New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) seeks to appoint a Community Outreach Specialist, reporting to the Head of Community Outreach.
The Community Outreach Specialist plays an essential role in creating pathways for students to engage ‘in and of Abu Dhabi’. They build mutually beneficial community partnerships and co-create volunteer, service, and educational opportunities that help students engage deeply with the eclectic people of the UAE, and shape students’ understanding of how they will shape and contribute to the communities they will be a part of in the future.
Through a variety of hands-on service experiences, students will contribute to communities, practice critical thinking and problem solving skills, enhance their knowledge of the UAE’s culture, history, and traditions, and deepen the development of their own cultural awareness and competence. The Community Outreach Specialist assumes significant responsibility for developing, implementing, and refining programming to this end. They mobilize and support student staff to amplify and build additional capacity. In line with departmental, divisional, and institutional objectives, they work to support every student to engage in a service capacity with the UAE.
Key responsibilities include but are not limited to:
Program Development & Implementation
Collaboratively design and implement innovative programs for students to engage with, and contribute meaningfully to, communities in Abu Dhabi, the UAE, contextualizing this within a global context
In collaboration with NYUAD faculty and local organizations, lead on further developing at least two pillars of Community Outreach’s portfolio, identifying and creating opportunities (i.e. experiences, training) for students to deepen their understanding of social impact issues relevant to the UAE context, ensuring they engage in opportunities to contribute to these challenges through service
Manage all aspects of designated volunteer and service programs including partner relations, volunteer recruitment, training, and logistic and administrative support
Provide administrative support and oversight for Community Outreach events and programs, including booking space, catering orders, marketing and promotion, transportation, and coordinating with the NYUAD Special Events team as well as external vendors
Support the development of learning outcomes for outreach programs and initiatives, implementing both quantitative and qualitative assessment for program enhancement, and developing protocols, manuals and training materials as needed
Work to ensure that processes and policies related to student community engagement are supportive of and compliant with NYUAD guidelines and UAE regulations
Analyze, recommend, and implement improvements to programming to benefit student personal development and community impact
Student Capacity Building
Support student volunteers throughout the learning cycle of their experience, including project briefings, trainings, reflection sessions, and project feedback. Ensure regular touch points with volunteers to continuously support problem solving skills and personal development
Support the growth, leadership, and professional development of Sufara’a, the group of student assistants in Community Outreach that assist with ongoing programs
Stakeholder Relations
Cultivate relationships with diverse external stakeholders to promote NYUAD students and programs and scale up volunteer, cultural exchange, and leadership development opportunities for students
Identify and build new relations with local, regional and international cultural organizations, (museums, galleries, foundations, think tanks, universities, etc.) dedicated to safeguarding and promoting the UAE’s tangible and intangible cultural heritage, sustainability, youth development and education, migrant communities, and inclusion
Nurture constructive relationships with faculty and Student Affairs staff, working collaboratively to develop and implement targeted community engagement in line with NYUAD’s academic mission
In collaboration with Student Affair colleagues, create guidelines for student interest groups (SIGs) and student groups that prepare them to work with the external community. Deliver training or workshops focused on educating SIGs leaders and students about working with external partners, and regularly advise SIG leaders working in social impact and cultural heritage spaces
Communications
Work closely with the Assistant Director to develop stories that communicate the NYUAD Community Outreach story to both internal and external audiences
Continuously strengthen the NYUAD brand in stakeholder communities by sharing student engagement and community impact outcomes in targeted ways
Support @nyuadoutreach social media management: plan monthly content, review ideas and drafts and compile annual analytics reports
Assist with the content delivery and copy editing of university-wide marketing collateral for hallmark Community Outreach programs
Required Education:
Bachelor’s Degree
Preferred Education:
Master’s degree in higher education, international development, social work, cultural heritage, or related field
Required Experience:
Minimum 2 years’ experience in higher education, community development or related field
Proven track record in working with community entities, building new partnerships and managing multiple collaborators, particularly within the UAE context
Excellent organization, presentation, written communication, and interpersonal skills
Awareness of and interest in UAE cultural landscape and heritage
Ability and willingness to work evenings and weekends, particularly during the academic year
Arabic language skills
Preferred Experience:
Experience working with diverse populations, including familiarity working with international youth
Experience in advising youth, with high regard for experience developing experiential education, leadership and other relevant programming for students
Other Information
About NYUAD
NYU Abu Dhabi is a degree-granting research university with a fully integrated liberal arts and science undergraduate program in the Arts, Sciences, Social Sciences, Humanities, and Engineering. NYU Abu Dhabi, NYU New York, and NYU Shanghai, form the backbone of NYU’s global network university, an interconnected network of portal campuses and academic centers across six continents that enable seamless international mobility of students and faculty in their pursuit of academic and scholarly activity. This global university represents a transformative shift in higher education, one in which the intellectual and creative endeavors of academia are shaped and examined through an international and multicultural perspective. As a major intellectual hub at the crossroads of the Arab world, NYUAD serves as a center for scholarly thought, advanced research, knowledge creation, and sharing, through its academic, research, and creative activities.
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