Faculty Affairs & Immigration Specialist

Wesleyan University•Middletown, CT

9d•Hybrid

About The Position

Wesleyan University is seeking a Faculty Affairs & Immigration Specialist to manage faculty employment transactions, onboarding, and immigration services. This role supports approximately 380 continuing faculty and 120 visiting faculty, working in close partnership with the Associate Provost for Budget and Personnel. The Specialist will serve as a key resource for faculty, department chairs, administrators, and university partners on faculty employment, onboarding, and immigration matters, coordinating visa processing, employment records, and federal compliance. This position is on-campus with potential for remote or hybrid work in the future, and relocation assistance to CT is available for those who qualify.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of education and experience.
Minimum 4 years of progressively responsible experience in immigration case management, international scholar or employee services, human resources, or comparable regulatory compliance role.
Demonstrated working knowledge of federal non-immigrant visa categories including H-1B, O-1, TN, and PERM processes and demonstrated ability to assess and recommend appropriate visa classification based on individual circumstances.
Ability to meet ARO eligibility requirements as established by the U.S. Department of State.
Experience in human resources, academic administration, international services, or a comparable professional environment managing confidential employee records and complex compliance processes.
Demonstrated ability to interpret policies, regulations, and procedural requirements and communicate them clearly to diverse audiences.
Demonstrated ability to build collaborative working relationships while providing responsive, customer-focused service to faculty, academic departments, and administrative partners.
Experience completing employment transactions and maintaining records in Workday HCM or comparable HRIS platform.
Demonstrated ability to manage time-sensitive legal and compliance deadlines with precision and independence.
Proven ability to maintain confidential employment and immigration records with a high degree of accuracy.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office including Word, Excel, and Outlook.
Demonstrated commitment to working within a diverse environment and interacting openly with individuals of different backgrounds.

Nice To Haves

Current ARO designation or prior experience as an ARO or DSO
Experience with SEVIS and J-1 exchange visitor program administration
Experience working in coordination with outside immigration counsel on H-1B, O-1, TN, or PERM filings.
Experience managing permanent residency sponsorship processes.
Experience in higher education, research institution, or comparable complex organization with an international faculty or scholar population.
Familiarity with faculty or staff onboarding processes in an HRIS environment.
Experience advising on dual intent, visa portability, or status change scenarios.

Responsibilities

Collaborate with the Associate Provost, academic deans, and department chairs on initial department requests to hire.
Complete the hire process in Workday for all faculty appointment types including visiting, tenure-track, tenure, continuing, per-course, and post-doctoral appointments.
Maintain faculty employment data in Workday and related institutional systems to support the University directory, catalog, WesMaps, payroll, and institutional reporting.
Generate letters of appointment and employment documentation for primary and secondary faculty appointments in coordination with the Associate Provost.
Create and maintain faculty positions and job requisitions in Workday.
Conduct background checks and maintain confidential records for all incoming faculty.
Coordinate faculty onboarding for all appointment types including per-course and visiting faculty; initiate the new hire checklist process to ensure computer access, systems setup, and departmental notifications are completed upon confirmed appointment.
Connect relocating faculty with Human Resources for relocation allowance guidance and all new hires with Human Resource for benefits enrollment guidance and questions.
Process end of appointment actions in Workday for visiting and per-course faculty; fulfill SEVIS reporting obligations for international faculty upon termination.
Serve as the University’s primary administrative resource for faculty and staff immigration matters across Academic Affairs and Academic Affairs-adjacent departments, in coordination with the Associate Provost who serves as the University’s immigration signatory.
Assess individual faculty and staff situations and advise on appropriate visa classification — including H-1B, O-1, TN, J-1, and PERM — in support of the Associate Provost and in coordination with outside immigration counsel.
Manage visa sponsorship processes from initiation through completion in coordination with the Associate Provost and outside counsel.
Maintain expertise in federal immigration regulations, SEVIS, and employment authorization requirements.
Advise faculty, staff, department chairs, and administrators on visa options, timelines, and compliance requirements.
Track immigration status, visa expirations, renewals, and reporting obligations; maintain complete and audit ready immigration documentation and records.
Support permanent residency sponsorship processes where applicable in coordination with the Associate Provost and outside counsel.
Serve as, or work toward designation as, an Alternate Responsible Officer (ARO) for Wesleyan’s J-1 exchange visitor program; manage DS-2019 issuance, SEVIS record maintenance, and J-1 program compliance in coordination with the Associate Provost.
Coordinate compensation actions for visiting and continuing faculty including additional pay and pay variances in conjunction with the Associate Provost and Finance.
Collaborate with Payroll, Finance, Benefits, and other university offices as needed on faculty employment transactions.
Ensure accuracy of appointment and compensation records in Workday.
Serve as backup support for faculty governance and personnel functions as needed.
Participate in special projects within Academic Affairs.