CHIEF SAFETY OFFICER and HOUSING COORDINATOR
Virginia Commonwealth University-School of the Arts in Qatar
Doha, Qatar
This position offers a competitive salary, plus a 30% overseas stipend, coupled with housing, car allowance, family travel, and K-12 local school tuition for up to four family members. The position is available January 2007 or as soon thereafter as possible.
VCU School of the Arts in Qatar (www.qatar.vcu.edu), the leading design school in the Middle East, is a four-year campus of Virginia Commonwealth University. Located in Doha, the capital city of Qatar, VCUQatar is affiliated with the Qatar Foundation for Education, Science, and Community Development (www.qf.edu.qa). VCU School of the Arts in Richmond, Virginia, is ranked as the leading art and design program among all public universities in the US and maintains identical standards for VCUQ. Established in 1998, VCUQ offers professional BFA degrees in Fashion Design, Graphic Design, and Interior Design for students from the Gulf region and other countries. Plans are under way for a BA in Art History/Museum Studies and MFA programs in Design, Interior Design, and Visual Communication. The School is fully accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art & Design, The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, and the Council for Interior Design Accreditation. The School has substantial involvement with the emerging design industries in Qatar and is a significant catalyst for that growth.
VCUQ benefits from a funding situation that allows it to be driven by innovative programmatic needs rather than typical fiscal constraints. Externally funded research contracts are expanding with the rapid development of Qatar, now among the wealthiest countries in the world based upon per capita GDP. The School is commencing a $1.7 million contract for the design of Qatar military uniforms. With an annual budget of $20 million, VCUQ's full-time faculty and administrative staff of 75 (50% female), instruct an undergraduate student body of 180. With the offering of new graduate and undergraduate programs the enrollment is expected to grow to approximately 300 over the next five years. The School maintains an enviable student/faculty ratio of 5:1 with enrollment of 10-12 in most classes. Transition to coeducation will take place in 2007. Housed in an 82,000 square foot state-of-the-art-facility, the School has a 42,000 square foot addition in development with ground-breaking anticipated in 2006-07. VCUQ was the first campus established in Education City, a unique 2,500 acre campus community on the outskirts of Doha with facilities designed by leading architects for US universities. VCUQ since has been joined by other US institutions including
* Carnegie-Mellon University (Business & Computer Science),
* Cornell University's Weill School of Medicine,
* Georgetown University (School of Foreign Service), and
* Texas A & M University (Engineering).
Qatar, where English is the standard second language, is perhaps the most liberal, hospitable and progressive of the Arabian Gulf countries. The population of Qatar is 900,000--150,000 Qatari, 4,000 US citizens, the remainder ex-patriates. Doha, with a population of 350,000, has all the conveniences generally found in a modern city, but it also maintains a traditional Arab flavor, evident in the old markets and the city's Islamic Arab architecture. The US Embassy considers Qatar among the safest countries in the world for Americans.
Responsibilities as Chief Safety Officer include:
ø primary planning responsibility for the VCUQ emergency evacuation plan;
ø chairing the security task force;
ø ensuring the safety of faculty and staff in both the VCUQ facility and their accommodations;
ø integration of security planning with VCUQ technology and facilities management; and
ø coordination of security with QF security planning.
Responsibilities as Housing Coordinator include:
ø providing the highest level of service to faculty, students, administrators and the school's various constituencies;
ø seeking housing options, including the negotiation of real estate leases, for approximately 75 faculty and staff expatriates;
ø ensuring the continued maintenance of the VCUQ leased accommodations;
ø ensuring the readiness of accommodations for various visitors;
ø trouble shooting problems with housing for faculty and staff;
ø working closely with the Qatar Foundation Accommodations manager and staff;
ø working closely with VCUQ administration, faculty and staff; and
ø other responsibilities as assigned.
Qualifications include:
ø a bachelor's degree in a relevant field; master's desirable; or equivalent training and work experience.
ø a record of accomplishment in administration, preferably in an institution of higher education;
ø at least three years experience in housing and/or facilities management;
ø significant experience in organizational security and safety operations and planning;
ø a working knowledge of laws, regulations, mandates, and current issues in housing and safety;
ø excellent analytical, managerial, communication, and interpersonal skills;
ø the ability to work effectively with a diverse group of administrators, faculty, staff, and students; and
ø the ability to work independently while organizing and prioritizing to meet deadlines.
Candidate materials will be reviewed upon receipt and continue until the position is filled. Confidential inquiries are invited. Nominations and applications, all of which will be held in total confidence, may be submitted to
John Kuhnle, Managing Director
Elizabeth Dycus, Senior Associate
Kate McGaughey, Project Coordinator
Korn/Ferry International
802/765-4543
VCUQsafetyhousing@kornferry.com
Virginia Commonwealth University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. Women, minorities, and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply.
