Inquiries and Outreach Officer ( National)

Job Description

Background/IRC Summary:

The IRC has a rich history of assisting refugees to apply for U.S. 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. Over the years, IRC has processed some half million refugees worldwide for U.S. resettlement.

Based in Bangkok with field offices in Thailand and Malaysia, the IRC Resettlement Support Center (IRC-RSC) assists persons throughout Asia seeking permanent resettlement in the United States. The RSC prepares refugee applications for the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program, provides information to resettlement agencies about arriving refugees and offers cultural orientation training to those refugees bound for the U.S.

Job Overview/Summary:

The Inquiries and Outreach Officer is responsible for monitoring and responding to routine refugee case status inquiries submitted to the RSC. S/he also provides general information about the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) to refugees. The Inquiries and Outreach Officer will ensure that any case related updates provided by refugees are accurately recorded in the START (a State Department – managed system that supports the arrival and resettlement of refugees through technology) database and flagged for follow-up as appropriate. S/he projects the professional image of the IRC-RSC through telephone, email and in-person interaction with refugees. S/he attends outreach sessions in the refugee community and provides information on RSC processes to refugees.

Major Responsibilities:

Respond to USRAP applicant inquiries submitted online, by phone, email, letter and/or in-person encounters within specified timeframes Provide USRAP applicants with accurate general USRAP information, or with their case specific information Complete call logs and relevant reports as required Ensure accurate data entry into START and dissemination of information received Perform regular quality checks on work conducted by the team to ensure 100% accurate data entry and dissemination of information in accordance with the RSC goal of data perfection Ensure work processes are 100% compliant with the most current Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) Seek guidance and communicate with appropriate staff about complex cases Recognize and alert supervisors of trends in refugee and community inquiries and concerns Keep supervisor informed of developments in daily inquiries, including any urgent inquiries Coordinate completion of work and follow up with other colleagues, as necessary Recommend process improvements and changes to supervisors Ensure automated response systems (voicemail, email, CaSI) are regularly updated with current information Conduct outreach sessions within refugee communities and attend to inquiries and questions from the refugee community Attend partner agency meetings and trainings as necessary Develop and maintain a database of refugee community-based organizations with current contact information Contribute to updating RSC Information Campaign messages and materials as required Ensure professional coordination and communication, both internally and externally Conduct training and perform quality checks of staff assigned to assist with workload Remain informed of changes in RSC processing guidance to accurately provide case status updates and to ensure information is correctly entered into the START database Comply with all Integrity and Compliance Guidelines Perform other duties as assigned

Key Working Relationships:

Position Reports to: Program Support Manager Position directly supervises: Nil Indirect Reporting: Program Support Coordinator Senior Program Coordinator, Malaysia Deputy Director, Malaysia Other Internal and/or external contacts: Internal: RSC Asia Staff External: UNHCR, IOM, others as assigned

Application Deadline: 4th April 2022

Qualifications

Job Requirements: Education: University Degree preferred; OR equivalent to 1-2 years of relevant professional experience will be considered.

Work Experience: Candidate with a minimum of 1 year of relevant resettlement processing experience is advantageous Experience with direct client interaction Candidate with previous working experience/direct or indirect engagement with NGOs and any other humanitarian exposure is preferred Previous exposure to a multi-cultural environment is advantageous Demonstrated Skills and Competencies: Strong interpersonal communication and cross-cultural communication skills Excellent organizational and follow-up skills; ability to multitask Considerate and deliberate in dealing with people and managing conflict Ability to work with minimal supervision and under pressure Strong team player Detail oriented Flexible and able to work in a fast-paced, multi-cultural environment High level of professionalism while implementing IRC-RSC policies and procedures Database management and record keeping experience Prior experience working with interpreters is preferred High level of proficiency in Microsoft Office including Excel, Word and Outlook

Language Skills: Excellent verbal and written English language skills; other languages such as Malay, Mandarin, Tamil or Burmese desirable

Certificates or Licenses: Not applicable, unless required by law and/or organization to carry out official duties

Others: Ability and willingness to travel when required

Working Environment: The employee is required to adhere to the “IRC Way” for professional conduct, as well as to be in compliance with all relevant Policies and Procedures while carrying his/her duties.

All other employee terms and conditions shall be as per stipulated in the Employment Contract and/or Employee Handbook.