About CWS

Position Title:

South Africa Referral Unit (SARU) Processing Associate

Reports To:

SARU Program Supervisor

Supervises:

None

Division:

Program Implementation

Department:

SARU

Job Location:

Nairobi, Kenya

Grade Level:

Job Grade 5, National

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 role is responsible for supporting the goals of SARU through completing referral interviews and referral database functions to enter case information to complete the referral process inclusive of completing the Persecution History information.

Working Environment

• In-office work
• Possible future travel

Responsibilities

Program Administration (50%)

• Conducts virtual interviews to complete referral documentation
• Complete case identification screenings currently by virtual interview with possible future in-person interviews
• Responsible for executing processing by using issued PRM/RPC processing guides or job aid to complete case actions in referral database or START, and CWS SoP for functions outside of referral database or START
• Maintains current knowledge of refugee situations and thresholds of persecution based on U.S. Immigration and Nationality Act regulations
• Submits regular reports to SARU Management in-line with the departments’ goals and objectives and communicates any challenges immediately
• Contributes to the development of deployment training topics, procedures and implementation

Compliance (40%)

• Conducts processing activities based on PRM, RPC and CWS/RSC Africa issued policies and procedures
• Makes assessments and contributes towards identifying cases that reach the threshold of persecution for submission to PRM who will authorize the case for submission to the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP)
• Verifies all information entered into referral database is accurate
• Actively participates as a member of the RSC Africa Programs’ team and participates in trainings

Additional Responsibilities (10%)

• Undertakes additional work-related duties as agreed upon by SARU leadership to support SARU and CWS/RSC Africa, including administrative tasks
• Any other duties as assigned

Qualifications

Experience:

• A Minimum of four (4) years of paid work experience is required.
• A minimum of one (1) year of experience working in ARDU or field processing or a UNHCR deployment scheme is preferred
• Previous experience in Resettlement Registration Form (RRF) writing is preferred
• Previous experience in Best Interest Assessment (BIA) is preferred

Skills:

• 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;
• Working level of French skill is preferred;
• 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, or four (4) additional year’s work experience in lieu of a Bachelor’s Degree.
• Master’s degree in a related field of study (including international affairs, refugee law, human rights or social work) is preferred.

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.
• Remain alert and responsive to any child safeguarding and PSEAH (Prevention of Sexual, Exploitation, Abuse and Harassment) risks, acquire relevant knowledge and skills which will enable you to promote strong safeguarding PSEAH practices, understand the child safeguarding and PSEAH Policies and procedures, and conduct yourself in a manner consistent with the Child Safeguarding and PSEAH Policies.

Special Requirements

• The candidate should be in good health, willing and able to travel extensively in often difficult conditions, and have a high degree of flexibility. Must have and maintain a valid passport. Must have proof of Yellow Fever vaccination before traveling for RSC Africa
• This position is based in (Nairobi, Kenya) with frequent travel to the field
• This position requires use of laptops at all time, 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.  If you do not have a valid police clearance, immediately work on obtaining one.
• 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.
• 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.
• The US Embassy rates (Kenya) as both HIGH in crime and HIGH in terrorism.  Incumbents should fully understand the insecurities present within (Kenya and the region). Remove if not relevant.
• This is a full-time position
• All employees should be prepared to work from the CWS office within their location of hire. Remote work arrangements may vary depending on location and the governing regulations based on the prevailing context.