As an ever-growing and evolving organization, new opportunities for the New Dawn as a whole, and for particular divisions within the organization, emerge regularly.
The Team Lead will both work to increase the retention of international students studying at and graduating from Cape Breton University, and oversee the international student settlement and retention team, with support from the Manager of the Cape Breton Island Centre for Immigration.
The work of the Team Lead will be accomplished through a combination of events for students, graduates, and other newcomers, day-to-day settlement with students and graduates, and helping to shape the agenda of the international student retention team to ensure responsiveness and relevance to new and returning students, and graduates as they settle into their new communities.
The Team Lead will report to the Manager of the Cape Breton Island Centre for Immigration and will work with Island businesses, Cape Breton University, Island Municipalities and First Nations, and Island development agencies (RENs, Cape Breton Partnership, Sydney and Area Chamber of Commerce, etc.)
Duties:
Team Lead
- Understand, execute, and update as needed project objectives and deliverables
- Develop annual calendar of events and programming, align events and programming with academic calendar year and student/graduate programming feedback and requests
- Oversee and assign project tasks and deliverables to CBICI’s two international student retention facilitators, and work as a team to reflect and improve on project outcomes.
Develop programming to increase international student retention
- Design and deliver programming throughout the year including, but not limited to: Island tours, fall multi-cultural festival, and community/employment readiness workshops.
- Ensure that this programming is professional, responsive, and designed to meet the needs of international students
- Engage Island partners in the design and execution of programming (Island municipalities, CBU and NSCC, development agencies, etc.)
- Gather feedback from partners and participants after events to improve the quality and relevance of events in subsequent years
Student/Graduate Employment/Business/Settlement Support
- Provide ongoing support on an individual basis to international students and graduates
- Connect students and graduates to other community services and resources and employment and business opportunities
- Assist students and graduates (and their families) in navigating and settling on the Island
Surveys/Research/Tracking
- Design and deliver annual surveys to international students and graduates at CBU to discover: intentions to stay, sectors of study and interest, family connections/interest, investment opportunities, factors in decision to settle, immediate, medium- and short term needs, etc.
- Create report from annual survey data to inform programming structure and content
- Design survey for past participants to gauge impact on programming on ability to settle on the Island: where they have decided to settle why, where they are working, why they left (if this is the case), etc.
Communications/Advertising
- Working with New Dawn’s Marketing and Communications services, design and execute a strategy for the retention initiative to include traditional media, social media and earned media
- Development relationships at Cape Breton University and NSCC to enable the efficient and ongoing connection with target audiences
- Design promotional materials for day-to-day services and special events and programming
- Design and execute the creation and maintenance of initiative website (website to serve as Island navigational tool for international students and graduates; based in part on feedback from surveys)
Business/Agency Relations and Integration
- Engage Island development agencies in planning and executing retention work (CBU, NSCC, ICEAP, Cape Breton Partnership, Sydney and Area Chamber of Commerce, RENs, municipalities)
- Connect international students to the programs, events, and offerings of these agencies
- Act as hub/connector/resource person between international students and these agencies
- Work closely with select agencies on the design and delivery of Island tours, employment workshops, and surveys
As needed
- Other duties and responsibilities as assigned.
Core Competencies
- Communication
- Responsibility
- Trustworthiness & Ethics
- Results orientation
- Organization
- Teamwork
Required Skills
- Self-motivated and able to work semi-independently
- Able to plan within and report on project budget
- Well-developed interpersonal and communications (oral and written) skills
- Experience and/or comfort with community engagement and conversation
- Highly organized, able to plan and execute multiple projects simultaneously
- Experience with students and/or newcomers and/or international students
Assets
- Post-secondary degree/diploma and or experience
- Outreach/engagement experience
- Settlement/navigation experience
- Business degree/experience
Work Conditions
- Long periods of sitting/concentrating
- Maybe be required, from time-to-time to assist with event set-up (moderate lifting/moving)
- Willingness to work evenings and weekends as needed
- Willingness to travel as needed
About New Dawn Enterprises
New Dawn Enterprises Limited is the oldest Community Development Corporation in Canada. New Dawn is a private, volunteer-directed social enterprise dedicated to community building. It seeks to identify community needs and to establish and operate ventures that speak to those needs. Its mission is to engage the community to create and support a culture of self-reliance. Its vision is a self-reliant people living in a vibrant community. New Dawn articulates this mission through a number of businesses, organizations, and partnerships.
Among its businesses and activities are New Dawn Health Care, New Dawn Rental Properties, Eltuek Arts Centre, Better Bite Cafe and Catering, New Dawn Community Engagement and Education, New Dawn Meals on Wheels, the Cape Breton Island Centre for Immigration, and the New Dawn Centre.
New Dawn Enterprises Compensation Package
New Dawn Enterprises believes in supporting the well-being of its employees and, in service of this, has created the following total compensation package for permanent employees of New Dawn Enterprises.
Canada Life Group Benefits: After three months of employment, New Dawn offers its employees shared-cost group benefits provided by Canada Life including medical, dental, and life insurance benefits. Employees may choose to be enrolled in the plan and may select Single or Family coverage as required.
Self-Directed Registered Retirement Savings Plan: Employees may choose to begin participation in the Self-Directed RRSP plan after completion of three (3) months of employment. Each employee may contribute up to 5% of their gross salary, deducted from their pay cheque. This is matched by the employer to a maximum of five percent (5%).
Flexible Working Arrangements: New Dawn is committed to recruiting and retaining qualified employees and maximizing employee productivity and effectiveness while also being sensitive to the needs of employees for work/life balance. Well-managed flexible work arrangements can help to meet both of these objectives.
Examples of Flexible Work Arrangements:
- A compressed work week which permits employees to work regular, full-time working hours in less than five (5) days per week.
- Varying shifts, quitting times, lunch periods, and daily working hours provided a specific number of hours are worked each week.
Professional Development: New Dawn acknowledges and is committed to the ongoing professional development and lifelong learning aspirations of its staff. The acquisition of new position-relevant skills and perspectives by employees creates a stronger, more informed, and modern organization. Employees are encouraged to outline education and/or professional development opportunities in the upcoming calendar year as part of their annual check-in and work plan creation.
Paid Holidays: New Dawn observes twelve (12) public holidays and other days for which staff will be paid. They are: New year’s Day, Family Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Victoria Day, Canada Day, Civic Holiday, Labour Day, Thanksgiving Day, Remembrance Day, Christmas Day, Boxing Day
In the spirit of family, the President reserves the right to close the office between Christmas and New Year’s to enable employees to spend time with their families. This option will be reviewed, and a decision made annually depending on operational requirements.
Paid Vacation: All new employees entering the organization as a salaried employee will earn 15 days of vacation during the annum and these days can be taken as earned. For each subsequent year of service, employees will earn an additional one day of vacation per calendar year. The maximum vacation entitlement for any one employee is thirty (30) days per calendar year.
Paid Personal Day: In addition to paid vacation and sick days, each employee is entitled to one (1) paid personal day per calendar year.
Paid Volunteer Day: New Dawn’s Volunteer Time Off (VTO) policy is designed to encourage individuals and work teams to participate in volunteer projects that support community needs. Full-time employees can volunteer during work hours up to one day (or 7 hours) per calendar year using the VTO policy.
Paid Sick Time: Employees will be entitled to seven (7) days of sick leave at the beginning of each calendar year. Sick time can be carried forward to a maximum of fifteen (15) days total. Sick leave will not be paid out upon resignation, retirement, or termination of employment for any reason. Sick leave can be used for illness, medical appointments, and visits to specialists for the employee or their family members.
Years of Service: The purpose of the Years of Service Recognition Program is to recognize and reward the service of New Dawn employees at milestones in their careers. All permanent full-and-part-time New Dawn employees will be eligible to receive the Years of Service award.
STAR Program: New Dawn is proud to recognize and reward the excellent work and achievements of its employees. Managers at New Dawn will be given an annual budget to provide ongoing and immediate recognition to their direct reports throughout the year.
Employee and Family Assistance Plan (EAP): The Employee and Family Assistance Program (EAP) is a free support system that employees and their families can turn to for confidential help with stress, anxiety and depression, family and relationship issues, addictions, legal and financial difficulties, health and nutrition concerns and workplace and career difficulties. The program is confidential and optional and is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.