Homestay Coordinator

**About International Gateway Language Academy and College**:*

Established in 2002, International Gateway Language Academy and College is one of the oldest and most trusted English as Second Language school in Kelowna, Canada. At our original location in Kelowna, BC, we have consistently been awarded as one of the Best Schools in Kelowna because we have always put our students’ needs first. Today we have become one of the fastest-growing schools in Canada. In Kelowna, BC we have our ESL Language Academy and Career College, and we are excited to have just opened a new branch of our Language Academy in Calgary, AB.

**About Position;**

We are currently seeking a highly motivated, organized, customer-focused, driven, and goal-oriented individual to join our team as a full-time Homestay Coordinator in Kelowna.

As the primary point of contact, the Homestay Coordinator plays a crucial role in establishing relationships with both students and homestay families. This position requires proactive and prompt responses to inquiries, resolution of concerns, and handling of all requests related to student-homestay family interactions. The Homestay Coordinator is responsible for answering phone calls from students and homestay families, closely monitoring online requests, and ensuring the best possible match between students and homestay families. By doing so, the Homestay Coordinator guarantees a seamless and enjoyable experience for both students and homestay hosts, while consistently achieving the highest levels of client satisfaction as measured by customer satisfaction surveys and occupancy rates.

In this role, you will be the face of our organization, representing our commitment to excellence and providing exceptional service to our clients. Your ability to effectively communicate and build relationships with students and homestay families will be essential in ensuring their needs are met and their experience is positive.

**Key Duties and Responsibilities;**
- Fully develop the homestay program at IGK.
- Promotes the Homestay Program in the greater Kelowna area.
- Recruits, screens and interviews new families, initiates the criminal record search process and maintains copies of completed forms and custodian/guardianship letters.
- Performs site visits to prospective host families, completing a full Site Inspection, documented and with photos on each home visited. Conducts comprehensive interviews and home inspections of all current families participating in the program. The interview covers topics such as family lifestyle, family members, preferences, pets, capacity, availability, and guidelines. The home inspection includes things such as house location, transportation options, as well as bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, overall cleanliness and safety, to verify that the home meets the minimum required amenities.
- Maintains full records on each family.
- Develops contract, in coordinator with school attorney, between IGK and host family.
- Matches students with homestay families. Works with the students and families to assist with the cultural, social and emotional integration of the homestay situation.
- Deals effectively with conflict situations and assists with the communication process.
- Conducts home visits X times per year.
- Provide the families with the information about the student(s) arriving to their home.
- Communicate any new information to the families and student regarding the program, changes of schedule, new student arrival, etc.
- Be available to hear any issues or concerns by student or family about the living situation and maintain neutrality and professionalism.
- Relocates a student to a different homestay family in a case of incompatibility.
- Solicits and provides feedback from hosts and students monthly
- Tracks the expenses of the homestay program
- Provides orientation to new students coming into the homestay program.
- Coordinates trainings and networking meetings for homestay families, on-going
- Participates and assists in monitoring students throughout their homestay journey.
- Organize transportation routes for students.
- Develop and implement a Homestay inspection plan
- Develop and maintain Homestay Profiles for Marketing purposes
- Collaborate with Marketing and Activities Team to plan and execute events related to student orientation, welcoming and leaving gifts, departure ceremonies, student activities and intercultural development
- Develop polices/procedures for Homestay program in consultation with the director
- Oversee the Monthly Homestay Payments and oversee payment for moves, and temporary placements

**You should have**
- Excellent communication skills
- High level of attention to detail
- Ability to manage your time well while working to deadlines
- High level of organization and punctuality
- Ability to work independently and in a multicultural collaborative team setting
- Knowledge of basic Microsoft suite
- Good local knowledge of the Kelowna area
- Ability to