Employment Specialist

**Ukrainian speakers strongly preferred**

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 26 offices in the United States and a presence in over 40 countries.  The IRC opened an office in Boise in 2006. 

Job Overview: The Employment Specialist oversees the Matching Grant and Refugee Cash Assistance (RCA) programs’ employment activities, which help refugees and other qualified immigrants attain self-sufficiency through employment, in accordance with federal requirements and other obligations. The Employment Specialist develops relationships with local employers, identifies employment opportunities for program participants, guides enrollees through job application and onboarding processes, and provides case management services. 

Primary Responsibilities:

·        Provide intake, assessment, and pre-employment/job readiness orientation to clients eligible for employment services: Developing comprehensive employment plans for each employable adult.  Providing both group and one-on-one intense job readiness orientations that provide clients with the basic skills required to enhance their employability.

·        Develop job opportunities:  Developing and cultivating long term relationships with area employers in order to identify appropriate employment and training opportunities for clients.

·        Provide intensive employment services: Determining specific employment opportunities appropriate to clients economic needs and assisting them in accessing these opportunities by guiding them through the hiring process.  This includes resume preparation, job referrals and applications, coordinating interpretation, transportation to interviews, drug screening, onboarding/new hire orientations, and assisting with completion of new hire paperwork as well as monitoring job performance, wage level, and employer/employee satisfaction during probationary period and assisting clients and employers as necessary with post placement issues and continuing employment needs.

·        Provide intensive case management services: Providing supportive services in order to reduce barriers to employment, such as childcare, English classes and transportation.  Providing community resource referrals. Monitoring financial assistance spending and in-kind donations.  Providing gender equitable services to promote gender parity and economic potential amongst clients.

·        Documentation:  Documenting all services delivered including support from IRC volunteers, interns and assistants; and all commitments and actions taken to fulfill them taken by clients, using data tracking systems: Efforts to Outcomes (ETO), the Statewide Refugee Information System (SRIS), and Integra and others as instructed.

·        Quality Control: Reviewing client cash assistance and reporting deadlines regularly, ensuring paper and electronic documentation produced are complete and follow all IRC data entry rules.  Completing case file corrections as instructed on a regular basis to prepare for monitoring.

•  Team planning:  Coordinating regularly with Early Employment Coordinator and Cash Assistance Program Specialists to ensure timely communication on status of service provision and client’s compliance with refugee cash assistance program requirements. Participating in all program meetings, staff development activities, and fully engaging as a member of the IRC Economic Empowerment team. 

·        Follow all IRC ethics policies: Complying with all policies, procedures and protocols of the agency, including but not limited to the IRC Way, Adult & Child Safeguarding, Harassment Free Workplace Policy, Gender Equality policy, Global Information Security Policy.

·        Other duties as assigned.

Key Working Relationships:

Position Reports to:  Early Employment Coordinator

Other Internal and/or external contacts:

Internal:  Economic Empowerment Manager, Resettlement Manager, volunteers
External:  Community Partners, Employers, Funders including IOR, PRM, and ORR