Deputy Director, Resettlement Support Center Asia

Job Description

The IRC has a rich history of assisting refugees to apply for United States resettlement, from its founding in 1933 to help vulnerable individuals escape Nazi-occupied Europe, to pioneering the Joint Voluntary Agency which assisted Indochinese refugees for 22 years, to operations in Croatia, Sierra Leone and Sudan. Since 2005, RSC Asia has resettled over 180,000 refugees to the United States.

Based in Thailand and Malaysia, the IRC Resettlement Support Center (RSC Asia) is funded by the US State Department Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM) to assist persons throughout Asia seeking permanent resettlement to the United States. Responsible for a portfolio of 37 countries, the RSC: prepares refugee applications for the United States Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) using START (a State Department–managed data system that supports the arrival and resettlement of refugees through technology); provides information to resettlement agencies about arriving refugees; and offers cultural orientation training to refugees bound for the United States.

Job Overview/Summary:

The RSC Deputy Director (DD) is a senior managerial position and responsible for day-to-day oversight of all program and operational functions of the IRC RSC project in Malaysia. The DD reports to the Director of the RSC and directly supervises the Senior Program Coordinator, the Senior System and Policy Coordinator, the Administrative Coordinator, the Human Resources Manager and the Senior Finance Manager. The DD also serves as the point of contact for USRAP partners in Malaysia and plays a key role in the RSC strategic planning process. RSC in Malaysia primarily focuses on refugee cases in Malaysia, but may also be assigned to take on other caseloads, as necessary.

Major Responsibilities

1. Program Quality and Delivery

• Ensure that fiscal year processing targets for Malaysia, including prescreening and presentations to United States Citizen and Immigration Services (USCIS), are met.

• Oversee all processing functions of RSC in Malaysia.

• Develop and monitor the RSC Malaysia project budget in coordinator with the Senior Finance Manager and the RSC Director.

• Promote a team approach and positive learning environment utilizing RSC Thailand, IRC headquarters, program and operations staff and other partners to continually enhance the quality of refugee processing and cultural orientation delivery.

• Consult with and make recommendations to the Director on processing issues such as pipeline management and planning.

• Report to the Director in a timely and thorough way on all programmatic/staff problems, donor/government issues or any other information of concern to the IRC.

2. Key Partners & Donor Relations

• Ensure that monthly programmatic, statistical, and financial information for RSC Malaysia are provided to the Director for preparation and submission to IRC New York, PRM, USCIS, the US Embassy in Bangkok and US-based resettlement agencies.

• Maintain excellent strategic relationship with USRAP program partners in Malaysia, including USCIS, UNHCR and IOM.

• Represent RSC Asia to the refugee community through Information Campaign activities and attendance at regular Community Based Organizations (CBO) meetings.

• Take the lead on visitor management activities, in cooperation with the Director, including developing itineraries, briefing books, scheduling and presentations.

3. Human Resource Management, Staff Development & Retention

• Lead a cohesive senior management team, with regular meetings, clear roles and authorities, and an inclusive approach.

• Oversee management of RSC Asia’s national and international staff in Malaysia to ensure an efficient, cooperative and quality-conscious workforce capable of meeting emerging programmatic challenges.

• Develop a positive work environment for all staff supported by a professional level human resource management function.

• Support and hold management staff accountable for providing staff development opportunities and planning

• Review, in coordination with RSC Asia’s Senior management team, yearly work and performance plans to ensure long-term and short-term priorities are on track and aligned with grant objectives. Provide performance feedback on a timely and regular basis.

• Ensure that RSC Asia in Malaysia is within employee and employer compliance as required by IRC Human Resources Policies, report problems or issues immediately to Director.

4. Security & Operations Management

• Promote coordination and teamwork between program and operations staff to ensure quality program delivery.

• Working with RSC management team to ensure the implementation and monitoring of financial and operational policy and procedures to ensure constant compliance with IRC and donor policies.

• In coordination with the Senior Regional Safety and Security Advisor ensure that the security management plan for the country is updated and ensure the consistent monitoring and analysis of the security environment and adherence by all staff to the IRC security protocols and procedures.

• Prepare and monitor project budget in close cooperation with RSC Director and IRC Finance Department.

• Ensure that IT infrastructure supports RSC programmatic needs, including START.

Key Working Relationships:

Position Reports to: Director, Resettlement Support Center

Direct Supervision to: Senior Program Coordinator, the Senior System and Policy Coordinator, the Administrative Coordinator, the Human Resources Manager and the Senior Finance Manager

Other Internal and/or external contacts:

Internal: Regional Director, Deputy Regional Director for Operations, Senior Program Coordinator RSC Thailand and START Reporting Contractor

External: PRM Washington, US Embassy; Malaysia and Thailand, UNHCR Malaysia, IOM Malaysia, USCIS Malaysia and Thailand, RPC Washington and Community Based Organizations.

Job Requirements

Citizenship:

• Due to donor related requirements regarding DNA collection and prescreen activity with specific high-profile caseloads, US Citizenship is required. US citizens with the lived experience of being a refugee are encouraged to apply.

Education:

• Bachelor’s Degree required.

• Master’s Degree in a related field is a plus.

Work Experience:

• Minimum 5 years work experience in refugee processing and/or refugee resettlement

• Demonstrated knowledge of the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program

• Minimum 5 years program management experience, including experience in managing a multi-cultural staff

Demonstrated Skills and Competencies:

• Strong people management and leadership skills: ability to lead staff and promote productivity, particularly during program transitions

• Strong expertise in strategy planning, monitoring, and budgeting

• Strong communication skills both written and verbal; excellent presentation and report-writing skills; able to convey information effectively to colleagues and partners in a cross-cultural environment

• Solid organizational and program implementation skills with the ability to juggle multiple tasks, set priorities, effectively manage time, and meet deadlines; strong problem-solving and analytical skills

• You can work in a complex, dynamic environment, and are able to work both independently and in a dynamic, cross-functional global team structure

• Client centered with a service oriented attitude, a great teammate who works effectively with partners at all levels.

• You have a proven sense of professional discretion, integrity, and the ability to handle situations diplomatically and to effective resolution

• Proactive, well-organized, flexible and able to work in a complex, multi-cultural environment.

• Can set appropriate priorities and deal effectively with numerous simultaneous requirements with flexibility and adaptability.

• Ability to carry out responsibilities independently with minimal technical support.

• Must be a patient and good communicator who can function in an organizational environment involving a diversity of cultures, languages, personal interests and agendas.

• Good at role of facilitator and team player in solving problems.

• Solid organizational and program implementation skills with the ability to handle multiple tasks, set priorities, effectively manage time and meet deadlines

• Able to manage complex safety and security situations appropriately

Language and Computer Skills:

• Fluency in both written and spoken English.

• Working knowledge of a refugee language helpful.

• High level of computer literacy and proficient in MS Office applications (Word, Excel, Power Point, Outlook) is required.

• Ability to type 40 words per minute

Others:

• Able to travel to locations within Asia and Oceania region.

Working Environment: The employee is required to adhere to the “IRC Way” for professional conducts, as well as to follow all relevant Policies and Procedures while carrying out his/her duties.

The IRC and IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in IRC Way - Standards for Professional Conduct. These are Integrity, Equality, Service, and Accountability. In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Anti Workplace Harassment, Fiscal Integrity, and Anti-Retaliation.

#LI-GR2

Qualifications