Refugee Communication Associate (Farsi)

at  HIAS Inc

ORGANISATION: HIAS RSC Austria
TITLE: Refugee Communication Associate (Farsi)
REPORT TO: Refugee Communication Manager
LOCATION: Vienna, Austria

KEY SKILLS AND ATTRIBUTES:

• Excellent command of Farsi (written and verbal)
• Excellent command of English (written and verbal)
• Working knowledge of Armenian/ Assyrian/Arabic would be an asset
• Previous working experience/direct or indirect engagement with NGOs and any other humanitarian exposure is preferred
• Previous refugee resettlement support work within the US Refugee Admissions Program would be an advantage
• Strong interpersonal and cross-cultural communication skills
• Excellent interpretation and translation skills
• Ability to interpret remotely using different technologies
• Ability to think and act independently
• Uses critical thinking to relay concerns to the appropriate person as necessary
• Highly organised with the ability to manage deadlines and deliver within strict timeframes
• Uses initiative to ask questions and make suggestions
• Able to maintain consistently high standards of work
• Able to work with Microsoft Office applications, the internet and other databases to create documents, access and update information and prepare reports
• Able to work both in a team and independently
• Experience with START databases is an advantage
• Ability and willingness to occasionally travel internationally
  All applicants should have the legal right to live and work in Austria without additional support.
  Compensation for this position is minimum 2700 euro monthly in accordance with all standard Austrian legal and tax deductions.
  This position is 100% in office and remote work is not possible, however a flexible time schedule is available internally.
  This position is subject to the availability of donor funds.

DISCLAIMER:

This job description is intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed. It is not an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, skills required or permanent location. Location is subject to change based on programmatic needs. Flexibility is essential as we grow and develop. The successful candidate must be comfortable in a fast-paced, changing work environment with many crucial deadlines. All team members may be required to perform duties outside of their normal work hours of responsibilities as needed.

ABOUT US:

Over one hundred years ago, the Jewish community founded HIAS (originally the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society) in New York City, the immigrant gateway to America. Supporting Jews fleeing persecution and poverty in Eastern Europe, our founders were guided by the traditions, texts and history of the Jewish people—a history of oppression, displacement and diaspora. HIAS has since helped generations of Jews facing violence because of who they were, and HIAS remains committed to helping Jewish refugees anywhere in the world. Today, our clients at HIAS come from diverse faiths, ethnicities and backgrounds, as do our staff. We bring our experience, history and values to our work across five continents, ensuring that refugees today receive the vital services and opportunities they need to thrive.
HIAS is a learning community, committed to diversity and inclusion. We do our work with integrity, accountability, transparency and a commitment to the highest ethical standards. We seek employees from diverse backgrounds and life experiences to join our teams located in the United States and across the globe. People who identify as BIPOC, people with disabilities, people from the LGBTQ+ community and people with lived experiences of forced displacement or immigration are all encouraged to apply. We are committed to building a diverse workforce that reflects our vision, mission and values.
The HIAS Resettlement Support Center (RSC) processes refugee cases for resettlement to the US through a contract with the US State Department.

PURPOSE OF THE ROLE:

To act as a knowledge lead and escalation point for all fundamental communication processes from the time of application to departure for refugee applicants, in compliance with PRM, RPC and HIAS policies including the Program Integrity Guidelines, as directed by the Refugee Communication Manager. To be in charge of challenging/sensitive communication with refugee applicants and, when necessary, interpret for various RSC matters, in line with the Interpreter Code of Conduct.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Work closely with the Refugee Communication Manager to actively schedule and maintain an overview of the workflow of all the communication activities (scheduling of appointments, USCIS interviews, registration, CO classes, medicals, travel/flights, receipt of missing documents etc.), via phone calls, emails and SMS, between the refugee communication team and the refugee applicants
• Act as the escalation point of contact with refugee applicants and interpret as necessary
• Guide the response/respond to challenging/sensitive communication with refugee applicants in coordination with the Refugee Communication Manager
• Support the Refugee Communication Manager in reviewing and updating internal Communication Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) in compliance with processing guidelines
• Create, review and update the appropriate narrative/scripts/templates used when contacting a refugee applicant ensuring that they are accurate, sensitive, and compliant with program guidelines and HIAS Policies
• Provide support to the refugee communication team, when updating necessary information in the US Government secured database (START) and documenting the action performed in it (ex. action items, contact logs), following the correct procedures in compliance with PRM and the RPC
• Schedule and supervise the Phone Open Hours for all the three RSC offices
• Support the Refugee Communication Manager to regularly review and assess RSC communication processes and policies by also suggesting mechanisms to mitigate risks and to prevent and detect fraud and malfeasance
• Provide technical assistance and information on changes to workflows and procedures to the refugee communication team in accordance with START (USRAP Refugee Processing System), USCIS, PRM Program Announcements
• Perform regular quality checks on work conducted by the team and inform the Refugee Communication Manager of error detection
• Support the Refugee Communication Manager with reviewing, translating and updating refugee applicants RSC information campaign messages and materials as required and ensure that RSC communication materials are appropriate for all age groups, all literacy levels, all languages, all abilities, all genders
• Ensure the confidentiality and integrity of all RSC-related information in line with USRAP standards of conduct and data protection rules
• When necessary, interpret and assist for a variety of case processing and programmatic scenarios (including registration, casework interviews, USCIS interviews) and translate documents and messages as necessary
• Work closely with different Program departments to provide better coordination within the Programs
• Prepare communication reports on statics and trends in conjunction with the Refugee Communication Manager
• Attend and participate in team meetings and training sessions
• Perform the refugee communication assistants tasks, as necessary
• Any other tasks as assigned by the Refugee Communication Manager