Assistant Director

About Occidental College

Founded in 1887, Occidental is a nationally recognized, private college of the liberal arts and sciences, dedicated to providing a gifted and diverse group of students with a total educational experience of the highest quality -- one that prepares them for leadership in an increasingly complex, interdependent and pluralistic world.

What makes Occidental special? An intellectually rigorous academic environment. Small classroom settings where students collaborate with professors and their peers while pursuing or discovering their passion. A beautiful residential campus that offers students hands-on engagement with the cultural and intellectual resources of Los Angeles. A community open to stimulating conversation and divergent points of view. Some 2,100 students from 46 states and 28 countries choose from 41 majors and minors and participate in one the country’s top undergraduate research programs. Oxy students routinely win top awards and fellowships; its first Rhodes Scholar was named in 1907. Dedicated to excellence and equity, Occidental also is one of the country’s most economically diverse campuses, according to the New York Times. Some 71 percent of Oxy students receive some form of financial aid; 20 percent are Pell Grant recipients; and 19 percent are the first in their family to attend college

Assistant Director

Kahane United Nations Program

POSITION SUMMARY

Occidental College’s Diplomacy & World Affairs Department (DWA) invites applications for the part-time position of Assistant Director of its prestigious Kahane United Nations Program, a one-of-a-kind residential program in New York that has been in existence since 1986. Each fall semester, an average of 16 students participate in the program, which includes a full-time internship with a UN mission, agency, or non-governmental organization that supports UN-related work and two advanced courses related to the work of international organizations.

SUMMARY OF DUTIES, RESPONSIBILITIES AND GOALS

The primary responsibilities of the Assistant Director, working with the Director of the Program, and in consultation with the Kahane Advisory Committee, include:

• Participate in the selection of the fall cohort, which occurs during the spring semester;
• Co-develop and participate in an on-site orientation program at the start of each fall semester;
• Teach and assess an upper division academic course developed in consultation with the DWA Department (approximately 2 hours per week of lecture/direct instruction) and mentor participants;
• Support the mapping and development of internship opportunities, procuring positions for entering students, and assessing student internship performance;
• Participate in and support program-related events throughout the fall semester;
• Provide “emergency” support to students;
• Serve on the Kahane UN Program Advisory Committee; and
• Participate in the planning of on-campus “UN Week” events held in the spring semester.

QUALIFICATIONS

Expected qualifications for candidates include:

• An advanced degree in a field related to international affairs, Ph.D. degree preferable;
• Professional experience with the United Nations or related institutions. Knowledge of a broad range of activities/arms of the UN and NGOs that engage with the UN. Preference given to those whose knowledge and experience crosses borders between the cultural, economic, political, and social domains in which the UN works;
• Experience working with interns in and around the UN system;
• A demonstrated record of excellence in teaching and mentoring of undergraduate students;
• Strong communication, organization, and problem-solving skills; and
• Experience and success in working collaboratively with diverse colleagues and students.

SALARY RANGE

EXPECTED SALARY RANGE (Nine-month appointment): $33,300 to $34,500.

Note: The position will pay 75% of total salary during the Fall semester (August 16, 2026 to December 15, 2026) and 25% of total salary during the Spring semester (January 16, 2027 to May 15, 2027).

If you are offered this position at Occidental College, your final base salary compensation will be determined based on factors such as skills, education, experience, and/or geographic location. In addition to those factors, Occidental complies with applicable pay equity laws and considers internal equity among current employees when developing the final offer. Please keep in mind that the range mentioned above is the base salary range for the role. Hiring at the maximum of the range would not be typical in order to allow for future and continued salary growth.

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS

An application should include the following:

• A cover letter specifically addressing qualifications as relates to the criteria listed above;
• A curriculum vitae;
• At least one available course evaluation;
• A list of three references with relevant contact information.
• If you advance to the finalist phase, we will contact your references via Interfolio for letters of recommendation. Please do not submit these letters with your initial application.

Please direct all questions about the position to Priscilla Falter at falter@oxy.edu.

Please submit your application materials via Interfolio: https://apply.interfolio.com/184731

To be assured full consideration, your application materials must be received by midnight Eastern time (9:00pm Pacific time) on May 10, 2026.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

The Assistant Director position will be hired on a year-to-year basis, as is the case with all of Occidental College’s off-campus study positions. This position is not covered in SEIU’s faculty union. You will work immediately with the Director and also with Diplomacy & World Affairs’ Assistant Director of Programs and Administration and relevant faculty.

Occidental is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not unlawfully discriminate against employees or applicants on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, breastfeeding or related medical condition, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, marital status, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, genetic characteristic or information, military and veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by state or federal law. Occidental is strongly committed to increasing the diversity of the campus community and the curriculum, and to fostering an inclusive, equitable, and just environment within which students, staff, administrators, and faculty thrive. Candidates who can contribute to this goal through their work are encouraged to identify their strengths and experiences in this area. Individuals advancing the College’s strategic equity and justice goals and those from groups that are underrepresented in the field are particularly encouraged to apply.

All qualified applicants will be considered for employment, including those with criminal histories, in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable state and local laws, including the City of Los Angeles’ Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance.

Occidental College is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to applicants with qualifying disabilities. If you need reasonable accommodation because of a disability for any part of the application or employment process, please contact Human Resources (hr@oxy.edu).

As a condition of hire for a staff position and for appointment to a faculty position, Occidental College requires that all candidates who have received a conditional offer of employment complete an application form (if they have not already done so) and consent to a background check. Satisfactory completion of a background check, along with pre- employment verifications and references are required as a condition of employment, but only as permitted by federal, state, and local law, including the City of Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance.