At YES Canada we’ve made it our business to connect today’s youth with academic opportunities through flexible and secure international student exchange programs that open the door to a world of possibilities with exciting destinations and authentic experiences.

We require a full-time National Homestay and Placement Manager to oversee the homestay recruitment and student placement program in Canada, managing the cross-country local coordinator network, homestay recruitment and student homestay placement process, while working with host families, local community organizations and schools, and the YES Canada inbound team and agent networks.

Under the direction of the Senior Management Team, the National Homestay and Placement Manager is crucial to the efficient and effective placement and management of the international high school student homestay programs.

The role requires a sales oriented, self-directed and organized individual to competently navigate the position and varied job needs. The position requires the candidate to be responsible for independently managing the host family recruitment and placement process, hiring, training and working with local coordinators, overseeing the YES Canada recruitment and community development coordinator, and supporting the homestay programming, with guidance and counsel from senior and partner managers. The role requires the candidate to manage immediate and long-term placement needs, managing multiple timelines for homestay deliverables. The successful candidate will be an enterprising and resourceful individual who has strong HR, communications, and recruitment skills in order to recruit local coordinators, manage office staff, work with host families, build community networks and promote the homestay opportunities. The individual will have a solutions-focused approach who can demonstrate management experience and human resources skills.

Strong candidates for this role will enjoy connecting with people and thrive in a fast-paced environment that is both demanding and rewarding. The candidate will be a strong communicator, with a high degree of customer service orientation and interest in building and maintaining relationships. The candidate will be comfortable in all modes of communication from phone to written, video and in-person and be able to utilize these modes of communication to build a remote team across Canada and to promote the program effectively in each community. This role is well suited to an individual with an entrepreneurial spirit and a drive to build and grow through connections with people, organizations and the community.

Major Duties & Responsibilities

• Manage and oversee the recruitment, hiring, training and development of the network of local coordinators in placement areas across Canada.
• Develop, deliver and provide training and ongoing support and resources to support local coordinators in homestay outreach, recruitment and placements, and on program homestay supports (ex. onboarding and on-going training programs, homestay program manuals, homestay placement documents, template messaging, marketing collateral).
• Oversee and manage the homestay placement process to meet deadlines and ensure the successful completion and delivery of placements to meet quotas and requirements (completion of applications, interviews, screenings and orientations).
• Develop an annual recruitment and marketing plan and various strategies to facilitate the growth of the homestay network.
• Oversee and outline strategies to continually build and expand the network such as social media or public relations campaigns, advertising, community outreach events and resource and programming development. Identify marketing and public relations opportunities, design and deliver campaigns.
• Community Development: Build community relationships and networks in the placement communities, supporting placement quotas and local coordinator efforts.
• Provide guidance and direction to the recruitment coordinator – outlining priorities, quotas and delegate responsibilities
• Conduct regular meetings with the recruitment coordinator and local coordinators for progress checks and support.
• Where required, recruit host families directly, supporting local coordinators and the recruitment coordinator
• Where required, conduct local community visits to meet with local coordinators and/or assist in local community development.
• Provide homestay updates to the inbound programming team and agent networks, providing regular and detailed updates regarding recruitment and placement progress.
• Provide host family confirmations to the inbound team and/or agent network and communicate with qualified host families regarding placement confirmations.
• Support the inbound program team, recruitment coordinator and local coordinators with host family moves and/or confirm and provide respite homestay arrangements during the programs.
• Monitor homestay recruitment and retention, assessing programming needs for local coordinators and host families; providing support, troubleshooting, counsel and assistance in recruitment and retention. Work directly with the inbound program team and local coordinators conducting regular check-ins and monitoring to oversee the successful delivery of homestay programs.
• Maintain homestay database and submit homestay and coordinator payment/invoices, as well as manage and oversee the related program division budgets.
• Create, maintain and update program documents and databases for homestay and coordinators and revise or implement new or updated processes, procedures and support systems.
• Undertake the above tasks and job responsibilities, as per above for YES Canada’s affiliated YFU Canada programs, utilizing the YFU Canada materials, resources, tools, and systems, as relevant.

Qualifications, Skills & Abilities

• College or undergraduate university degree in related field (e.g. Business Development, Communications, Operations, Management, Human Resources, Travel and Tourism, Hospitality)
• Demonstrated experience in sales/recruitment, marketing/communications, human resources, and/or operations management
• 5+ years of management experience
• Experience working in education, homestay and/or with international clients is an asset
• Working knowledge and understanding of the Canadian High School Education system
• Knowledge and awareness of various cultures
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills; very high level of written, verbal and listening communication skills
• Has experience dealing with complex interpersonal situations with colleagues, students, families, etc. and a strong ability to handle sensitive information and conversations
• Demonstrates an entrepreneurial approach with a focus on budget management and the financial acumen to support the growth and development of the organization
• Proven ability to drive sales and/or recruitment and meet or exceed quotas
• Ability to work independently and to lead and work as part of a team
• Ability to work under pressure or in a fast paced environment within tight deadlines, maintaining a strong attention to detail
• Excellent ability to multi-task and prioritize tasks and adapt quickly
• Positive can-do attitude and ability to mentor, motivate and support local coordinators, host families, staff and related parties
• Highly skilled in the use of Microsoft 365, particularly Outlook, Word, Excel, SharePoint and PowerPoint, as well as Adobe. Mac systems and applications experience preferable.
• Fully fluent in English, both written and oral

Other Requirements

• ‪The position requires a valid driver’s license and at least 5 years continuous driving experience; comfort in driving with other passengers and for long distances
• ‪The candidate must be flexible in work hours/extended hours
• The candidate may be required to work remotely/from home at times but the position will be in office primarily.
• The position involves working with minor students and as such the successful candidate must be willing to provide and obtain a clear criminal reference check Job begins immediately.

Hours

On regular weeks, the schedule consists of 5 days per week from 8:30am to 5pm. Alternative hours, including evenings and weekends will be required as necessary and during peak periods.

Compensation

$68,000 - $70,000 based on commensurate experience.