TTA - Program Officer, Preferred Communities – Southern Border

The IRC headquarters Resettlement Team oversees the implementation and quality of services for refugees within their early resettlement period. The team supports IRC local office staff in implementing high quality programs by providing technical assistance, training, and monitoring. The Preferred Communities grant, funded by the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) offers case management services to especially vulnerable refugees to help them achieve self-sufficiency. The Program Officer for Preferred Communities provides support and guidance to IRC field offices regarding the implementation of the grant program throughout the IRC US refugee resettlement programs network. The Program Officer supports field offices to provide high quality, client-centered services while achieving ORR compliance and programmatic objectives through close communication, technical assistance, and monitoring support. The Program Officer develops long-term bilateral relationships with key staff in all local offices and ensures program management responsibilities. The Program Officer reports to the Senior Program Officer, Preferred Communities within the Resettlement, Asylum, and Integration Department in the US.

Major Responsibilities:

• Support the overall management and implementation of the Preferred Communities Program, including assisting local staff, assisting with monitoring activities, and donor reporting.
• In collaboration with the Senior Program Officer and Program Officer for Training, analyze training and program compliance needs and trends to develop and facilitate opportunities for peer support and collaboration across local offices.
• Facilitate the transfer of PC cases both internally and externally by coordinating with Preferred Communities Working Group members and local office leadership to determine client needs and staff capacity.
• Process Preferred Communities Exception Requests by serving as the liaison between local office requests and ORR. Collaborate with local offices as needed to ensure requests are complete, communicate submission directly to ORR, and track receival and approval of requests.
• Respond to daily inquiries from local offices regarding case consultations, program compliance and implementation.
• Collaborate with local offices to implement performance improvement plans by developing action plans to improve service delivery and self-sufficiency outcomes for clients. Monitor progress toward goals.
• Support coordination of ORR monitoring visits by reviewing case files and questionnaires, attending debrief meeting and reviewing findings and action plans with offices.
• In collaboration with the Senior Program Officer and the Program Officer for Training, develop compliance guidance (Program Announcements, Reference Manuals) based on review of program guidelines, analysis of monitoring results, and other changes.

 Preferred experience & skills:

• Experience implementing the Preferred Communities program at local or national level.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills as well as an overall ability to be clear and concise in all communications.
• Strong organizational and time-management skills; proven ability to prioritize and deliver on time.
• Strong analytic problem-solving skills.
• Ability to work both independently and in a dynamic, cross-functional global team structure.
• Highly proficient in Microsoft Office suite.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with stakeholders at all levels
• Ability to work through change in a proactive and positive manner.

Working Environment: 

• Standard office working environment.
• Up to 30% of domestic travel as needed.
• This role may require working remotely full or part time and part time remote employees may be required to share workspace.