Youth Higher Education Specialist

Job Overview:

The Youth Higher Education Specialist will be responsible for supporting San Diego County's education initiative, aimed at increasing submission rates for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and the California Dream Act Application (CADAA). Working under the guidance of the Youth Program Supervisor, the Specialist will collaborate with Youth Department colleagues and school personnel to identify graduating high-school seniors and college-age students, with a particular focus on schools where the IRC Youth Department currently provides services.

The Specialist will provide educational workshops and personalized 1:1 support to predominantly refugee and immigrant youth and students with disabilities, with the goal of increasing awareness and submission of FAFSA or CADAA applications. In addition, the Specialist will provide support for post-secondary institution applications, enrollment, and navigation.

Major Responsibilities:

• Develop and conduct a minimum of 8 workshops to educate and facilitate the FAFSA and CADAA processes
• Provide personalized 1:1 assistance to a minimum of 130 clients with FAFSA/CADAA applications and financial aid education
• Assist with post-secondary applications and enrollment in community colleges, 4-year universities, adult schools, or vocational programs
• Conduct outreach and recruit eligible students to the program services
• Collaborate and communicate with school personnel to identify and enroll eligible students
• Act as a liaison between IRC and key teachers, staff at school sites, school district offices, and community organizations
• Stay updated on financial aid policies for students of various citizenship status
• Maintain and input student data including eligibility documents, attendance records, FAFSA/CADAA completion using IRC databases
• Follow program policies and report client progress
• Oversee and lead IRC’s Higher Learning Navigation (HLN) tutoring for college-age students
• Connect students to tutoring services and other IRC programs based on individual needs
• Contribute to the development and implementation of IRC Refugee Student Scholarship program
• Attend and participate in IRC Youth Department meetings to collaborate with colleagues
• Provide training and supervision to Youth Department volunteers as required
• Perform other relevant duties as assigned.

Job Requirements:

Education

• Undergraduate degree required; undergraduate degree in the education or social services field preferred;

Work Experience

• Experience working with youth; experience in a school setting strongly preferred;
• Experience working with refugees, asylees, and/or immigrant populations strongly preferred;
• Experience with or familiarity with the FAFSA or CADAA processes required;
• Case management or coaching experience preferred;
• Experience in a non-profit setting and/or international setting a plus;
• Experience with online learning platforms including Zoom, Google Classroom and Drive a plus;

Demonstrated Skills & Competencies

• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to make presentations and lead groups;
• Proficiency in English and a refugee and/or immigrant language such as Spanish, Farsi, Pashto, Arabic, Swahili, etc. preferred;
• Ability to think and work independently;
• Must be very flexible, capable of working under pressure with deadlines and handling multiple priorities;
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced, multicultural environment;
• Strong digital literacy skills, particularly in MS Office applications and experience with databases;

Working Environment:

• Standard office environment, including the current hybrid mode of remote work within San Diego County and required in-office days, and some ‘field’ time within the service delivery area to perform the above outlined responsibilities. Office working environment is subject to change based on organization/business need.
• May require occasional weekend and/or evening work.
• Offices hours are scheduled as Monday-Friday, 8:30am-5pm.
• Access to a reliable vehicle to travel throughout the service delivery area with a valid driver's license and current insurance required.

Compensation: Posted pay ranges apply to US-based candidates. Ranges are based on various factors including the labor market, job type, internal equity, and budget.  Exact offers are calibrated by work location, individual candidate experience and skills relative to the defined job requirement.

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 new hires to furnish proof of vaccination against COVID-19 in order to be considered for any in-office or hybrid positions.  All IRC US offices require full vaccination to attend any in-office functions (e.g., meetings, trainings).

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.

US Benefits: 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 $145 per month, dental starting at $7 per month, and vision starting at $5 per month, FSA for healthcare, childcare, and commuter costs, a 403b retirement savings plans with up to 4.5% immediately vested matching contribution, plus a 3-7% base IRC contribution (3 year vesting), 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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