Job Description

Where You Will Work:

Located in Boulder, Colorado, University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) serves and participates in a collaborative community of researchers and educators who are dedicated to understanding the atmosphere -- the air around us -- and the complex processes that make up the Earth system, from the ocean floor to the Sun’s core. UCAR manages the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) on behalf of the National Science Foundation and the university community.

The Office of Human Resources Mission:

Embracing and balancing the changing needs of employees and the organization by:

Providing leading edge services and resources.

Building a strategic and innovative workforce through partnership.

Promoting an atmosphere in which employees feel recognized and valued by offering resources in benefits, personal development, and work-life options.

Creating a community of inclusivity as valued partners advocating on behalf of employees and community.

Fostering personal and professional excellence, growth, communication, and respect.

What You Will Do:

This position serves as the Responsible Officer (RO) of, UCAR’s J-1 Exchange Visitor Program. Provides a wide range of immigration advising and support services to international visitors, employees, and internal Lab/Center/Program/Office (L/C/P/O) staff. Works closely with L/C/P/O staff to support employment/visit strategies of international employees and visitors. Coordinates and files employment-based non-immigrant petitions. Ensures institution-wide compliance with federal immigration regulations. Responsible for entering and tracking immigration data in Workday and running immigration-related reports. Tracks employment authorization and processes I-9 re-verifications.                                                                                                                       

Responsibilities:

Administers UCAR’s J-1 Exchange Visitor Program [Includes serving as Responsible Officer, training of Alternate Responsible Officers (AROs), submitting annual reports, redesignation applications, and ensure compliance with US Dept of State J-1 Exchange Visitor Program administration regulations]
Responsible for Student & Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) record reporting and maintenance to ensure federal compliance for UCAR/NCAR and J-1 Exchange Visitors, as well as DS-2019 creation/updates.
Advising and assisting international visitors and employees, as well as UCAR/NCAR staff, regarding complex immigration and visa regulations, as well as other concerns related to employment authorization and lawful status in the U.S. This includes regulatory administrative issues such as maintenance of legal immigration status, travel/reentry to the U.S., extensions/changes of status, and immigration issues that impact family members and have personal impacts (encompasses issues related to Visa Waiver Program, B-1, E-3, F-1, H-1B, J-1, TN and other visa type. Includes assisting with I-983 compliance and documentation for F1/OPT employees applying for OPT and OPT STEM extensions.
Maintains current knowledge of DHS, DOS, DOL and USCIS regulations concerning international scholars and employees; review and develop policies and procedures to ensure compliance with federal and state laws, regulations and policies.
Plan, develop, and conduct programming/training/communication to educate international visitors and employees and applicable UCAR/NCAR staff on the laws, regulations, policies, and procedures governing these individuals as well as changes and trends in visa processing.
Coordinate and file timely and accurate employment-based petitions (including extensions, transfers amendments) with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services on behalf of international employees (H-1B, E-3, TN, etc.)
Tracking visa status expirations for international visitors and employees and taking appropriate action as needed.  
Serves as point of contact between UCAR’s external immigration counsel, UCAR admin staff, and employees, in regard to UCAR-sponsored Lawful Permanent Resident/green card applications. May involve working with HR and L/C/P/O to advertise positions and advise all parties, with the guidance of legal counsel, of the Labor Certification process, as well as advise on basic green card matters. Processes invoices received from external immigration counsel.
Maintain detailed files for scholars in J-1, H-1B, Permanent Residency, and other visa statuses, to include retention/archiving and H-1B Public Access Files.
Drafts, edits, proofreads and finalizes correspondence for own and others’ signature, including correspondence to such agencies as U.S. Department of State, U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services, U.S. Embassies/Consulates and U.S. Department of Labor.
Responsible for one of the HR department’s charge cards used for SEVIS and other immigration-related fees and other department purchases as directed.
Responsible for I-9 employment authorization reverification process
Develops, updates and maintains content on UCAR’s International Visitor and Scholar Services web site as needed

What You Need:

Education and Years of Experience

Bachelor degree or equivalent and at least four years of relevant experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Experience advising international scholars on immigration-related matters and regulations.
Experience filing H-1B petitions, including associated Labor Condition Applications and maintaining Public Access Files.
Expert knowledge of US immigration laws and Federal regulations governing non-immigrant employees and visitors, with strong focus on compliance.
Expert knowledge of J-1 immigration regulations and SEVIS government database.
Experience as Responsible Officer or Alternate Responsible Officer for J-1 Exchange Visitor Programs sponsoring Short-term Scholar and Research Scholar categories.
Ability to resolve detailed visa and immigration issues.
Skill in working effectively on a wide variety of cases and projects in an active working environment and in handling a heavy volume of work.
Demonstrated ability to learn and understand ever-changing complex federal, state and local regulations pertaining to foreign nationals and effectively communicate to others.
Must be able to work with a diverse population in a professional manner, maintaining high levels of customer service, cross-cultural sensitivity and discretion in handling confidential information.
Effective problem-solving skills and demonstrated ability to take initiative.
Advanced organization skills and ability to establish priorities, meet urgent deadlines, adapt to changing demands/priorities/regulations, work under time constraints and handle demanding situations with a diverse group of people, including UCAR staff and foreign national visitors and employees.
Ability to prioritize and multi-task.
Demonstrated skill in using good judgment.
Ability to understand applicable UCAR policies and procedures and explain them to others.
Effective oral and written communication skills, including effective interpersonal and intercultural communication skills.
Attention to detail; to include maintenance of complete and accurate records.
Proficient in Microsoft Office and knowledge of G Suite
Knowledge of database systems.
Ability to work independently as well as contribute and collaborate effectively as a member of a team.

Desired Experience:

Experience or knowledge of employment-based permanent residency applications.
Experience working with Federal Contractors or in a National Lab environment.

Other Requirements:

Must be a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident and undergo a criminal background check to meet federal regulatory requirements to serve as Responsible Officer for the J-1 Exchange Visitor Program, regulated by the U.S. Department of State. Future and/or continued employment in the position is contingent upon obtaining and maintaining a satisfactory background check, which is one that does not include any disqualifying findings.

Applicant Notes:

A cover letter is required when applying to this position.
An Inclusion Statement will be required for all applicants advancing to an in-person interview. If requested, this statement should address past efforts, as well as future vision and plans to advocate for and advance diversity, equity, and inclusion in the organization and/or field of work.
Pre-employment screenings and background checks are conducted in conjunction with an offer for employment into risk-based positions. This screening may involve verifying or reviewing any of the following relevant information: restricted parties screening, employment verification, education verification, reference checks, verification of professional licenses, certifications, and Motor Vehicle Records. Risk-based positions require pre-employment screening, a criminal background check, and Sex Offender Registry screening (for positions working with vulnerable populations). UCAR complies with the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA).
"Personally Identifiable Information" (PII) is non-public information that is personally identifiable to a single individual. PII may include information such as name, address, email address, phone number, social security number, passport number, credit card information, and other related information. You may be required to enter or submit your PII to a third party on behalf of UCAR for the purpose of identity verification in order to conduct transactions as part of this position.  You may also be required to handle PII of UCAR employees as part of performing the requirements of this position.
Please note that while the position description details both minimum requirements as well as desired skills and experience, we want to remind applicants that you do not need to have all the desired skills and experience to be considered for this role. If you have the passion for the work along with experience in a related field, you are encouraged to apply. We can provide on-the-job training for the rest.