New! Oya No Kai is hiring an exchange coordinator!

New! Oya No Kai is hiring an exchange coordinator!

Oya No Kai is hiring an organized and enthusiastic individual to support our elementary and middle school outbound and inbound exchange programs. To apply, please send a cover letter and resume to info@oyanokai.org by Friday, Oct. 27. 

About the position:

Oya No Kai’s Exchange Program Coordinator reports to ONK’s Co-Presidents and works in collaboration with the Board of Directors, parent volunteers, contracted program staff, and school staff to support ONK’s incoming and outgoing cultural exchange programs for the elementary and middle school level. 

POSITION CLASSIFICATION: Part-time, 20 hours per week on average
REPORTS TO:  Oya No Kai Board of Directors
SALARY:  $25,000/year

PRINCIPAL JOB RESPONSIBILITIES:

OUTBOUND EXCHANGE PROGRAMS

  • Serve as the primary staff for the outbound cultural exchanges as the:
    • Primary planner and coordinator of the 5th Grade Cultural Exchange and parent committees (plan all meetings for 5th grade in conjunction with volunteers);
    • Liaison and general travel coordination support for 8th Grade teachers and hosting organizations in Japan for the 8th Grade Japan Research Residency (primarily planned by the teachers and students);
    • Assist with highschool exchanges as needed and as time allows (primarily planned by separate coordinators)
  • Identify, select, and supervise contracted coordinators and/or agents for trip planning, as needed;
  • Work with our partner schools in Japan to confirm availability and acceptance of the exchange;
  • Review and perform translation work for all official documents/communication, itinerary planning, and host family/student profiles and matching;
  • Plan the itineraries for all trips, including coordination with Japanese hosts and travel agencies; 
  • Review and update host family manual for Japanese host families (in Japanese); 
  • Lead the trip directors, volunteers  and committees in a review and evaluation of each outbound trip;

Note that the amount and type of work for the trips is variable from year to year depending on the needs of the class, trip committees, teachers, and hosts in Japan.

INBOUND EXCHANGE PROGRAMS

  • Serve as the primary contact with visiting schools, local schools and administration, and host families, including needed translation of documents and communications, as needed;
  • Arrange and coordinate trip itineraries as needed from our partner schools;
  • Recruit, select, and arrange for host families for visiting groups, and assist trip directors and chaperones, as needed;
  • Work with the Hospitality Committee to coordinate the school visits during their stay including formal welcome and farewell ceremonies, omiyage, group activities, and school visitations;
  • Ensure the well-being of all Japanese participants and make sure they feel welcome, and be available for questions and emergencies, as needed;

GENERAL DUTIES

  • Facilitate communications with our partner organizations and schools in Japan;
  • Report monthly to the ONK Co-Presidents and Board;
  • Keep weekly record of hours worked;
  • Maintain accurate and up-to-date documents and records for programs;

ESSENTIAL JOB REQUIREMENTS

  • Fluent in written and spoken English and Japanese;
  • Must pass Portland Public Schools volunteer criminal background check;
  • Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel) and Google Documents;
  • Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously; 
  • The ability to deal with high-pressure situations in a positive, calm and professional manner;
  • Strong oral and written communication skills; and
  • Excellent planning and organizational abilities;

GENERAL JOB CONDITIONS 

The Cultural Exchange Coordinator spends a portion of their time on external appointments with community and educational partners, as well as at ONK activities and other community events/meetings. This is an exempt position that often requires work outside of the standard 40-hour work week, including extended hours, evenings and weekends. This position requires extensive office work including creating and maintaining paper and computer files and communicating using email and telephone.  

Work will be performed primarily at home, as well as at the PPS Japanese Dual Language Immersion Program schools—Richmond Elementary and Mt Tabor Middle in addition to other meeting locations for ONK Board meetings, training sessions and cultural events.  

BENEFITS

  • A laptop computer for business use.;
  • Reimbursement of business mileage for your use of your personal vehicle at the standard IRS rate;
  • Free attendance at the Oya No Kai annual fundraising event;
  • 5 days of formal paid vacation, scheduled by mutual agreement and appropriately timed to avoid critical periods in your job duties, which may not be carried over from year to year;
  • 10 paid holidays as observed by Portland Public Schools (H, HC, or X on the PPS calendar);
  • Up to 20 hours paid sick time per year.