Training Officer, Cultural Orientation

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 40 countries and 29 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: The International Rescue Committee (IRC) is one of the leading providers of high-quality programming for refugees resettling to the United States. The IRC is committed to developing innovative programs that respond to the refugees’ unique strengths and needs, using our learning and experience to shape policy and practice, and highlighting and promoting best practices in refugee services provision. 

The IRC is seeking a Training Officer, Cultural Orientation for Switchboard, an Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR)-funded program. Switchboard is a one-stop resource hub for refugee service providers in the United States. Switchboard provides training and capacity-building services to service providers in the United States, including resettlement agencies and affiliates, state agencies, ethnic community-based organizations, and others. More information about Switchboard can be found at www.SwitchboardTA.org.

Settle In is Switchboard's digital information service for newcomers taking the knowledge and resources Switchboard offers to service providers and adapting and delivering it directly to newcomers, in multiple languages, through its website (SettleInUS.org), mobile app, and social media platforms. More information on Settle In can be found on https://www.settleinus.org/.

Cultural orientation is a core service in refugee resettlement in the United States, helping newcomers build the knowledge and skills to navigate life in their new communities. The Training Officer, Cultural Orientation, leads the development and delivery of capacity-building initiatives for these programs. This includes training and technical assistance (TTA) to service providers, helping them build strong cultural orientation programs and apply best practices when working with newcomers. This staff member is responsible for producing and maintaining high-quality performance by collaborating with experts, designing effective cultural orientation resources such as curricula, training materials, and learning tools, and facilitating learning experiences that improve outcomes for newcomer children, adults, and families. This role requires hands-on experience working directly with clients, subject matter experts, and partners, along with prior experience delivering cultural orientation to newcomers.

Major Responsibilities: 

Training and Technical Assistance

• Design and deliver versatile cultural orientation training to service providers and cultural orientation delivery staff.   
• Provide responsive and cross-disciplinary technical assistance to refugee service providers in response to cultural orientation TTAs, adapting content to meet varied organizational needs and learning styles. 
• In collaboration with colleagues across teams, develop written and multimedia learning resources (e.g., toolkits, videos, podcasts) that reflect trauma-informed, client-centered, and strength-based approaches.
• Adapt materials for different literacy levels, languages, and cultural contexts 
• Integrate feedback from internal and external reviewers to continuously improve training and resource contents and delivery methods.
• Facilitate communities of practice and peer learning groups to promote knowledge exchange and cross-training across service areas. 

Project Management 

• Contribute to the creation of Switchboard’s annual training and technical assistance (TTA) workplan.
• Ensure related trainings and learning resources are developed and delivered on time and on budget.
• Use effective communication and collaborative skills with a wide range of stakeholders
• Manage internal and external subject matter expert/consultant relationships and project plans as they contribute to the development of related TTA.

Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E)

• Oversee tracking of related TTA outputs and outcomes against targets (materials developed, trainings delivered, individuals participating, etc.) 
• Together with Training Officers and Switchboard’s M&E team, review and analyze feedback data from related TTA participants
• Oversee provision of inputs into Switchboard reports, including monthly activity updates and semi-annual Performance Progress Reports.
• Other duties as assigned

Job Requirements:

Required: 

•  Bachelor's degree required, preferably in a related field such as Education, International Development, Social Work, Public Administration, Cross-Cultural Studies, Migration/Refugee Studies, or a related social science (or equivalent experience). 
• Minimum 6 years of direct service experience with refugees and/or other ORR-eligible populations
• Experience delivering cultural orientation to newcomers
• Experience providing training and/or technical assistance to build the capacity of refugee service providers
• Experience providing client-centered, trauma-informed, and strength-based services for refugees
• Experience in supporting newcomers' access and gaining self-sufficiency for services and resources i.e. financial, medical, social, vocational etc.

Preferred:

• Lived experience with forced displacement or shared background with newcomer populations
• Experience managing external subject matter experts and/or consultants
• Experience contributing to project M&E (data collection, management, and reporting)
• Experience with evidence-based programming

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities: 

• Working knowledge of programs and services related to client-centered services for refugees and newcomer families
• Strong understanding of cultural orientation frameworks, refugee/newcomer integration principles, and adult learning principles 
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with fluency in English; including engaging public speaking abilities
• Self-starter with ability to work both independently and collaboratively as a part of a team
• Capacity to give and receive constructive feedback
• Strong organizational and project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple competing deadlines and efficient time management
• Adequate technology literacy including intermediate knowledge of MS Office Suite (Teams, Word, PowerPoint, Excel), and Zoom, with adaptability to learning new and innovative technology.
• Strong attention to detail

Language Skills: Fluent in written and spoken English.

Working Environment: This position is a remote working environment. Required domestic travel up to 20%.

Compensation: (Pay Rate: $80,000 - $85,000/yr). 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. 

Professional Standards: All International Rescue Committee workers must adhere to the core values and principles outlined in IRC Way - Standards for Professional Conduct. Our Standards are Integrity, Service, Equality and Accountability. In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Safeguarding, Conflicts of Interest, Fiscal Integrity, and Reporting Wrongdoing and Protection from Retaliation. IRC is committed to take all necessary preventive measures and create an environment where people feel safe, and to take all necessary actions and corrective measures when harm occurs. IRC builds teams of professionals who promote critical reflection, power sharing, debate, and objectivity to deliver the best possible services to our clients.

Cookies: https://careers.rescue.org/us/en/cookiesettings

Benefits: IRC offers a comprehensive and competitive benefits package. Highlights include 10 paid sick leave, 10 U.S. holidays, 20-25 generous paid time off based on role and tenure, medical insurance starting at $163/month, dental starting at $6.50/month, and vision starting at $5/month, flexible spending accounts (healthcare, dependent care, and commuter), a 403(b) retirement savings plan with employer match (immediate vesting) along with a non-elective employer contribution based on age and years of service (3-year vesting), disability and life insurance, and an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) offering confidential counseling and support services for employees and their families.

Equal Opportunity Employer: IRC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. IRC considers all applicants on the basis of merit without regard to race, sex, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

#LI-1