Best Interest Determinations (BIDs) Specialist Job at Church World Service in Nairobi Kenya May 2014
Reports to: Africa Regional Deployment Unit (ARDU) Manager
RSC Africa The Resettlement Support Center (RSC) Africa operates a US refugee resettlement program in sub-Saharan Africa through a Cooperative Agreement with the Department of State/Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration. RSC Africa is responsible for the preparation of refugee case files for adjudication by US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) officers, as well as the out-processing and cultural orientation of all approved cases.
Benefits CWS Global and RSC Africa offer a total compensation package. The total compensation package includes a housing stipend, company life insurance,
comprehensive health insurance, vision coverage, a non-participatory 5% retirement contribution, 22 vacation days a year, 3 personal days per calendar year, 1 day of sick leave per month, AD&D insurance, Bereavement leave, Employee Assistance Program (EAP), and optional dental coverage.
EEOC Church World Service does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability, or veteran status in employment or the provision of services.
Please note RSC Africa does not accept resumes for positions that are not posted. All applicants are required to submit their resume using the on-line applicant tracking system.
Eligibility List The eligibility list established as a result of this job posting will be used for a minimum of six months or until the list is exhausted. This list will be used to fill any current and immediate future vacancies. Individuals who are interested in this position should submit their applications materials now.
Communications
Primary Purpose
Supervision
Essential Duties
- In conjunction with UNHCR and child protection partners, consults and analyzes all information, and interviews unaccompanied and separated refugee children for the purpose of preparing BID reports for consideration by a BID panel.
- Under guidance of UNHCR BID Supervisor, works within confidential case management protocols and established UNHCR Standard Operating Procedures.
- Completes and updates all case files and database records as per UNHCR guidelines.
- Monitors outstanding cases and follows-up with relevant UNHCR Resettlement units as available.
- Makes assessments and reports, and liaises with UNHCR Protection and Resettlement Units to ensure the smooth processing of referral submissions.
- Travels on deployments to UNHCR locations, often on short notice.
- Submits regular reports to ARDU Manager in line with deployment goals and objectives.
- Maintains current knowledge of refugee situations, with an emphasis on child refugee populations served in sub-Saharan Africa.
- Actively participates as a member of the UNHCR team; and complies with UNHCR’s security requirements.
- In field, undertakes additional related duties as agreed upon by the ARDU Manager, UNHCR Supervisor and deployees.
- Contributes to the development of deployment training topics, procedures and implementation.
- Undertakes additional assigned duties to support ARDU, including administrative tasks, not limited to: data entry, data analysis and research.
Advanced degree preferred.
Experience:
- One and a half years of related experience in child protection or child welfare is required.
- Supervisory experience is required.
- Previous confidential case management experience, including use of age-appropriate and gender-sensitive interview techniques is required.
- Experience working with local and/or international partners, particularly in a child protection framework required.
- 4 to 6 years relevant work experience, including in a developing country context is preferred.
- Thorough knowledge of international child protection framework and UNHCR BID Guidelines and Procedures.
- Demonstrated knowledge of resettlement processes as well as the USRAP.
- Excellent interviewing and counseling skills.
- Excellent drafting, writing and analytical skills.
- Spoken and written fluency in English; secondary language skills, such as Kiswahili, French, Arabic and other African regional languages are an advantage.
- Monitoring and evaluations skills desirable.
- Strong computer skills, in particular Microsoft Office.
- Excellent organizational and time management skills.
- conduct assessments and identify protection risks of refugee children populations;
- work effectively with partners and teams;
- remain collegial and flexible, including managing heavy workload under pressure;
- travel in sub-Saharan Africa on short notice and sometimes under difficult conditions, including refugee camps;
- communicate effectively both verbally and in writing;
- follow instructions from the Supervisor with a positive and receptive attitude;
- deal effectively and courteously with a large number of associates, outside agencies, refugees and members of the general public;
- conduct oneself in a professional and courteous manner to represent the best interests of RSC Africa and CWS/IRP;
- maintain a high performance standard with 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 RSC Africa;
- take initiative in the development and completion of projects;
lead others and address issues as they arise; - maintain strict confidentiality with RSC Africa administrative and operational information;
- manage a large and diverse workload under pressure with competing priorities;
- analyze and solve complex problems and make sound decisions;
- work well as a team in a multi-cultural environment while maintaining a high level of motivation;
- effectively manage RSC Africa’s resources;
- actively participate in the implementation of the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP).
Environmental: Incumbents in this position will be exposed to marked changes in temperature and/or humidity, harsh weather climates, dust and infectious diseases, working in confined quarters and dangerous insects, animals, reptiles, spiders, etc.
Special Requirements
- Background check which includes references and an educational criminal check is required before the start of employment.
- A valid passport and the ability to maintain a valid passport throughout the entire appointment is required, which includes having enough passport pages for travel.
- The candidate should be of good health, willing and able to travel extensively in often difficult conditions, and have a high degree of flexibility.
- Must be legally eligible to work and obtain a work permit in Kenya.
- Must have proof of Yellow Fever vaccination before traveling for RSC Africa.
- Employee will be entrusted with the receipt, custody and payment of money.
Competencies
Relationships
Job Knowledge
Teamwork
Problem Solving
Analyze information and develop solutions to challenges that arise during the course of performing a job. Examples of skills and behaviors include researching and collecting facts; defining the issues and the parties affected; formulating options/solutions for addressing the problem; and engendering support for and implementing the solution.
Operational Leadership
Building and Leading
Strategic Leadership
Application
http://rscafrica.applicantstack.com/x/detail/a2d9enfr6e0r
This position is open to international applicants.