Director, Global Health, Safety & Security / Study Abroad Travel Security Admin/S

Working/Functional Title

Director, Global Health, Safety & Security

Position Summary

Reporting to the Vice Provost and Dean of International Studies and Programs (ISP), identify best practices and provide strategic leadership, planning and operational management to the University and its constituents on matters of global health, safety and security. In collaboration with key stakeholders around the University, develop, manage, and champion a comprehensive travel preparedness and response strategy to promote and protect the well-being of Michigan State University (MSU) students, scholars, faculty, staff, and others traveling abroad and domestically under University sponsorship, and the University’s global teaching, outreach and research efforts. Identify, evaluate, mitigate and monitor global risks for MSU. Implement a range of projects to advance this strategy, including those described below.

ISP is currently operating under a hybrid modality structure, with staff working three days in person and two days remotely. This structure is subject to change at any time.

Strategy, Policy, and Practice

• Lead a collaborative strategy-development and implementation process, with participation and buy-in from a range of University stakeholders.
• Develop and maintain practical and effective global health and safety standards, expectations, policies, and guidelines for MSU programs, activities, and independent travelers.
• Partner with officials across campus to build consensus, facilitate implementation, and collect feedback. Make connections among units with common needs.
• Continuously assess University-wide global health and safety practices in group and individual programs and activities and arrange for systematic evaluation and audits.
• Provide risk management analyses and recommendations, provide on-going proactive general assessment of risk at locations worldwide, and provide data tracking and analyses.
• Serve as the lead University spokesperson on health and safety issues impacting the University’s interests abroad.

Crisis Management

• Develop general and specific emergency plans, oversee emergency response, train emergency support responders, and directly manage complex emergencies. Share 24/7/365 coverage for global emergencies with Global Safety Coordinators and maintain the on-call schedule. Conduct after-action reviews following major incidents.
• Respond to global traveler incidents. In the case of students, work with relevant units such as the Office of Student Support and Accountability, Office of General Counsel, Office for Education Abroad and academic colleges as needed to develop individualized response plans.
• Oversee and participate in operation of the 24/7 International Emergency Assistance line with MSU Police department. Train individuals responsible for answering line; provide regular updates to ISP and global emergency contacts and procedures; offer training on mitigating risk to the MSU community.
• Manage and participate in continuous monitoring of worldwide events, issues, legal decisions and trends that may affect MSU affiliates abroad, and disseminate alerts and announcements according to standardized protocols.
• Coordinate in-depth risk forecasting and analysis (political and security), when needed.
• Utilize university systems for student incident reporting.

Expertise, Consulting, and Communication

• Provide expert advice on global health and safety to the University leadership, committees, program leaders, and individual faculty, students, and staff. Interpret relevant rules, policies and protocols.
• Recommend local structures for safety management and develop “best practice” roles and responsibilities.
• Coordinate, set agenda, maintain web site and carry out directives of Risk and Security Assessment Committee (RSAC), including the facilitation of waiver requests. Conduct incident debriefings and after-action reviews after major incidents that impact health and safety; draft appropriate reports and recommendations.  
• In collaboration with the Office for Education Abroad and ISP Communications, provide messaging to media inquiries.
• Work closely with IT staff to oversee, improve and promote the use of on-line Travel Registry resources, including collection, travel tracking, incident reporting, compliance and related processes.
• As needed, review program and travel plans and recommend steps to mitigate risk and improve balance between safety risks and academic objectives.
• Alert the University leaders to major safety concerns, whether systemic or particular. Identify and address areas of limited expertise, engaging MSU faculty, experts and outside consultants as needed.
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