Do you believe intercultural mobility experiences are life changing and that they contribute to a better world? Do you think international exchanges should be inclusive and available to all? Are you motivated by turning ideas into impactful projects and programmes? Are you interested in working in the educational field to empower schools and teachers? Are you dynamic and motivated to lead new initiatives in both strategic and practical ways? If you answer “YES!”, then the position of Erasmus+ School Programmes Officer is for you!
AFS and the European Federation for Intercultural Learning
AFS is the largest and oldest international non-profit network for secondary school individual pupil mobility, working in over 60 countries primarily through school- and family-based long-term immersion. In Europe, the European Federation for Intercultural Learning (EFIL) supports its 27 members through coordinating projects and programmes, research and advocacy work, sharing of know-how and organising training events for its staff and volunteers. EFIL’s wide array of partners include the European Union and the Council of Europe. In French-speaking Belgium, AFS Programmes Interculturels ASBL works not only in individual exchange programmes, but also through teacher training and intercultural learning projects and workshops. At both levels, there is a strong commitment to increasing AFS’s social impact through globalizing schools and institutions as well as through expanding access to intercultural learning, especially targeting socio-economically disadvantaged groups.
In 2021, EFIL and AFS in French-speaking Belgium launched an exciting programme area: developing AFS’s role in Belgium and across Europe in Erasmus+ partnerships with schools, especially in individual pupil and teacher mobility, class mobility and teacher training. Since then, each year we have grown steadily in terms of the number of partner schools, participating AFS organisations and participants.see a growing number of partner organisation and schools.
So, we are looking for an Erasmus+ School Programmes Officer to build upon our success in the past year, working at a general and systemic level with partner AFS organisations throughout Europe and at a local level in French-speaking Belgium.
Main tasks:
The Erasmus+ School Programmes Officer will be responsible for:
- Coordination of the Mobilité pour tous consortium of soon to be 7 schools in Belgium as they work with AFS to implement learning mobility projects in classes, teacher and individual pupil mobility.
- Supporting schools to implement mobility projects in Belgium of individual pupils, teachers, including regular follow-up with teachers, headmasters, conducting selection and preparation of pupils, organising administrative aspects mobility linked to grant management, including and liaising with local volunteers and colleagues in other departments, etc.
- Grant management at national and European levels (budget and grant proposals, contact with funding authorities, grant reporting, follow-up on justifying documents);
- Supporting the development of Erasmus+ projects among EFIL’s member organisations (MOs), including through the coaching of MOs seeking to become accredited, facilitating and following-up decision of a European level working group on this topic, and exploring new ways AFS organisations can engage in inclusive mobility with Erasmus+.
- Continual development and improvement of tools and educational content to support the mobility projects (e.g. checklists, guides, templates, training sessions, etc.)
- Organising teacher training courses, including promoting, trainer recruitment, budgeting and relations with hosting organisations and/or venue.
- Internal and external communication and visibility (attendance to external in-person and online events, reports, newsletters, content for website and social media, etc.), with the support of communication departments.
Profile of the Candidate:
- At least 5 years of experience
- Fluent in both English and French (about B2/C1 in both languages), both spoken and written
- Proven project management experience, knowledge of Erasmus+ programmes is a plus
- Proven track record in training and facilitation in the education field, experience on the topics of intercultural learning and/or inclusion is a plus
- Experience in the school education sector, knowledge of the European educational sector and/or the French-speaking Belgian schools system is a plus
- A good understanding of the sector of volunteer-based, educational and youth-oriented non-profit organisations and/or intercultural exchanges is a plus
- Leadership and organisational skills including relevant experience with coordination of events and facilitating in-person and virtual volunteer teams.
- Strong communication and representation skills in an international and online-based setting, including ability to build relationships across a network.
- Comfortable use of ICT tools, especially in terms of online collaboration (e.g. GSuite), project management and effective use of social media
- Prepared to work in Brussels, travel regularly, including occasional week-end traveling. Must be legally eligible to work in Belgium.
Our offer
- Fixed-term contract (CDD) of 1 year (renewable).
- A young, stimulating and international working context
- Be part of two small teams (AFS Belgium and EFIL) where the distance between an idea and its realization is short (multi-employer contract)
- Benefits package (transportation reimbursement, meal tickets, extra holiday days, etc.)
- Suggested starting date: early August – earlier start would be possible and welcome
- Good coffee in the office
Applications
- Letter of motivation and curriculum vitae
- Submit documents online through the form on the AFS website.
Only complete applications submitted through the AFS website will be considered.
Application deadline: position open until filled – latest by 25 June 2023
Pre-selected applicants will be contacted and invited for an interview.
The European Federation for Intercultural Learning and AFS Programme Interculturels encourage all persons with the qualifications specified to apply for the position, without distinction in terms of sex, handicap, social or ethnic origin, religion, convction or sexual orientation. AFS recognizes different types of experience, professional and volunteer experience.