International Technical Expert

The project’s goal is to support and provide resources for French language learning in American universities and for the training of teachers of French. To this end, the candidate will be in direct contact with both the French Embassy to the US and the Modern Language Association network, which brings together higher education language programs in the United States. We encourage candidates to consult the original job description on the Expertise France website where a link to the application portal, a CV template, and additional details can be found.

Host Organization and Team

Founded in 1883, the Modern Language Association of America (MLA) provides opportunities for its members to share their scholarly findings and teaching experiences with colleagues and to discuss trends in the academy. MLA members host an annual convention and other meetings, work with related organizations, and sustain one of the finest publishing programs in the humanities. For more than a century, members have worked to strengthen the study and teaching of language and literature.

The International Technical Expert / Experte technique internationale (ETI), an employee of the French Embassy to the US, will work mainly with the MLA’s office of academic program services and professional development, under the supervision of Jason Rhody, senior director of engagement strategy. The team is made up of seven full-time and three part-time staff members. Current projects include providing resources to teachers in language departments, studying developments in language learning in the university environment, and organizing meetings for university language teachers. Specifically, staff members in this unit organize the annual in-person ADE-ALD Summer Seminar and the online MAPS Leadership Institute, which primarily serve program leaders in modern languages, and contribute to the MLA Annual Convention, which brings together 4,000 participants from 900 universities and colleges. The ETI will work with the rest of the department, including closely collaborating with the head of world language programs, to develop and share resources to help improve the recruitment, retention, and career readiness of students in modern languages.

Essential Duties 

1. Creation and coordination of a network of university departments and programs in French language and French and Francophone literature and culture in the US, creating a template for other languages supported by the MLA.

2. Collect and share best practices for modernizing and enhancing the appeal of language teaching in the US, especially the teaching of French. Promote and develop the French for All initiative supported by the French Embassy.

3. Enhance training and teaching resources for teachers in French at US universities, creating a template for other languages supported by MLA.

Main Tasks and Expected Results

• Managing a large network of stakeholders
• Development and sharing of training and teaching resources
• Promotion and support for the implementation of innovative projects in language departments and programs in American universities

Candidate Profile

Qualifications: MA or PhD in French language or literature, education, or equivalent field; ability to work in French and English (C1 minimum).

Professional experience: Experience in higher education preferred: teaching, curricular design, department administration, or other relevant work.

Position Details

Duration: Maximum 2-year contract with possible 2-year extension under certain conditions

Indicative start date: 1 September 2024

End of contract: 31 August 2026

This is a full-time position requiring at least two days each week on-site at the MLA offices in downtown New York City. Some travel is involved. You must be able to work legally in the United States. Salary is commensurate with experience, in the range of $70,000–$80,000. Please refer to the original job description on Expertise France for a detailed list of benefits. Inquiries may be directed by email to Jason Rhody, the MLA’s senior director of engagement strategy, at jrhody@mla.org. The MLA is an equal opportunity employer (EEO) and is firmly committed to complying with all federal, state, and local EEO laws.

How to Apply

Documents to be provided:

- CV in the Expertise France format (template available for download).

- Cover letter

Application portal: Please review the original job description on the Expertise France website and apply through their portal. 

Application deadline: 10 March 2024 (11:55 p.m. Central European Time)