Position Overview:
The Foundation for International Education (FIE) is a leading organisation specialising in providing immersive study abroad programs for undergraduate students from the United States. With operations in cities such as London, Dublin, Madrid, Barcelona, and Amman, FIE collaborates closely with universities and colleges to offer students transformative international and cultural experiences. The organisation is currently hiring for a full-time, temporary position focused on leading the Experiential Education Team based in London. This role is integral to FIE’s mission, helping students to secure impactful internship and service internship placements across Greater London.
As the Manager of the Experiential Education Team, you will oversee and coordinate internship placements, ensuring students gain meaningful professional experiences while adapting successfully to an international work environment. This includes building and maintaining relationships with placement providers, conducting regular site visits, and guiding students to align their career and academic goals with real-world opportunities. This position is ideal for someone with a background in international education, career services, or experiential learning environments, coupled with leadership experience and strong organisational skills.
Why This Job is Unique (International Education Perspective):
This role is more than just a management position-it’s a chance to influence the international learning journeys of future global leaders. By facilitating internships for students in an international environment, you’ll be playing an essential role in bridging cultures, industries, and academic frameworks. The job offers the opportunity to network with organisations across diverse sectors in London and work closely with motivated young people who are developing their career paths. It also requires a nuanced understanding of both US and UK higher education systems, which is essential for guiding students’ cross-cultural professional experiences effectively.
If you’re passionate about global education, networking, and helping students thrive in new environments, this position offers an excellent platform to apply those skills.
Advice for Applicants (from an International Education Perspective):
1. Tailor Your Application to Reflect International Education Expertise:
In your cover letter, explicitly connect your educational or professional background to international education and experiential learning. Highlight any experience you have working with diverse student populations, facilitating internships, or interacting with higher education frameworks in either the UK, US, or abroad. Draw attention to specific examples where your actions positively impacted student outcomes or built meaningful professional relationships with organisations.
2. Showcase Your Cultural Adaptability and Leadership Skills:
Since this is a student-facing role in a multicultural environment, emphasise your cultural sensitivity and ability to support students transitioning into a new or foreign professional setting. If you’ve managed teams or led projects in high-pressure environments, provide metrics or concrete examples of how you achieved success. Leadership, confidence, and resilience are critical traits for this position.
3. Demonstrate Strong Networking Capabilities and Sector Understanding:
The role involves liaising with various organisations to arrange professional placements for students. Highlight your approach to networking, specifically in diverse sectors, and how you’ve successfully built and sustained partnerships. If possible, mention industries in which you have contacts or experience, especially those prevalent in London (e.g., finance, technology, media, nonprofits).
4. Address the Job-Specific Questions in the Cover Letter Thoughtfully:
– Consider where you found the job advertisement and why it resonates with you.
– Be clear about the skills you bring, such as experience with cross-cultural communication or guiding students in a professional setting.
– When asked to describe how you’d present the benefits of hosting an intern to a London-based company, use specific examples and demonstrate enthusiasm for student-professional partnerships. Practise empathy-show that you can balance the needs of both the company and the student.
5. Highlight Organisational and Administrative Prowess:
FIE values high attention to detail and multitasking capabilities, so point out examples of complex projects you’ve coordinated or streamlined administrative systems you’ve designed. Reference your IT skills as well, especially if you’ve used database management or workflow tools such as spreadsheets, scheduling apps, or CRMs.
6. Prepare for In-Person Interviews Thoughtfully:
Ensure you can travel to South Kensington, London, for the beginning of July. In your interview, prepare to discuss how you would handle specific challenges, such as students struggling to adapt in a professional setting, competing priorities in a fast-paced work environment, or the logistical challenges of securing placement sites for a diverse range of students.
Application Details:
To apply, email the following to hr@fie.org.uk:
- Your CV
- A tailored covering letter (highlighting your interest in the role, skills/experience, how you’d present the benefits of an internship to a London-based company)
- The contact details of two referees
Note: Applications without a cover letter will not be considered. Ensure your cover letter directly addresses the questions asked in the job description.
Deadline for submissions: 27th June 2025 at 9 am.
Start Date: No later than 1st September 2025.
If you’re excited about working in international education, have the qualifications to lead a dynamic team, and can navigate both student and organisational expectations, this opportunity with FIE may be the perfect fit for your career aspirations