants are asked to send a cover letter and resume to the following web address: Inquiries and nominations may be submitted to the same web address or to the search firm representatives at the contact information below. Electronic submission of applications and correspondences is strongly preferred. Review of nominations and applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled. Sean Farrell, Principal Brian Nwachukwu, Associate Isaacson, Miller th Street, N.W., Suite 700 Washington, DC Apply via our website: World Education Services is an equal opportunity employer.