Resettlement Officer at Church World Service

Primary Purpose

This is a full time position within ARDU which strategically utilizes CWS RSC deployments to UNHCR offices with the goal increasing referrals and managing cases in the pipeline for the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) in Africa. The primary function of the Resettlement Officer is to support the goals of ARDU through temporary deployments to UNHCR offices throughout sub-Saharan Africa. Tasks to be completed while on deployment will be determined in the Terms of Reference (TOR) for each deployment and will include activities that support refugee resettlement, including interviewing and writing resettlement referrals to the USRAP.

Essential Duties

• Travels on deployments to UNHCR offices on short notice, including to refugee camps.
• Conducts resettlement interviews with identified cases in line with UNHCR Resettlement Guidelines and country-specific Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
• Makes assessments and contributes towards identifying resettlement cases, including case verification, and completing the UNHCR Resettlement Registration Form (RRF) for the identified cases in line with ARDU SOPs and guidelines.
• Conducts Level 3 Registration (L-3 Reg.) interviews for the collection of applicants’ bio-data information for the UNHCR Resettlement Registration Form (RRF) Sections 1, 2 and 3.
• Participates in file reviews and compiles interview lists for UNHCR Profiling exercises. Conducts profiling interviews of UNHCR identified caseloads in line with UNHCR guidelines.
• Conducts resettlement interviews and completes RRFs for review.
• Verifies existing refugee registration data and ensures timely updates of all case files and database records per UNHCR guidelines.
• Process cases which have been deferred by CWS RSC Africa based on case changes or concerns.
• Completes and updates all case files and database records per UNHCR Resettlement Guidelines.
• In the field, undertakes additional work related duties as agreed upon by the ARDU Management in consultation with both the UNHCR Supervisor and ARDU deployee.
• Maintains current knowledge of refugee situations and population served in sub-Saharan Africa.
• Responsible for ensuring that ARDU staff resources such as Country of Origin Information, current practices and approaches in RRF Writing and Deferral processing are updated.
• Available whilst on deployment to answer any specific technical questions raised by UNHCR or CWS RSC Africa colleagues regarding USRAP processing.
• Actively participates as a member of the UNHCR team and complies with UNHCR’s security requirements.
• Submits regular reports to ARDU Management in line with deployment goals and objectives and communicates challenges related to casework, logistics and relationship with partners to ARDU Management in a timely manner.
• Contributes to the development of deployment training topics, procedures and implementation.
• Undertakes additional assigned duties while in the field or at the CWS RSC Africa office to support ARDU and RSC Africa, including administrative tasks.
• Any other duties as assigned

Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor’s Degree in a related field of study (preferable focus in international affairs, law, refugee law,

  human rights or social work) or four (4) years of work experience in lieu of a Bachelor’s degree is required.

• Master’s Degree in a related field of study preferred (preferable focus in international affairs, law, refugee law, human rights or social work).

Experience:

• Two (2) years of work experience is required.**
• Six (6) months related experience is required, including in a developing country in a relevant work area (e.g. assisting refugees in a resettlement context, casework, preparing refugee resettlement referrals, etc.).
• Previous or current experience with ARDU or other deployment schemes preferred.

Knowledge/Skills:

• Demonstrated knowledge of UNHCR/ USRAP and resettlement processes.
• Knowledge of international legal framework governing refugees, human rights/ human rights law required.
• Excellent interviewing and counseling skills.
• Excellent drafting, writing and analytical skills.
• Written and spoken fluency in English;
• Secondary language skills, such as French, Arabic and other African regional languages (other than Kiswahili) is required.
• Previous assessment/ monitoring and evaluation skills preferred.
• Strong interpersonal and diplomacy skills.
• Strong computer skills, in particular with Microsoft Office applications.
• Excellent organizational and time management skills.

Abilities:

The Resettlement Officer must have the ability to:

• Work effectively with partners and in team settings.
• Remain collegial and flexible, including while managing heavy workloads under pressure.
• Travel within sub-Saharan Africa on short notice and sometimes under difficult conditions.
• Work and deliver results under deadlines.
• Communicate effectively both verbally and in writing.
• Receive feedback and guidance with a positive and receptive attitude.
• Deal effectively and courteously with a large number of associates, external agencies, refugees and members of the general public.
• Conduct oneself in a professional and courteous manner to represent the best interests of CWS RSC Africa.
• Maintain a high performance standard with meticulous attention to detail.
• Carry out all of the duties of the position efficiently and effectively with minimal supervision.
• Work independently and contribute to overall operations of CWS RSC Africa.
• Maintain strict confidentiality with CWS RSC Africa administrative and operational information.
• Manage a large and diverse workload under pressure with competing priorities.
• Work well as a team in a multi-cultural environment and maintain a high level of motivation.
• Take initiative in the development and completion of projects.
• Actively participate in the implementation of the U.S. government’s Refugee Admissions Program.