Job Posting: Raiffeisen Bank International

Raiffeisen Bankengruppe, the international financial institution and Austria's largest banking cooperative, is hiring a Corporate Ombudsperson Deputy. The new position will expand RBI's Corporate Ombuds-Office established in 2021 by Judith Klaiber. Based in Vienna, the full-time position will provide Ombuds services to RBI Group’s staff. An initial contract of one and a half to two years is expected.

Job Posting: Sandia National Labs

The federal nuclear laboratory in Albuquerque, New Mexico, is hiring a part-time Corporate Ombudsman for a one-year contract. The new position will work alongside Sandia's Ombuds Ronnie Thompson, who restarted the program in 2021. The new Ombuds will also report to the Executive Chief of Staff and practice to IOA standards.

Job Posting: Sherbrooke University

Université de Sherbrooke, the largest public university in Quebec is hiring a Deputy Ombudsman. The full-time position, previously held by Caroline Audette, reports to Marie-Claude Laquerre, who has been the Student Ombudsman since 2021. The office serves a student population of about 40,000 and report to the Secretary General for Administration under the authority of the University's board of directors.

Job Posting: World Health Organization (PAHO)

The WHO is hiring its next Regional Ombudsman for the Pan American Health Organization. The search will fill a position held by Bernardin Ndashimye since January 2020. Reporting to the Deputy Director, the PAHO Ombuds provides services to employees in 27 country office following IOA standards. The full-time position is based in Washington, DC, for a two-year, renewable contract.

Ithaca College Announces Faculty Ombuds Team

On July 1, 2023, three faculty will reestablish an Ombuds program for the private liberal arts college in central New York. Over the past few years, Ithaca had considered a couple of different models for its Ombuds program and eventually settled on a team that would provide services exclusively to faculty. The three new Ombuds will be Jack Wang from the Writing Department, Dan Breen from the English Department, and Kathleen Mulligan from the Theatre Performance Department.

Job Posting: Loudoun County Public Schools

The public school district in northeast Virginia with 84,000 students has opened a search for its next Ombudsman. Last September, Carey Williams& established the full-time position which reports to the Superintendent's Chief of Staff and serves as a designated neutral resource for families, employees and community members.

Kalamazoo Public Schools Plans for First Ombuds

The public school district in West Michigan is promising to create an Ombuds program. KPS Board Vice President Jermaine Jackson said the Ombuds will assist parents “as a independent, impartial, confidential and informal resource.” The initiative came out of an ad hoc committee earlier this year as part of a broad plan to improve the climate, culture and relationship with district stakeholders. Details for the new district Ombuds have not been finalized. (MLive.) 

Ombuds to Present to National Association of College and University Attorneys

NACUA, the influential professional association of attorneys working in higher education, will host a webinar in cooperation with IOA later this month. This is especially significant because membership in NACUA is strictly limited to practicing attorneys and many members have been openly critical of Ombuds in the past. The program, "What General Counsel Need to Know About Ombuds," is set for May 30, 2023 at noon Eastern. The speakers will be Jessica Kuchta-Miller (University Ombuds at Duke), Ellen Miller (IOA's Executive Director), and Steve Prevaux (Faculty and Staff Ombuds at University of South Florida). Janet P. Judge, a Partner with the Education & Sports Law Group, LLC, and NACUA Board Member, will moderate. 

MWI Recruits Experienced Ombuds to Expand Operations

Dana Hinojosa, CO-OP, will join MWI as Director of Strategic Engagement in June 2023. She brings a decade of Ombuds and program management experience to MWI, a global provider of outsourced Ombuds and other ADR services. This a new leadership position for MWI, which currently has three other director-level positions (Josh Hoch, Director of Mediation Services; Megan Winkeler, Director of Training & Analytics; and Diana Chiang, Director of Commercial and Corporate Programs; all of whom have Ombuds experience). MWI's Founder and Executive Director, Chuck Doran, is also recruiting a Director of Analytics & Reporting and additional Ombuds panelists. 

UC Davis Ombuds Office Announces Changes

Kyra Coke Duffy has joined the Ombuds Office at the University of California Davis an interim Assistant Ombuds, filling in for a separate leave event.  She joins an office headed by Lauren Bloom and including Lindsey Ensor and Jenny Vaccari. Meanwhile, Associate Ombuds Dana Hinojosa has announced that she will be leaving the office in June to accept a new position at MWI.

Job Posting: Oregon State University

The public land-grant, research university in Corvallis seeks applications for its next University Ombuds. The search was prompted by the recent departure of Sue Theiss, OSU's founding Ombuds. Breanne Taylor, is currently serving as the Interim University Ombuds, assisted by a new Associate Ombuds, Robynn M. Pease. The full-time position leads an office that provides Ombuds services to over 40,000 faculty, staff, students, and other stakeholders. OSU hopes to confirm the appointment by August 1, 2023.

Registration Opens for Cal Caucus 2023 Summer Virtual Small Caucus

The California Caucus of College and University Ombuds has opened registration for its second annual summer meeting. The online only event on June 6, 2023, offers an opportunity to preview the topic for the traditional fall caucus in Pacific Grove.

UNC Charlotte Researchers Seek Help Distributing Academic Civility Survey

Three professors at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte are conducting a multi-institutional survey study which explores a variety of concerns regarding civility and professionalism (or lack thereof) in the college and university workplace. Becky Croxton, Richard Moniz, and Jo Henry are are seeking assistance with the distribution of a survey link to academic institutions across the country. (Study was approved by the UNC Charlotte IRB # IRB-23-0757.) Interested readers can share the invitation and survey. (Civility in the Academic Workplace Survey.)

Job Posting: Federal Emergency Management Agency

FEMA's Alternative Dispute Resolution Division in the Office of the Chief Counsel, Federal Emergency Management Agency is hiring three Alternative Dispute Resolution Advisors. These are temporary positions with FEMA's Cadre of On-call Response/Recovery Employee Program and usually limited to two years. In essence, the FEMA ADR Cadre serve as Organizational Ombuds for internal and external conflicts related to FEMA's disaster response. The positions are based in Washington, DC. Occasional non-emergency travel may be required and telework may be available.

IOA Seeking to Connect School Ombuds

The International Ombuds Association has launched an effort to connect the growing number of Ombuds in K-12 education. An online community hosted by IOA hopes to provide a space for this community to connect and develop. The effort is being led by Monique Bookstein, the Ombuds for Prince William County Schools in Virginia.

International Committee of the Red Cross Selects Next Chief Ombuds

After a six-month search, Camilo Azcarate has been appointed the next Chief Ombudsperson for the international humanitarian organization. He follows John W. Zinsser, who served in the role from 2017 until last month. Based in Geneva, Azcarate will direct the work of four regional ICRC Ombuds and a network of other collateral-duty Ombuds and serve an initial four-year term. Azcarate comes to the position from the European Southern Observatory, where he served as Ombuds for over four years.

Call for Interviewees: IOA Book Chapter on Ombuds Engagement

Donna Buehler, Ombuds at Stony Brook University, and Liz Hill, Associate Director at the University of Colorado Boulder, are co-authoring a chapter for the International Ombuds Association’s first book, The Organizational Ombuds: Foundations, Fundamentals & Its Future. The chapter will examine how Organizational Ombuds build relationships and engage with entities across organizations while maintaining their independence and impartiality. The authors are seeking participants to share their experiences and insights by completing an anonymous 15-20 minute survey by noon on May 12, 2023. Buehler and Hill appreciate all participants. (Survey: Exploring How Ombuds Build Relationships...)

Job Posting: European Southern Observatory

The European Organisation for Astronomical Research in the Southern Hemisphere is hiring its next Ombuds, filling a position established by Camilo Azcarate in 2019. Although ESO is headquartered near Munich, the position is primarily based in Santiago, with frequent visits to various observatories in Chile and at least three months per year in Munich.

Transitions at Oregon State University Include New Associate Ombuds

Robynn M. Pease, has joined the OSU University Ombuds Office as an Associate Ombuds. She reports to Breanne Taylor, who has has been promoted to Interim University Ombuds following the departure of the founding Ombuds, Sue Theiss. Together, they provide Ombuds services to over 40,000 faculty, staff, students, and other stakeholders at the public land-grant, research university in Corvallis.

Job Posting: MWI

MWI, a global provider of outsourced Ombuds and other ADR services, is accepting applications for its outsourced Ombuds panel. Under the direction of MWI's Founder and Executive Director, Chuck Doran, Ombuds panelists work as independent contractors and provide services to a range of MWI clients.