Project Director, Asylum Reception and Case Management

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world's worst humanitarian crises, helping to restore health, safety, education, economic wellbeing, and power to people devastated by conflict and disaster. Founded in 1933 at the call of Albert Einstein, the IRC is one of the world's largest international humanitarian non-governmental organizations (INGO), at work in more than 50 countries and more than 25 U.S. cities helping people to survive, reclaim control of their future and strengthen their communities. A force for humanity, IRC employees deliver lasting impact by restoring safety, dignity and hope to millions. If you're a solutions-driven, passionate change-maker, come join us in positively impacting the lives of millions of people world-wide for a better future.

Job Overview:

Beginning in January 2024, the IRC will provide transitional case management services to asylum seekers in New York City under a contract with New York City's Health & Hospitals (H+H). In 2022, in response to an increase in asylum seekers arriving in New York after having recently arrived via the southern US border, H+H launched several Humanitarian Emergency Response and Relief Centers (HERRCs) to provide humanitarian reception and supportive services to asylum seekers while they stabilize and organize plans to reach their final destination.

The IRC believes that coordinated, client-centered humanitarian reception can serve as a gateway to a safe and dignified asylum system in the US. With this new program, IRC staff will work with families in HERRC facilities to identify strategies to remove barriers to stability, facilitate safe connections to US ties and communities, and provide basic information on the immigration process to ensure they understand their rights and have access to available legal services in the community, provide referrals to legal and social services in final destinations, and provide more intensive case management for families and individuals with heightened needs. We will leverage our strong infrastructure and technical and emergency expertise to ramp up transitional case management capacity while coordinating closely with agencies providing legal and social services to asylum seekers in New York City (the City).

The IRC will also implement an innovative model to support asylum seekers interested in relocating by leveraging its proven and award-winning virtual case management model and infrastructure. Through this model, trained case managers will provide virtual navigation of resources and information for asylum seekers interested and willing to relocate outside of the City. These virtual services will include cash assistance, guidance on navigating the new community of resettlement, and ongoing virtual case management, including referrals to legal service providers and community-based organizations for up to five months post-resettlement. This virtual case management model endeavors to empower asylum-seekers who wish to resettle outside of the City but lack the resources, information, and support network needed to make the move.

Leading a team of diverse, skilled, and experienced managers and caseworkers, the Project Director will oversee the development of a humanitarian case management system for asylum seekers in New York City that is protection-centered and responsive to client needs and interests. They will represent the IRC before key stakeholders in city government, civil society, national networks, and federal government agencies to influence and support the development of coordinated reception models that meet the needs of asylum seekers and serve as a gateway to a fairer and more dignified process.

Major Responsibilities:

• Program Delivery: Oversee the implementation and rapid scaling of transitional case management services and a virtual resettlement program for individuals and families across HERRC sites. Work closely with IRC leaders, local government partners, and civil society partners to adapt and pivot high-quality services in response to shifting trends and needs.
• Service Coordination & Partnership: Serve as the main focal point on relations with H+H and other external partners. Build positive relationships with civil society, government partners, and immigrant communities. Collaborate to address client needs and support an enabling environment for asylum seekers' access to services, protection, and integration.
• Leadership: Build and cultivate an inclusive, impactful team. Support leaders in their management of teams in line with IRC's People Manager Standards to ensure successful program delivery and a safe, supportive environment for clients and staff.
• Contractual Compliance: Establish, implement, and oversee policies, systems and protocols that ensure contractual compliance.
• Business Development: Identify business development opportunities, including expanding the scope of IRC's response in NYC to meet the needs of migrant arrivals; for example, launch IRC's Signpost information platform in NYC.
• Monitoring & Evaluation: Be responsible for monitoring, evaluation, and reporting on program services. Ensure a data-driven approach that informs program adaptation and the policy debate and promotes data-driven solutions.
• Influence: Participate in national conversations on the reception of asylum seekers and contribute thought leadership to solve problems and improve quality of services.
• Financial Management: Coordinate with the Finance Manager, HQ Finance staff and the Deputy Director to ensure adherence to financial management, budget management, and contract invoicing guidelines under IRC's contract with the City.
• Safeguarding: Prioritize staff and client safeguarding procedures and ensure adherence to the IRC Way, IRC's Code of Conduct.
• Operations: Ensure timely and consistent communication with HQ on operational issues, policies, and reporting; support local implementation of IRC policies, including procurement, IT, and security and safety protocols.
• Media and Communications: Maintain the positive public image of IRC; engage with local media outlets and develop working relationships; collaborate closely with the IRC Communications Department on media efforts per IRC policies on external messaging.
• Other related duties as assigned.

Job Requirements:

Work Experience:

• Minimum 10 years of progressively responsible work experience with humanitarian assistance, social services, and/or legal services programs; strong preference for previous experience providing case management services to immigrant and refugee clients.
• Significant staff management, program development, monitoring, evaluation, and advocacy experience.
• Proven ability to manage contracts preferred.

Education:

• Master's degree in non-profit management, social work, sociology, migration studies, law, or international development or equivalent preferred.

Demonstrated Skills and Competencies:

• Authentic leadership: demonstrated ability to promote an organizational culture that reflects IRC's core values of service, accountability, integrity, and equality. The ability to lead in a way that recognizes IRC's work is best accomplished through the true collaboration of individuals from many cultures with a great variety of skills and perspectives, including partner organizations.
• Keen diplomatic and interpersonal skills; ability to enhance internal and external relationships, including with partners and donors. Ability to successfully and with utmost integrity and respect in a cross-cultural environment and with a limited English-speaking client population.
• Contract management, including the ability to effectively oversee the management of invoicing and budgets.
• Proven people management skills; demonstrated ability to deliver results and translate words into action.
• Ability to heighten the program's visibility within the IRC network and external environment.
• Superior organizational skills: ability to set priorities and effectively manage time in a fast-paced team environment.
• Strong cross-cultural understanding and excellent communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Digital literacy, including MS Office.

Language Skills:

• Fluency in written and spoken English
• Bilingual ability a plus, ideally in Spanish, French, Portuguese, Pulaar, Mandarin, Russian, Arabic, Turkish, Dari, or Georgian.

Working Environment:

• Regular on-site presence at the HERRCs, which are 24-hour/7-day facilities, where the IRC is expected to operate on a two-shift schedule. Flexible or hybrid work schedule available.

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 requirements.

Gender Equality: IRC is committed to narrowing the gender gap in leadership positions. We offer benefits that provide an enabling environment for women to participate in our workforce including parental leave, gender-sensitive security protocols and other supportive benefits and allowances.

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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Standard of Professional Conduct:The IRC and the IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in the IRC Way – our Code of Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, Accountability, and Equality.

Commitment to Gender, Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion: The IRC is committed to creating a diverse, inclusive, respectful, and safe work environment where all persons are treated fairly, with dignity and respect. The IRC expressly prohibits and will not tolerate discrimination, harassment, retaliation, or bullying of the IRC persons in any work setting. We aim to increase the representation of women, people that are from country and communities we serve, and people who identify as races and ethnicities that are under-represented in global power structures.

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