Inquiries and Outreach Officer (National Position)

Job Description

Background/IRC Summary: 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 Bangkok with field offices 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 Inquiries Officer is responsible for monitoring and responding to routine refugee case status inquiries submitted via e-mail, phone, letter and the RSC’s online Case Status Inquiry website (CaSI). Inquiries may be submitted directly by refugees or third parties. The Inquiries Officer also provides general information about the USRAP to refugees. S/he will ensure that case related updates provided by refugees or USRAP partner agencies are accurately recorded in into START, a State Department – managed system that supports the arrival and resettlement of refugees through technology, 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.

Major Responsibilities:

- Respond to refugee or third-party inquiries submitted online, by phone, email, letter and/or in-person encounters within established time frames - Provide refugee applicants with accurate, general information about the USRAP, or with their case specific information. - Provide counseling on case status and in some cases, final case decision by United States Citizenship and Immigration Services - Ensure accurate data entry into START and dissemination of information received to relevant staff - Seek guidance and communicate with appropriate staff about more complex cases - Keep immediate supervisor informed of developments in daily inquiries, including any urgent inquiries - Assist in recognizing, documenting and alerting supervisors of trends - Recommend process improvements and changes - Ensure automated response systems (voicemail, e-mail, CaSI) are regularly updated with current information - Complete call logs and relevant/required reports, including weekly progress reports. - Other duties as assigned by supervisor.

Key Working Relationships: Position Reports to: Inquiries and Outreach Manager Position Directly Supervises: N/A Indirect Reporting: Program Support Coordinator Other Internal/External contacts: Internal: All Bangkok and Malaysia RSC staff External: N/A

Qualifications

Job Requirements: Education:University Degree in any field

Work Experience :

- Prior experience working in a community based, non-profit or social services organization; preferably with an international organization - Customer service experience is helpful

- Experience with database entry

Demonstrated Skills and Competencies:

- Demonstrated skills in database management and record keeping - Both team and detail oriented; flexible and able to work in fast-paced, multi-cultural environment. - Able to function effectively in a complex office environment and set appropriate priorities; manages time well in order to meet deadlines - Ability to carry out responsibilities independently with minimal technical support

Must be a patient and good communicator who can identify problems and pro-actively seek to resolve them - Proficient in use of personal computers; familiar with Windows applications, Microsoft Office, email and Internet - Prior experience working with interpreters is preferred

- Willing and able to travel to and work in remote locations such as refugee camps

Language and Computer Skills:

- Burmese and/or Karen language proficiency preferred - Excellent verbal and written English language skills - Fluency in a refugee language is preferred - Computer Literacy – high level of competence in Ms Office i.e. Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, Outlook - Proven advanced data entry skills with extreme accuracy, attention to detail, and self-checking abilities - Ability to type 40 words per minute