Ascend Resident – In-House Immigration Leader

About the Role The Ascend Residency is a paid leadership role within Alma's peer community for in-house immigration professionals. Each month, one Resident shapes the community conversation, surfaces what matters to the field, and makes Ascend materially more useful for immigration operators across companies. This is not an ambassador title. It is a substantive working role for someone with real judgment, real credibility, and a perspective worth sharing. What You'll Do Design and host 1 webinar on a topic the immigration community is actively wrestling with (Alma handles promotion and logistics) Design and host 1 sponsored in-person event (Alma funds and supports) Recruit 5+ quality Ascend members from your network Publish 3-4 original posts or insights on policy, compliance, AI tools, vendor strategy, or program design Create 1 durable resource (framework, template, playbook, or briefing) aligned with Alma Spark and sustain peer conversations across the community What You'll Receive $8,000 honorarium, paid at end of the residency month; 10 hours/week (~$200/hour) Production, scheduling, logistics, and promotion support from Alma Sponsored in-person event designed with you and funded by Alma Permanent recognition as an Ascend Resident and entry into the Ascend Alumni network Priority consideration for future speaking, editorial, and community partnership opportunities Who This Is For In-house immigration program managers, directors, and leads Global mobility professionals with meaningful immigration program ownership Practitioners who manage stakeholders, policy, compliance, vendor relationships, and program design Operators with a clear view on where immigration practice and technology are heading Who This Is Not For General HR or People Ops professionals without direct immigration program responsibility Community managers or marketers seeking visibility opportunities Professionals adjacent to immigration who do not actively run or advise on the program Anyone looking for a light ambassador role rather than a substantive leadership commitment How to Apply Applications take approximately 20 minutes. Please respond to the following: What are the 2-3 highest-leverage contributions you would make during your Residency month, and how would you judge whether they were useful? What topic would you choose for your webinar or live exchange, and why is it timely for in-house immigration leaders right now? What is one example of the kind of framework, post, briefing, or resource you would create for the community library? Who are the immigration professionals you would want to bring into Ascend, and why would they trust your invitation? Selection Process Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. Selected Residents are confirmed 4-6 weeks before their start month. Residency can be repeated for exceptional contributors. Please note: This is an independent contractor (1099) role.