Economic Empowerment Specialist

Job Description

IRC Background: The IRC in Northern California was established in 1975 in response to the needs of the growing refugee population. Over the past 40 years the IRC has resettled nearly 60,000 clients in Northern California. Originally focused on reception and placement, the IRC provides a range of services including economic empowerment, immigration, community gardening, and case management for victims of trafficking. IRC’s Economic Empowerment programming focuses on connecting individuals to employment opportunities in an effort to lead them down the path of self-sufficiency. This is accomplished through a combination of employment services, financial education and coaching, and access to public benefits and income supports. IRC Oakland’s Anti-Trafficking department provides holistic, comprehensive case management services to foreign-born survivors of human trafficking to promote resilience and healing.

Job Summary: The Economic Empowerment Specialist will work closely with both the Economic Empowerment and Anti-Trafficking departments to serve foreign-born survivors of trafficking with financial coaching, job placement assistance, and access to vocational training. The IRC in Oakland’s Economic Empowerment department provides early employment, financial coaching and career development services to ensure clients achieve self-sufficiency and economic independence. The Economic Empowerment Specialist will provide trauma-informed, client-centered services to build client self-sufficiency and stability.

The Economic Empowerment Specialist will support clients by conducting initial assessments and developing corresponding service plans to meet their employment, asset-building, and self-sufficiency goals. The Economic Empowerment Specialist will work in coordination with the rest of the team to ensure clients are accessing the full scope of IRC’s services including job readiness training and 1:1 job counselling and financial education and coaching. Additionally, the Specialist will ensure clients are referred to other departments within the IRC as well as partner providers as relevant.

Major Responsibilities:

- Provide trauma-informed, client-centered support to clients to help them feel safe, empowered, and stable. - Conduct intake, assessment, and program orientation to clients eligible for employment and asset-building services. - Develop comprehensive economic empowerment service plans for each client including a baseline financial health assessment including net worth and credit score.

- Provide job readiness and job search coaching to clients preparing to enter the US job market. - Provide ongoing case management to enrolled clients including income supports screening and financial coaching as well as transportation assistance to job interviews as needed. - Assist clients and employers as necessary with post-placement issues and continuing employment and asset-building needs. - Support participants’ in accessing safe, affordable loan products in support of their individualized service plans through IRC’s nonprofit CDFI subsidiary, the Center for Economic Opportunity (CEO) - Lead group and 1:1 workshops on a variety of topics including Introduction to Credit and How to Prepare for a Job Interview. - Support with developing and maintaining employer partnerships as needed. - Train and supervise program interns/volunteers.

Compliance Documentation:

- Monitor and track client participation data and financial health indicators including job wage levels, net worth, and credit score. - Ensure timely and accurate compliance to all reporting requirements, including database management, case noting, and file maintenance.

Team/Office Participation:

- Participate in all program meetings, staff development activities, and other duties as assigned. - Work as part of a team to provide comprehensive strength-based services to IRC clients through coordination of cases and effective communication between team members and departments. - Comply with all policies, procedures and protocols of the agency. - Training and providing guidance to volunteers recruited to support IRC’s mission. - Other duties as assigned.

Key Working Relationships:

Position Reports to: Anti-Trafficking Program Manager

Position directly supervises: Program Interns and Volunteers

Indirect Reporting: Economic Empowerment Manager Other Internal and/or external contacts:

Internal: Position will develop working relationships with internal direct service staff on the Anti-Trafficking and Economic Empowerment teams

External: Position will develop working relationships with provider partners and County liaisons.

Job Requirements:

- Compassion towards and understanding of unique needs of immigrant survivors of crime. - Fluency in Spanish strongly preferred. - Undergraduate degree preferred; equivalent work experience may be substituted - Minimum of 1 year of experience with direct client services and/or case management, preferred - Experience working with diverse and/or underserved populations preferred - Self- starter with excellent problem solving skills combined with the proven ability to multi-task, prioritize duties, and manage time effectively - Excellent organizational and case-file document management skills. - Demonstrated success working and communicating effectively in a multi-cultural environment - Excellent written and verbal communication skills - High digital fluency including facility with Microsoft Excel (sorting, filtering, basic formulas), real-time messaging platforms (Microsoft Teams, Zoom), cloud-based file management (Box, Dropbox), advanced e-mail functions.

Working Environment:

- Hybrid in-person/remote work schedule - Occasional travel throughout the service delivery area; driver’s license and personal vehicle preferred but not required

COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement****: In accordance with IRC’s duty to provide and maintain a workplace that is free of known hazards and our commitment to safeguard the health of our employees, clients, and communities, IRC requires new hires to furnish proof of vaccination against COVID-19 in order to be considered for any in-office or hybrid positions. All IRC US offices require full vaccination to attend any in-office functions (e.g., meetings, trainings).

Commitment to Diversity and Inclusivity****: IRC is committed to building a diverse organization and a climate of inclusivity. We strongly encourage applications from candidates who can demonstrate that they can contribute to this goal.

Equal Opportunity Employer****: We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.

US Benefits: We offer a comprehensive and highly competitive set of benefits. In the US, these include: 10 sick days, 10 US holidays, 20-25 paid time off days depending on role and tenure, medical insurance starting at $120 per month, dental starting at $7 per month, and vision starting at $5 per month, FSA for healthcare and commuter costs, a 403b retirement savings plans with immediately vested matching, disability & life insurance, and an Employee Assistance Program which is available to our staff and their families to support counseling and care in times of crisis and mental health struggles.

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Qualifications