Education Specialist

Founded in 1933, the IRC is a leading nonsectarian, voluntary organization providing relief, protection and resettlement services for refugees and victims of oppression or violent conflict. One aspect of the IRC is to assist refugees resettling in the United States. The IRC opened a Denver office in 2016 to provide reception and placement services to newly arrived refugees. The office is slated to resettle approximately 200-250 refugees per year and provides wraparound program services that assist refugees, asylees, Cuban and Haitian entrants, victims of trafficking, survivors of torture, and other immigrant populations. Most services are available for at five years following arrival in the U.S. The IRC in Denver's service approach is client-centered, empowerment-focused, trauma-informed, and multigenerational.

JOB OVERVIEW:

IRC in Denver’s Education Department seeks to support clients’ immediate needs for stability, while ensuring that near-term demands do not overshadow longer-term economic health. Under the supervision of the Education Coordinator, the Education Specialist offers a range of supports to adult clients so the clients can better access, participate in, and benefit from IRC’s adult education programs and other community resources and services. Coordinating services with the broader IRC in Denver team, the Education Specialist is part of a holistic service team that aims to partner with individuals and entire families to advance their goals.

Working directly with clients and in close collaboration with the Education Coordinator, employment team, and other direct service staff across the IRC in Denver, the Education Specialist is responsible for providing adult clients with community navigation, cultural orientation, and job readiness training that includes job searches, understanding American workplace expectations, writing resumes, building interview skills, and other employment-related training. Additionally, the Education Specialist supports transportation orientation and initial English as a Second Language (ESL) enrollment for all newly arrived refugees and other eligible clients, conducts regular outreach to ongoing clients to support continued participation in ESL and other educational programs, and identifies and initiates referrals to relevant programs and services in support of client goals.

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES:

Major responsibilities include but are not limited to:

- Receiving client referrals and conducting initial assessments of client needs and skills. - Working with clients to set goals and provide one-on-one skills coaching and following up routinely to gauge progress toward goals. - Providing cultural orientation and job readiness training. - Assisting all newly arrived refugees and other eligible populations with ESL enrollment, based on their location, English and literacy levels, childcare needs, work and family schedules, and other considerations. - Regularly monitoring clients’ English attendance and progress and supporting clients with re-connecting to ESL or modifying ESL enrollment as applicable. - Collaborating with the Education Coordinator to ensure foundational digital skills are integrated into job readiness training and related programming. - Liaising with caseworkers, employment specialists, other IRC in Denver team members, and external partners where relevant to develop and implement plans that are effective in enhancing clients’ digital skills. - Documenting case notes, entering key program data points, and completing reports accurately, timely, and in accordance with donor requirements, using the IRC’s internal Efforts to Outcomes (ETO) database and other systems, including the Colorado Refugee Services Program (CRSP) Geneva database. - Monitoring and evaluating progress at the individual, household, and program level through analysis of client assessments and other key data tracked in ETO. - Ensuring that services are delivered in accordance with relevant quality assurance standards and compliant with requirements for the Reception & Placement (R&P), Matching Grant (MG), and Reach programs where applicable. - Participating in training and professional development relevant to the role, including training on motivational interviewing and Wellbeing Inventories and Plans as required for the Reach program. - Completing other duties as assigned.

KEY WORKING RELATIONSHIPS:

Position Reports to: Education Coordinator

Position Directly Supervises: N/A; may supervise interns and volunteers engaged in ESL tutoring, cultural orientation, digital skills, or related education services.

JOB REQUIREMENTS:

- An undergraduate degree and at least two years of relevant work experience in human services is preferred. May be substituted with a combination of work and/or life experience. - Experience with adult education and/or digital skills programming is valued. - Experience working with refugees and immigrants, preferably including lived experience as a refugee or immigrant. - Fluency in English, both spoken and written, is required. - Fluency in Arabic, Dari, Burmese, Kiswahili, Pashto, or other languages and cultures of the local refugee population is strongly preferred. - Excellent verbal and written communication skills. - Effective, professional presentation skills. - Proficient in general office software programs, e.g., MS Office suite, email, internet applications and relational databases (familiarity with ETO and/or Salesforce is particularly helpful). - Proven ability to work as a team member in a cross-cultural environment. - Detail oriented with excellent organizational skills, ability to take initiative, adapt to changing priorities, multi-task and complete work in a fast-paced environment; and - Valid driver’s license, reliable vehicle with current insurance, and the ability to travel regularly throughout the service delivery area preferred.

WORKING ENVIRONMENT:

- The IRC in Denver strives to offer a positive working environment, with intentional efforts to ensure that it is diverse, equitable, inclusive, and accessible for all. - Work is conducted typically conducted in a standard office work environment with considerable time spent in the community, primarily in neighborhoods where clients live and work. - This role entails frequent travel in and around the Denver metro area to facilitate service delivery, build community relationships, and represent the IRC while engaging with clients and community partners. - Hours outside of typical office hours required at times.

Posted pay ranges apply to US-based candidates. Ranges are based on various factors including the labor market, job type, internal equity, and budget. Exact offers are calibrated by work location, individual candidate experience and skills relative to the defined job requirements.

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.

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS:

This is a full-time, regular, position scheduled at 37.5 hours per week, classified as non-exempt and eligible for overtime under state and federal law. Starting compensation is $21.00-$25.00 per hour, depending on experience and qualifications. As a regular, full-time employee, the Education Specialist qualifies for the IRC’s phenomenal benefits package. We offer a comprehensive and highly competitive set of benefits. In the US, this total compensation package includes: 10 sick days, 10 US holidays, 20-25 paid time off days depending on role and tenure, medical insurance starting at $120 per month with low to no deductible; dental insurance starting at $7 per month; vision insurance starting at $5 per month; FSA for healthcare, dependent care, and commuter costs; a 403b retirement savings plans with immediately vested employer matching; disability & life insurance; generous parental leave; 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. In addition, the IRC in Denver offers annual staff development funds and actively promotes learning and growth for its team members.

In addition, the IRC in Denver actively promotes learning and growth for its team members, through staff development accounts that allow staff to engage in individualized goal-aligned professional development, access to a range of talent development offerings to build skills in a wide array of areas from humanitarian principles to management skills, and opportunities to lead and engage with colleagues from across the IRC through communities of practice, special assignments, and designated roles that represent the Denver office, whether here in the U.S. or globally.

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate based on 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 at [email protected] to request an accommodation.

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Qualifications