Academic Director, Florence

**Position: Academic Director**

**Details: 100% FTE | Onsite/In-Person **_(Must be authorized to work in country)_

**Location: Florence, Italy**

Verto is on a mission to provide the best possible start to college. We start by making travel and experiential education an affordable and accessible pathway to a 4-year college degree. Our participants begin college abroad in one of our Verto locations, before transferring to one of 70+ partner universities. While completing one or more experiences with Verto, participants become more mature, empathetic global citizens who have a greater sense of purpose and direction for their lives.

At Verto, we founded a new model. In partnership with our non-profit arm, The Verto Fund, we're driving costs down and providing generous discounts, grants, and scholarships, especially to participants of low-income backgrounds. We're creating a space for participants to thrive in the most diverse coming-of-age semester abroad out there while permitting a chance for discovery into who they are before deciding on a college major. We're out to build a transformational company that makes higher education more equitable, accessible, and impactful. We are backed by First Round Capital and other top VCs.

The Onsite Academic Director is the senior academic leader onsite. The Academic Director manages the coordination, planning, and delivery of all components of educational programming onsite. This position ensures that programming and faculty are in compliance with Verto's Academic Provider(s) and provides oversight of relevant academic protocols, policies and practices. The Onsite Academic Director ensures that standards of academic excellence for teaching and learning are met. This position provides day-to-day academic leadership, and ensures that the learning environment is a rigorous, engaging, and supportive one that fosters student academic success.

The Onsite Academic Director is responsible for creating and maintaining a positive and transformative learning environment in partnership with key stakeholders across the organization. This is an active role in managing the day-to-day teaching and learning experiences for all stakeholders. Faculty and Academic Staff report to the Academic Director onsite. The position may also include teaching during low-enrollment semesters as deemed appropriate.

The Onsite Academic Director has a dual-reporting line, with primary reporting to the local Program Director for day-to-day academic program management, budgeting, and implementation of academic affairs onsite. The secondary reporting line is to the Office of the Vice President of Academic Affairs in Verto Headquarters, reporting to the VPAA or Director of Academic Affairs, and collaborates closely with the entire Academic Affairs Headquarters team on all matters related to strategic planning and academic development, course planning, academic operations, faculty affairs, and participant academic success and advising.

**ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES**

**_ Academic Leadership:_** This position is responsible for day-to-day management of the faculty, academic staff, academic programming and curriculum, local academic partnerships, and supporting global leadership to implement a strong academic program onsite.
- _Curriculum_: Ensure excellence in the delivery of the curriculum and day-to-day operations of the academic program, in compliance with the policies and practices of Verto's Academic Provider and in accordance with best practices established for postsecondary education and the study abroad industry.
- _Programming & Partnerships_: Strategize on the design and delivery of key components of academic programming, including courses, experiential learning, academic excursions, co-curricular activities, and academic success initiatives, etc. Develop and manage local partnerships with academic institutions, associations, and professionals as appropriate for curricular and programmatic development.
- _Faculty_: Manage the process of faculty recruiting, credentialing, hiring, and training, in compliance with relevant policies and procedures established by the Academic Provider and Verto.
- _Evaluation_: Monitor onsite teaching and learning, faculty and student academic performance, and evaluate faculty regularly, following established protocols from AAHQ and the Academic Provider.
- _Training_: Support ongoing faculty training and professional development to maximize effectiveness and innovate pedagogical good practices for experiential learning. Lead initiatives around faculty engagement and retention in partnership with AAHQ.
- _Grievances_: Provide leadership and participate in the processes to address, make recommendations, and communicate with AAHQ regarding faculty or participant academic complaints, grievances, and appeals in coordination with AAHQ and in compliance with policies and practices established by Verto and the Academic Provider.
- _Global Leadership_: Participate in global