Vacancy Title: Resettlement Expert level 1 – Church World Service (CWS)

Reports to: ARDU Supervisor

Division : CWS Africa

Department: Programs, African Regional Deployment Unit (ARDU)

Job Location: Nairobi, Kenya

Grade Level: Grade 5, Officers, International

Introduction: Church World Service (CWS) is a not-for-profit, faith-based organization transforming communities around the globe through just and sustainable solutions to hunger, poverty, displacement and disaster. CWS does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, gender identity, genetic information, age, disability or veteran status in employment or in the provision of services.

Primary Purpose:

This is a full time position within ARDU which strategically utilizes temporary CWS RSC deployments to UNHCR offices with the goal of increasing referrals and managing cases in the pipeline for the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) in Africa. The primary function of the Resettlement Expert Level I is to support the goals of ARDU through these temporary deployments in sub-Saharan Africa. Tasks to be completed by the Resettlement Expert Level I while on deployment in UNHCR offices will be determined in the Terms of Reference (TOR) awarded to them prior to the commencement of each deployment.

Essential Duties:

The Resettlement Expert Level I will be expected to:

1. Travel on deployments to UNHCR offices on short notice, including to refugee camps.
2. Complete all duties in accordance with ARDU and UNHCR Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) including country-specific registration and resettlement guidelines of the deployment location.
3. Contribute towards identifying resettlement cases, compiling interview lists, scheduling interviews, conducting profiling and/ or Level 3 Registration (L-3 Reg.) assessments, tackling deferrals & re-submissions, as well as carrying out resettlement interviews with the goal of completing UNHCR Resettlement Registration Forms (RRFs) for review.
4. Update new and verify existing refugee registration data and, ensure timely updates of all case files and database records per UNHCR SOPs and guidelines.
5. Maintain updated knowledge of current refugee situations and populations served in sub-Saharan Africa.
6. Be available, whilst on deployment, to answer any specific technical questions raised by UNHCR or CWS RSC Africa colleagues regarding USRAP processing.
7. Actively participate as a member of the UNHCR team and comply with UNHCR’s security requirements.
8. Undertake additional work-related duties as agreed upon by the ARDU Management in consultation with both the UNHCR Supervisor and ARDU deployee.
9. Ensure that ARDU staff resources such as Country of Origin Information, current practices and approaches in Profiling, L-3 Reg., RRF Writing and Deferral processing are updated.
10. Communicate challenges related to casework, logistics and relationship with partners to ARDU Management in a timely manner.
11. Submit regular reports to ARDU Management to document progress against deployment goals and objectives.
12. Contribute to the development of deployment training topics, procedures and implementation.
13. Undertake additional assigned duties while in the field or at the CWS RSC Africa office to support ARDU and RSC Africa, including administrative tasks.
14. Any other duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

Experience:

• Four (4) 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.

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.

Education & Certifications:

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

Abilities:

• Manage large and diverse workload under pressure with competing priorities.
• Maintain the integrity of official records.
• Analyze and solve complex problems and make sound decisions.
• Work with minimal supervision.
• Maintain a high performance standard with attention to detail.
• Work independently and contribute to overall operations of RSC Africa.
• Actively participate in the implementation of the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP).

Important Requirements:

• Strong English communication skills, both written and oral.
• Ability to work in a multi-cultural environment required.
• Commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion and willingness to support CWS’ Platform on Racial Justice as a CWS employee required.

Special Requirements:

• COVID-19 vaccination is required for all successful candidates.
• 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 obtain a Certificate of Good Health from a recognized hospital before the start of deployment to UNHCR and have proof of Yellow Fever vaccination before traveling for RSC Africa.
• This position is based in Nairobi, Kenya.
• This position requires use of laptops at all time, therefore competence in Microsoft office packages is required.
• This position may require travel in sub-Saharan Africa on short notice and under sometimes difficult conditions to meet demands of a dynamic operational program.
• Background check which includes references, and an educational and 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.
• International applicants must not be National or Ordinary residents of Kenya .Must be legally eligible to work and obtain a work permit in (Kenya) and must meet Kenya Immigration regulations.
• Physical: This position requires bending, squatting, crawling, climbing, kneeling, sitting, standing, walking, pushing/pulling, handling objects (manual dexterity), reaching above shoulder level, using fine finger movements and lifting/carrying heavy loads.

Environmental: Incumbents in this position will be exposed to excessive noise, marked changes in temperature and/or humidity, dust and infectious diseases, harsh weather climates, long work hours, bumpy roads, extended travel, excessive sun exposure, and non-ventilated spaces.