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 Resettlement Support Center (RSC) assists persons throughout Asia seeking permanent resettlement in the United States. The RSC prepares refugee applications for the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP), 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 Cultural Orientation and Training Coordinator is responsible for overseeing all aspects of Cultural Orientation (CO) and Information Campaign (IC) activities in the Asia region, as well as serving as the focal point for staff training activities. The CO and Training Coordinator represents RSC Asia in CO Leadership Network activities supported by the Cultural Orientation Resource Exchange (CORE).
Major Responsibilities:
Cultural Orientation
•Oversee the logistical planning of CO schedules accounting for pipeline projections and staffing needs in conjunction with partner agencies and in collaboration with other RSC and IRC departments.
•Ensure that CO curriculum course content remains relevant and accurate through communication with CO teams, CORE, the CO Leadership Network, and other USRAP partners as needed.
•Work closely with CORE to provide feedback on lesson plans and other CO materials, and encourage staff participation in CORE online activities.
•Assess needs of target refugee populations and develop/provide materials as needed.
•Manage the development, design, and implementation of the CO curriculum as well as IC materials. Ensure they address the needs of specific caseloads such as urban refugees, unaccompanied minors and other vulnerable populations.
•Oversee and strengthen current monitoring and evaluation activities and tools in line with PRM and CORE guidelines to ensure program consistency and accuracy in messaging across all CO sites.
•Maintain a current understanding of the overall USRAP and resettlement issues related to CO.
Information Campaign
•Work with the Director and other members of the Senior Management Team (SMT) to ensure existing information campaign materials and messaging are kept current, and new materials developed as needed.
•Facilitate the translation of materials into relevant refugee languages.
•Assist with developing informational materials on RSC Asia for USRAP partners and visitors as needed.
Training Focal Point
•Maintain a central training calendar for RSC staff and work with the SMT to ensure mandatory IRC and RSC trainings are delivered in a timely manner. Assist in coordinating logistics for trainings as needed (meeting room reservations, A/V equipment, calendar invites, etc.)
•Develop and maintain on-boarding curriculum for new hires and work with managers for job-specific requirements.
•Conduct annual RSC staff development/training needs survey and use the results to develop an annual training plan with the SMT.
•Provide technical support to staff in the design and delivery of trainings as needed.
•Create, maintain, and administer pre- and/or post-training surveys.
•Maintain records of staff attendance, training materials, and survey results on the RSC share drive.
•Write summary reports of key trainings
Key Partner & Donor Relations
•Represent the RSC CO program to USRAP partner agencies including UNHCR, IOM, the Regional Refugee Coordinator’s Office, and others as needed.
•Serve as the RSC Asia’s primary liaison with CORE and participate in the CO Leadership Network activities.
•Prepare monthly statistical and narrative program reports internally and for PRM, CORE, IRC or other agencies as appropriate.
Staff Management
•Maintain regular and close contact with all CO sites, including quarterly site visits to field offices.
•Provide supervision and support to direct reports. Ensure feedback is provided on a regular basis and in a timely manner.
•Monitor performance and conduct mid and end-of-year Performance Management check-ins for all direct reports.
•Facilitate staff meetings including regular conference calls between CO sites.
•Identify training needs and recommend development opportunities for CO staff.
General Program Delivery
•Develop and monitor departmental budget, spending plans, and procurement plans in coordination with CO Managers, Finance, and Supply Chain.
•Ensure adherence to all IRC and RSC policies and procedures.
•Participate in monthly staff, Senior Management Team and other meetings as required.
•Perform other duties as assigned.
Key Working Relationships:
Position reports to: Director, Resettlement Support Center
Position directly supervises: CO Managers (2) in Thailand
Indirect reporting: Provide technical oversight to the CO Manager in Malaysia
Other internal and/or external contacts:
oInternal: RSC Senior Management Team; Operations and Admin support staff
oExternal: USRAP partners, including IOM and UNHCR; CORE
Job Requirements:
Education:
University degree in Education, Cross-Cultural Training or other relevant field; advanced degree is preferred. Equivalent combination of education and direct experience will be considered.
Work experience:
•Minimum of three years of progressive program management experience, including experience in managing a multi-cultural staff.
•Experience in adult education, training and facilitation, and/or curriculum development. Prior work in a limited literacy context (such as ESL) is highly desirable.
•Previous financial management experience, including budgeting.
Demonstrated Skills and Competencies:
•Familiarity with the US Refugee Admissions Program, preferably experience in a Resettlement Support Center (RSC) or domestic resettlement agency;
•Ability to collaborate with staff and colleagues in multiple locations and consider various perspectives and priorities when making decisions;
•Must be comfortable being a proactive member of the Senior Management Team and seek to identify and communicate potential problems and propose solutions to the level of management appropriate to effect solutions.
•Excellent written and oral communication skills; including the ability to work effectively with colleagues and partners in a cross-cultural, multi-disciplinary environment
•Solid organizational skills with the ability to multi-task, set priorities, effectively manage time and meet deadlines
•Ability and willingness to travel both domestically and internationally, including remote locations; prior experience living abroad is preferred
•Experience planning work based on a pipeline and experience overseeing planning of logistics for travel to international locations;
•Flexible and able to work well under pressure in a fast-paced team environment;
•Computer literate with proficiency in Microsoft Office; experience with the WRAPS database and Adobe Illustrator helpful
Language Skills: Fluent in written and spoken English. Proficiency in a refugee language helpful.
Working Environment: The position is currently located at the RSC office in Bangkok but is subject to change (within the region) based on changing programming needs and/or at the request of the donor. While primarily operating in a standard office work environment, the position does require domestic and international travel to support delivery of Cultural Orientation throughout the region.
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