Student Life

Position: Student Life & Housing Assistant (full-time, temporary)

Department: Outbound Exchanges – Global Operations

Reports to: Student Life Manager or Housing Coordinator, Madrid

Job Location: Madrid, Spain

Expected Start Date: December 1, 2025 (or December 15, 2025)

End Date: May 29, 2026 (or June 15, 2026)

Who we are:

CIEE is a global organization, staffed with dedicated problem-solvers adept at collaboration across teams and time-zones. Our international staff operates the largest nonprofit network of study abroad centers at 30+ locations around the world. Since 1947, we have promoted peace by cultivating intercultural understanding and preparing people to thrive in a globally interdependent and culturally diverse world.

Why work with us:

• You will change the world. CIEE programs build bridges between different people, different countries, and different cultures. We help young people participate in high-quality international exchange and study abroad programs that bring the world together. We change lives, our alumni change the world. Be part of the change

• You will be part of a fast-paced, international, diverse, and collaborative team of professionals. Committed to excellence and solving whatever problem the world throws at them, CIEE professionals work on international teams and are dedicated to advancing our 75- year-old mission to make the world a more peaceful place.

Who you are:

In collaboration with/under the supervision of the Student Life Manager and Coordinators the Student Life Assistant supports the coordination, quality assurance, and planning of all student services programming (activities, excursions, etc.), housing and residential life. The position also works in coordination with other Madrid teams, such as Program Management, to ensure a positive and highly rewarding student experience in all the Madrid programs.

What you'll do:

Housing

• Support all the tasks related to student housing and accommodations arrangements that meet CIEE standards and objectives, included but not limited to housing checks, roommate agreements, housing shopping and delivery chores, support with maintenance incidents, housing checks and HSSA Homestay campaigns.

• Assist the housing placement process, housing orientation to participants and CIEE homestays.

• Participate in housing disciplinary meeting, if requested.

Student Advising and Adaptation

• Create a welcoming, trusting and open environment and meet informally and frequently with students to discuss their adaptation and progress.

• Help promote the best practice of health and wellness through CIEE´s student life concepts, such as Community of care, and encouraging a positive learning experience.

• Serve as a resource and counsel for individual students with unique needs and student populations with specific cultural interests.

• Provide referrals to individual students for professional counseling and medical services as required.

• Understand applicable codes of conduct, rule infractions and the consequences of noncompliance to participants, in coordination with Program Management.

• Keep student information confidential and share relevant details when appropriate with CIEE colleagues and stakeholders, according to CIEE´s protocols.

• Be available during well-published business hours for the Student Life Office and with agreed upon "open door" times to allow for regular advising with students.

Orientation and Cultural Agenda

• Assist tasks regarding pre-departure and on-site orientation in consultation with the Student Life Manager, Coordinators and Program Management.

• Attend campus and city orientations, excursions and cultural activities; plan and help participants sign up for language exchange and volunteer opportunities.

• Help to monitor student census, sign-up, and participant attendance of CIEE activities as well as participate in the evaluation process of orientation and cultural activities.

• Become familiar with Student Life Office budget and administrative practices, if required.

• Chaperone cultural activities and participate in occasional overnight program excursions, report expenses in a timely manner.

Health, Safety and Security

• Perform necessary due diligence to ensure a healthy and safe environment in the office, classrooms, accommodations and during trips for both students and staff.

• Provide appropriate advice to participants during orientation and throughout the program to help minimize risk and increase student accountability for their own health and safety.

•
Communicate all HSS cases to those that need to know in a timely and complete manner, following policies defined by the CIEE HSS standard operations manual.

• Manage any initial low-to mid-level health, safety, security issue and accommodation welfare incident involving behavioral student issues, in coordination with Program Management.

• Become familiar with first aid, bystander intervention training and sexual assault guidelines.

• Participate in meetings with pertinent CIEE on site staff to update and share any participant behavioral issues, HSS patterns/trends and other related issues in CIEE arranged housing that may be associated with the participant´s physical and emotional wellbeing/illness.

• In rotation with the other center staff, carry the 24-hour in-country emergency telephone.

• Maintain open communication about student incidents (medical or of any other type) with those at who need to know, as defined by CIEE´s policies.

• Participate in coordination meetings with the Program Management, Academic and Administration staff to review, consult and determine protocols and best practice for student in-country experiences, arrival/departure, orientation, and cultural activities, etc.

What you'll bring:

• Confidence, interest, and soundness of judgement to provide effective communication with participants from diverse backgrounds.

• Proven ability to deal calmly and empathically with students who are adapting to new learning environments.

• Knowledge of Spanish culture, history, business practices, and academic environment.

• Demonstrated problem solving skills with meticulous attention to detail, and commitment to customer service with a positive outlook.

• Good skills to complete collaborative and administrative work.

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and a willingness to learn new systems.

• Flexibility to respond quickly to changing circumstances.

• A Vocational Training and/or Bachelor´s Degree or equivalent.

• Fluency in English and Spanish.

• Ability to embrace CIEE's Core Values (Excellence, Integrity, Respect, Inclusion and Problem Solving).

Diversity Matters:

CIEE is committed to creating an inclusive environment in which our participants and staff represent the full spectrum of backgrounds and experiences. CIEE believes that professionals with diverse backgrounds provide ideas to solve problems and find ways to advance our mission to bring the world together. Candidates from underrepresented groups with diverse backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply.

What we offer

• A job in non-profit education which will further develop your intercultural and administrative skills.

• A multicultural working environment with young people from all over the US.

• A learning atmosphere in a growing organization.

• Colleagues with a passion for international education and exchange

Working Conditions

The successful candidate is offered a full-time, thirty-nine (39) hour/week local work contract, paid monthly. Working hours will typically be Monday to Friday from 9:00 am to 5:30 pm, However, CIEE currently offers an additional work benefit on Fridays for this position to work from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm, based on a flex-time concept to compensate for busy "peak periods" during other times of the year. There may be occasional evening or Saturday or overnight excursions which are compensated for with recovery time.

The position is an in person and student-facing role that requires employees to be based full-time in Madrid at the start of the role. In this role you will have access to participant applications and other personal student information. CIEE staff might be privy to personal, medical and/or academic problems of participants and must respect and maintain the confidentiality of such records. The position is hired with a local contract and follows all local holidays and annual vacation days.

Diversity Matters

CIEE is committed to creating an inclusive environment in which our participants and staff represent the full spectrum of backgrounds and experiences. CIEE believes that professionals with diverse backgrounds provide ideas to solve problems and find ways to advance our mission to bring the world together. Candidates from underrepresented groups with diverse backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply.