Assistant Director for Faculty

Assistant Director for Faculty and Employees

Department: University Life

Classification: Professional Faculty

Job Category: Administrative or Professional Faculty

Job Type: Full-Time

Work Schedule: Full-time (1.0 FTE, 40 hrs/wk)

Location: Fairfax, VA

Workplace Type: Hybrid Eligible

Sponsorship Eligibility: Not eligible for visa sponsorship

Salary: Salary range starting in the upper $60k's; commensurate with education and experience

Criminal Background Check: Yes

About the Department:

The Office of International Programs and Services strives to encourage global awareness by promoting the integration of international students, researchers, and faculty into the campus community. The office provides guidance to students and scholars studying and working at George Mason University in immigration and employment, assists with adjustment issues, and fosters cross-cultural understanding through programs highlighting global themes.

About the Position:

The Assistant Director for Faculty and Employees provides leadership and guidance to hiring managers, Deans and Department Chairs, faculty members, and exchange visitor scholars on federal regulations governing non-immigrant employment visas for employees hired by George Mason University. The Assistant Director is instrumental in university compliance responsibilities for H-1B and other categories of non-immigrant work visas and is the primary contact with the U.S. Department of Labor and U.S. Department of Homeland Security for George Mason University in providing sponsorship to faculty who need visa support.

The position provides back-up support for J-1 Scholar advising and helps manage the F-1 STEM OPT processing.

The Assistant Director participates in orientation planning and implementation, as well as OIPS partnerships with University Counsel and Outside Counsel appointed by the Commonwealth of Virginia Attorney General in matters concerning international employee and exchange visitors' employment and immigration status maintenance.

Responsibilities:

• Provides guidance and consultation to leadership, academic units, administrators and staff on matters related to employment-based visas (H
  -1B, E-3, O, and TN) and files such petitions with federal government agencies on behalf of George Mason University;
• Performs key management functions for H-1B, E3, O, TN, and Employment-Based (EB) Legal Permanent Residency (LPR) matters;
• Demonstrates case management knowledge framework to effectively care for GMU non-immigrant employees and ensure that George Mason University is compliant with respect to employees' non-immigration records sponsored by the university;
• Plans and oversees H-1B check-ins and onboarding of non-immigration faculty members;
• Provides guidance to leadership, administrators, and academic units on hiring practices and procedures related to the sponsorship of non-immigrant employees for employment-based immigration benefits and employment-based Legal Permanent Residency (EB LPR);
• Creates and provides training sessions on employment-based immigration issues for administrators, staff, faculty, and students as needed;
• Verifies and signs ETA 9089 Applications for PERM Labor Certifications for the U.S. Department of Labor and completes and signs various government Forms I-140, G-28 and I-485-J for EB LPR matters on behalf of George Mason University;
• Initiates budget approval paperwork for EB LPR matters, collaborates with the Office of University Counsel regarding Requests for Engagements for EB LPR matters, and informs the sponsoring units and the outside immigration attorneys regarding opened matters and approved budget;
• Serves as signatory for e-billing for EB LPR matters and the payment cycle for invoices associated with EB LPR sponsored by George Mason University;
• Approves invoices, sends fully approved invoices to the sponsoring units, tracks the timely payments, and informs the Office of University Counsel regarding matters to be closed;
• Interfaces with key stakeholders within and outside the university to support employees' legal status and university compliance, including consultation with faculty and administrative staff on issues related to the university's sponsorship of non-immigrant researchers and faculty and consultation with the university's outside immigration counsel when necessary;
• Plans and implements workshops with attorneys for non-immigrant students, faculty, and university administrators;
• Engages in communication with federal agencies such as the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), the Department of State, Department of Labor, Customs and Border Patrol (CBP), Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP), and others as appropriate and necessary;
• Serves as J-1 Responsible Officer in the absence of the Associate Director and as Designated School Official;
• Issues DS-2019 Forms and I-20 Forms and oversees I- 983 Training Plans in conjunction with the International Advisor for employment;
• Coordinates with current F-1 Advising Team on casework and departmental…