Program Coordinator, Evaluation Alliance for Human Rights

IRC Background:

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises, helping to restore health, safety, education, economic wellbeing and power to people devastated by conflict and disaster. Founded in 1933 at the call of Albert Einstein, the IRC is at work in over 40 countries and 26 U.S. cities helping people to survive, reclaim control of their future and strengthen their communities. IRC’s Resettlement, Asylum and Integration (RAI) department reaches over 50,000 clients annually across the US through programs for resettled refugees, asylum seekers, unaccompanied children, survivors of torture and trafficking, and individuals from local communities welcoming newcomers.

Program Background:

IRC is working to build a sustainable, multisite evaluation network to support the rights of people who have been persecuted. Known as the Evaluation Alliance for Human Rights (EAHR), it aims to recruit and train volunteer physicians and mental health professionals to provide critical free medical and psychological evaluations for asylum seekers and individuals seeking other forms of humanitarian legal protection. More than 40% of asylum seekers have been tortured, but often have nothing more than their word to prove it. A medical or mental health evaluation provides corroborating evidence to a case and more than doubles the chance of being granted asylum and, by extension, a chance at achieving stability and better integration outcomes. However, evaluations are often prohibitively expensive; EAHR creates more pathways to access this potentially life-changing resource. The need for services through EAHR remains ever-present as more asylum seekers arrive and face overwhelming obstacles in proving their protection claim and living stable daily lives. In response, IRC has launched a national coordination model for EAHR that will support three locations in the states of Washington, Texas, and Arizona.

Job Overview:

The Arizona Program Coordinator will provide critical assistance, technical expertise, training, and shared resources to assist local offices in building and maintaining the day-to-day operational aspects of EAHR’s infrastructure. Coordinating activities and services for the Arizona branch of the EAHR network, (currently called the Arizona Asylum Network) they will remain in close communication with the HQ-based EAHR Senior Project Coordinator and Clinical Therapist, along with serving as the main focal point of contact for local volunteers and providers, in addition to other partners united around the program’s mission to provide access to critical medical and psychological evaluations for individuals seeking asylum and other humanitarian forms of protection.

Major Responsibilities:

• Serve as the main point of contact for local volunteers and legal referrals to the network;
•    Conduct volunteer onboarding and provide regular volunteer management;
•  Review referrals for appropriateness;
• Serve as communication focal point between volunteers and legal providers;
•  Coordinate the scheduling of evaluations and related interpreting services;
•    Head up regular data recording, record keeping, reporting, and newsletters
•  Be on-call during evaluations to troubleshoot any issues that arise;
•  Conduct outreach to gain additional volunteers and spread awareness of the network
•   Coordinate resource and referral needs for applicants;
•  Feed into network-wide best practices and standard operating procedures.
• Other duties as assigned.

Key Working Relationships:

Position Reports to:  Clinical Supervisor in Tucson office
Position directly supervises: N/A
Other Internal and/or external contacts:

•  Internal: EAHR Senior Project Coordinator and Clinical Support Coordinator; EAHR volunteers, applicants and interpreters; interns; other key staff across offices and HQ technical units

• External: Partner organizations and community entities also involved in services for asylum seekers and individuals seeking multiple forms of humanitarian legal protection

Job Requirements:

Education:

•  Undergraduate degree preferred, ideally in Social Work or similar field of study; please note that relevant work experience can be a substitute for an undergraduate degree;

Work Experience:

•   Minimum of two years of experience managing a project and/or providing critical operational support to a project or program;
•  Minimum of one year of volunteer coordination/management a plus;

Demonstrated Skills and Competencies:

• Expert communication skills (written and verbal);
•  Experience managing the schedules of multiple stakeholders;
• Self-starter with excellent problem-solving skills combined with the proven ability to multi-task, prioritize duties and manage time effectively;
•  Strong ability to effectively build internal and external relationships with stakeholders;
•  Ability to notice trends, issues and opportunities of note and to elevate them to program colleagues and leadership;
• Familiarity with issues facing immigrant communities, particularly refugees, asylum seekers and other individuals seeking protection in the US;
•  Deep commitment to serving communities across immigration statuses facing multiple obstacles and vulnerabilities;
•  Demonstrated success working and communicating effectively across lines of difference with respect to race, gender, ethnicity, language, religion and age;
• Ability to follow strict guidelines of client confidentiality and safeguarding;
• Proficient in Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, Outlook) and familiarity with data-tracking systems;

Language Skills:

• Fluency in a commonly spoken EAHR client language (ie, Spanish, Kinyarwanda, Arabic, French, Swahili, among many others) welcome, but not required.

Working Environment:

• Standard, professional office environment with high likelihood of being fully remote or a hybrid model.

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 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: 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.

The IRC and IRC employees must adhere to the values and principles outlined in IRC Way - Standards for Professional Conduct.  These are Integrity, Service, and Accountability.  In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Anti Workplace Harassment, Fiscal Integrity, and Anti-Retaliation.

We offer a comprehensive and highly competitive set of benefits.  In the US, these include: 10 sick days, 10 US holidays, 20-25 paid time off days depending on role and tenure, medical insurance starting at $120 per month, dental starting at $7 per month, and vision starting at $5 per month, FSA for healthcare and commuter costs, a 403b retirement savings plans with immediately vested matching, disability & life insurance, 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.

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