International Student Supports Specialist

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The internal posting deadline for this position is January 29, 2026 at 11:59PM.

This posting is for an existing vacancy

Job Description:

Primary Purpose

The International Student Supports Specialist is accountable to the Manager International Student Experience, for advising and providing direct, comprehensive, individualized support to international students, including students navigating complex issues and settlement needs. The role provides independent, professional case management, sets standards and protocols for international student support, and coordinates multi-stakeholder responses across student services, academic units, and community organizations; and proactively monitors global events to recommend appropriate student outreach. The Specialist is an advocate for international students and consults with key stakeholders across campus to determine opportunities for addressing international student challenges, identifying support, and streamlining processes. The Specialist exercises expert judgement in high-risk and ambiguous situations, including crises impacting individuals and populations of international students, and leads the development and execution of scalable institutional outreach and response plans.

The Specialist will be highly knowledgeable and up to date on best practices, literature and research related to international students, their experiences, challenges, and needs.

The Specialist will work closely with the Manager, International Student Experience, Immigration Consultants, international students including student groups, Student Service units, and Faculties.

Key Accountabilities

Case Management and Advising

· Lead and deliver comprehensive, professional case management services for international students and staff who support them, including high-risk and complex cases where there is no clear precedent or path forward, ensuring coordinated engagement of on- and off-campus support.

· Designs, implements, and continuously improves processes and procedures for international student support, ensuring consistency of practice across the International Experience Centre and relevant campus partners.

· Develops and maintains student support plans (including engagement of on campus resources and services), outlines goals, outcomes and ongoing progress. The support response is scalable and tailored to each student’s specific needs.

· Maintains confidential, accurate case records, documenting advice, actions, referrals and outcomes to support continuity and consistency of care.

· Assist students in understanding University policy and where policy has impact on student success.

· Support connections to the Immigration consultants where immigration policy may impact student status and student success

· Develops and maintain a directory of referral resources, services, and supports available to international students and their families are eligible for including regional, provincial, and federal supports

· Identifies and acts on opportunities to provide enhanced support to international students, that is informed by the student voice, data, and other metrics

· Uses current research and best practices to design intentional, proactive, and responsive supports that are in line with the needs of students and in collaboration with faculty/campus partners.

· Maintains current knowledge base about international populations including students who are new to Canadian culture, English language-learners, graduate international students and other international populations

· Serves as the primary administrator for the authorized leave process for international students, including assessing documentation, determining outcomes within policy parameters, in consultation with the Immigration Consulting team as required.

· Oversees standards for responses to the ISE inbox, including developing templates, training staff, and monitoring quality to ensure a consistent, student-centered and supportive voice in all written communication.

Program Administration

• Provides strategic leadership for the International Student Advisory Committee, including structure, membership, and annual workplan, ensuring alignment with departmental goals and international student priorities.

• Consults with international students and student groups through asking questions, listening to concerns and identifying gaps within the international student experience

• Translates ISAC feedback and recommendations into concrete proposals for program, and process changes, that can be applied to the International Student Experience teams work and more broadly as it relates to the experiences of international students, this can be shared internally and with external partners

• Hires, onboards and facilitates all administrative task related to the International Student Advisory Committee

• Provides leadership, coaching and mentorship to committee chairs and members. This includes setting clear and reasonable expectations, providing ongoing feedback and establishing a strong foundation for committee success.

• Supports the delivery and development of all international student experience programs as needed

Relationship Building and Collaboration

· Foster and maintain positive working relationships with Immigration Consultants, Academic Advisors, AccessAbility Services, Counselling Services, Campus Wellness, Student Awards and Financial Aid, Student Financial Services, Campus Housing, Safety Abroad, WUSA and GSA to identify, lead and/or support initiatives that support international student success

· Engages advisors, faculty, staff, students, and campus partners in meaningful conversations about factors that contribute to student success, retention, student engagement and development. This is accomplished through fostering an open and transparent dialogue and encouraging a highly collaborative and collegial relationship with all campus partners and stakeholders including students

· Responsible for the development, implementation and maintenance of communication resources that shares knowledge and updates on eligible international student supports, resources, and services with stakeholders, including but not limited to community supports, on-campus supports and other provincially and federally services that contributes to the success of international students

· Works collaboratively with the UWaterlooLife, Immigration Consulting, and International Student Experience team for the development of the monthly International Student Connection Newsletter

· Participates in and contributes to regular team, departmental and external meetings. It is essential that the Specialist practice diplomatic facilitation and sound judgement while working with stakeholders

· Works closely with other staff in the SSO to ensure a coordinated and integrated approach to international student supports

Settlement Support

· Provides individualized supports to international students, including international students with families and international students who are incoming and new to Canada through supporting an understanding of the local community and community supports, establishing credit, cost of living and childcare and supports for children, and other sources of information that supports a successful integration

· Supports the ISE Transition Coordinator with developing program content aimed at supporting the settlement of new international students through subject matter expertise on community supports and settlement needs of students.

· Identify, develop and maintain connections to community resources which international students are eligible for.

· Facilitates presentations and webinars to support the settlement needs of international students.

Crisis Management and Support

· Establish interdepartmental collaboration to effectively support international students in times of crisis, emergencies, conflicts, and other critical incidents in the home country of international students’

· Ensures on-going support to international students as they navigate crisis and scaling of support as appropriate

· Monitors government sources of information and other agency information on the development of world crisis and events that impact international students

· Identify, develop and execute processes, response plan and scalable outreach to respond to crisis that impacts populations of international students, may require collaborative work with campus partners

· Collaboratively work with the Manager, International Student Experience, the Communications team and other senior leaders to strategize, develop and execute communication plans that create awareness and communicate support, resources and services available to international students

Research and Evaluation

· Maintains a strong understanding of the international student experience at the University of Waterloo through review and interpretation of international student data

· Maintains current knowledge base about international populations including international populations who are new to Canadian culture, English language-learners, graduate international students and upper-year international students; and uses knowledge and best practice in these areas to provide support to students

· Maintains accurate, up-to-date high-level data on international student supports, ensuring that records, case information, and program participation data are systematically captured and accessible for analysis.

· Research, trends, issues, and best practices within international student supports, implementing new findings and supports

· Coordinate the collection of information for the purpose of data collection, ongoing improvement and providing recommendations for student support initiatives

· Reads and interprets data relevant to international student experience and international student supports and services to assess student needs, efficiency, relevancy, and for reporting purposes.

· Maintains deep knowledge about the unique needs of Waterloo international students particularly in the areas of sociocultural integration and barriers to student success

· Development, execution and revision of project plans, communication initiatives, reports, presentations and other project documents as requested.

· Supports the Manager, International Student Experience by conducting research, summarizing information, collecting reporting data and drafting reports relevant to the international student experience

Required Qualifications

Education

· University Bachelor’s degree required, preference given to candidates with a Bachelor of Social Work degree; Completion of a Masters degree or equivalent education and experience in a related field is an asset.

Experience

· 3+ years’ experience working in post-secondary student services or settlement service setting providing one-on-one support and case management for international students or newcomers

· Demonstrated experience leading complex case management, crisis response, or high-risk student support.

· Experience working in an intercultural setting, with sensitivity to culture, language and politics when supporting students navigating complex issues

· Direct experience providing functional or direct supervision to student leaders.

· Experience working as part of a team and independently

· Experience developing and delivering program content intended for facilitation, developing communication strategies and report writing within a post-secondary environment.

· Program/project management experience is an asset

· Demonstrated success in leading change efforts in a post-secondary setting.

· Demonstrated knowledge of barriers to student success (systemic, historic, issues of access) for international students.

· A record of and commitment to participating in ongoing learning and engagement in the areas of equity, diversity, inclusion, anti-racism, and accessibility. Demonstrated experience applying this learning to their work.

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities

· Superior interpersonal skills including the ability to use tact and diplomacy including whilst under pressure and during challenging, difficult and sensitive issues; maintain confidentiality and display diplomacy while interacting with students and a wide range of internal and external contacts

· Knowledge of trauma-informed approaches, strengths-based, and anti-oppressive practices in working with students who may be distressed, overwhelmed, or navigating complex personal circumstances.

· Working knowledge of Canadian immigration policies and regulations as they relate to international students (e.g., study permits, work authorization, authorized leave), including when to refer to the Immigration Consulting team.

· Proven ability to planning, organizational and time management skills and sound judgement to prioritize workload in a continuously changing environment.

· Able to cultivate strong and influential relationships across the university campus. The Specialist will be required to deliver outstanding supports to international students, demonstrating care and commitment to international student success.

· Strong communication skills, both written and oral for the preparation of reports and developing and facilitating presentations.

· Knowledge of university policy, rules and regulations, would be an asset.

· Proven ability to work on confidential and sensitive matters with tact and discretion

· Demonstrated initiative and strong skills in problem solving and decision making

· Highly knowledgeable and up to date on best practices, literature and research related to international students and their experiences at post-secondary institutions, familiarity with the unique needs of international students, nuances in international populations, challenges that affect their adjustment, integration, and barriers to success.

· Demonstrated ability to work effectively with diverse populations of students and intercultural sensitivity

· Proven ability to take initiative and be both creative and flexible.

· Intermediate skills in the following programs: MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and SharePoint

Equity Statement

The University of Waterloo acknowledges that much of our work takes place on the traditional territory of the Neutral, Anishinaabeg, and Haudenosaunee peoples. Our main campus is situated on the Haldimand Tract, the land granted to the Six Nations that includes six miles on each side of the Grand River. Our active work toward reconciliation takes place across our campuses through research, learning, teaching, and community building, and is coordinated within the Office of Indigenous Relations.

The University values the diverse and intersectional identities of its students, faculty, and staff. The University regards equity and diversity as an integral part of academic excellence and is committed to accessibility for all employees. The University of Waterloo seeks applicants who embrace our values of equity, anti-racism and inclusion. As such, we encourage applications from candidates who have been historically disadvantaged and marginalized, including applicants who identify as First Nations, Métis and/or Inuk (Inuit), Black, racialized, a person with a disability, women and/or 2SLGBTQ+.

Positions are open to qualified candidates who are legally entitled to work in Canada.

The University of Waterloo is committed to accessibility for persons with disabilities. If you have any application, interview, or workplace accommodation requests, please contact Human Resources at hrhelp@uwaterloo.ca or 519-888-4567, ext. 45935.