Financial Coach

Job Description

IRC Background: The mission of the International Rescue Committee (IRC) is to help people whose lives and livelihoods are shattered by conflict and disaster to survive, recover and gain control of their future. Founded in 1933, the IRC has a presence in over 40 countries and 27 offices in the United States; the IRC leads the way from harm to home. IRC opened an office in Seattle in 1976 and provides a continuum of services including intensive case management, employment and economic empowerment services, immigration assistance, health and wellness programming, and education support to refugee and immigrant families in Washington State. IRC Seattle is committed to providing trauma-informed, equitable, and accessible services and maintaining and evolving a diverse, inclusive, and supportive workplace.

Job Overview: The Financial Coach will work within IRC’s Economic Empowerment Program team to provide coaching services to individuals. Financial counseling and coaching involve an ability to engage and motivate participants, a strong understanding of personal finances, and the ability to teach that knowledge to others. The Financial Coach is responsible for assisting program participants in developing plans that help individuals reach their goals and achieve financial stability. The Financial Coach is expected to focus services in a one-on-one counseling format. The Coach will also conduct classes and workshops on topics such as budgeting, credit building, banking, and financial products. The Financial Coach will work with IRC Seattle’s Employment and Economic Empowerment and other program staff to ensure that participants are also getting needed support across these service areas.

Major Responsibilities:

· One-on-one financial counseling/coaching

- Teach participants about the value of financial coaching services and build partnership to work toward participant goals - Assist participants in resolving current financial challenges, while providing a wide lens on their financial health to shift the approach to proactive financial management - Work with participants to complete a detailed financial assessment - Work with participants to create a budget and provide strategies for budget improvements - Assess participants’ financial history and provide strategies for credit building and increasing net assets - Develop plans of action and provide tools and resources while promoting participant accountability to help participants meet their goals - Understand other services offered by the IRC, such as employment services and income-support product counseling, and connect participants to these other services, as appropriate to meet their goals - Make appropriate referrals to external personal finance professionals, as appropriate

- Outcome tracking—track the stories and successes of program participants

- Use Efforts to Outcome (ETO), a participant management system, to document and reflect the outcome of participants’ progress in an accurate and timely manner - Complete Combined Financial Assessment (CFA) for financial counseling participants - Work with the entire Economic Empowerment team to ensure that any changes to the participant’s CFA (new job, new benefit, change in credit score) is properly documented

- Workshops as a means of outreach and education

- Develop workshop materials or tailor existing materials to meet the needs of communities served; topics may include budgeting, savings, banking, financial products, credit building, identity theft, and more.

- Develop relationships with local financial institutions and community organizations

- Work with mainstream financial institutions to understand the needs of communities served by IRC so they can provide products and services that fit - Maintain and develop a network of referral organizations to assist participants in meeting their goals (e.g. local housing counseling agency, legal aid, etc.)

Key Working Relationships:

Position Reports to: Economic Empowerment Program Manager

Other Internal and/or external contacts:

*Internal*****: Primarily with Economic Empowerment and Employment staff, works with all departments and teams within IRC Seattle

*External*****: Financial institutions, partners, service providers, agencies, etc.

Qualifications

Job Requirements:

- Relevant degree or equivalent professional and/or lived experience - A demonstrated understanding of personal finances, particularly in the areas of budgeting, asset building, and credit building is required - Professional experience in a financial-counseling setting is strongly preferred - 2+ years’ relevant experience including personal finance or banking, individual counseling, case management, or coaching required (experience with low-income and/or immigrant communities strongly encouraged) - Strong communication skills, both written and oral - Previous work experience with the IRC’s target population, and/or the ability to provide financial counseling/coaching services that are culturally responsive - Demonstrated skills with reporting and tracking information in a database - Lived experience as a refugee or immigrant is preferred - In lieu of lived experience, experience working with refugees and/or immigrants; cross-cultural or overseas experience accepted - Commitment to anti-racism and ongoing learning - Access to a reliable transportation to travel regularly throughout the service delivery area (driver’s license, insurance, and access to vehicle preferred)

Working Environment:

- Standard, professional office environment (flexible remote and in-office)

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, participants, and communities, IRC requires candidates who are selected for interview to furnish proof of vaccination against COVID-19 in order to be considered for this position.

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****: IRC is an equal opportunity employer and we value diversity at our organization. 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.

IRC- leading the way from harm to home

Please Apply at http://www.rescue.org/careers