Back Housing Resources Specialist

Job Overview:

The IRC’s Center for Financial Opportunity (CFO) helps newly arrived refugees and other low-income individuals reach self-sufficiency by finding entry-level employment and progress to living wage jobs, learn basic financial management skills and build assets, and start small businesses. The Center then helps families move sustainably out of poverty by offering high-quality, culturally-and linguistically accessible, integrated economic empowerment services.

Reporting directly to the Economic Empowerment Supervisor, with a dotted-line reporting relationship to the Senior Workforce Training Supervisor, the Housing Resources Specialist plays a crucial role in facilitating the Housing Assistance for Ukrainians (HAU) program. This initiative is specifically designed to aid the transition of recent Ukrainian arrivals, as well as non-Ukrainian individuals displaced from Ukraine, into long-term housing solutions within California. The HAU program offers comprehensive support, encompassing direct housing and utility assistance, alongside housing support services, to qualified households.

Major Responsibilities:

• Conduct eligibility reviews and intake, including documentation gathering and review, for persons interested in the UHA through IRC’s Vocational English as a Second Language Plus (VESL) program.
• Coordinate with Workforce department to ensure clients are appropriately connected to employment programs;
• Complete and submit requests for client rental and utility supports, ensuring disbursement to clients in a timely manner;
• Provide referrals to clients for internal and external resources to address their economic and other needs;
• Serve as focal point for Ukrainian Housing Assistance inquiries;
• Lead outreach efforts to ensure eligible community member know how to access the UHA program at IRC.
• Maintain tracker of all disbursements, collecting required demographic data and entering daily into tracker, other program-specific tracking sheets, and, as instructed, into ETO;
• Ensure that information required for program eligibility and reporting purposes is collected and that accurate records are maintained, including case files and client data entry;
• Attend regularly scheduled meetings with other IRC staff and volunteers as part of the review, evaluation and program maintenance process;
• Follow all policies, procedures and protocols of the agency;
• Other duties as assigned.

Job Requirements:

• Undergraduate degree in a related field strongly preferred; or mix of equivalent years of related work experience and education;
• 1+ years experience in the non-profit sector strongly preferred;
• Prior experience working with refugee and low-income populations preferred;
• 1-3 years proven experience with client counseling, case management, or coaching preferred;
• Previous multi-cultural experience and proven ability to communicate well with people of varied backgrounds required;
• Ability to work independently, be a self-starter and maintain responsibility for multiple tasks;
• Excellent organizational skills;
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including ability to make presentations;
• Fluency in Ukrainian and English is required.

Working Environment:

• Standard, professional office environment, including the current hybrid mode of remote work within San Diego County and required in-office days and some 'field' time within the service delivery area to perform the above-outlined responsibilities. Office working environment is subject to change based on organization/business needs.
• Requires work at both City Heights and El Cajon offices.
• May require occasional work during evenings or weekends.
• San Diego Office hours are scheduled Monday-Friday, 8:30 am-5 pm.

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: The IRC offers a comprehensive and highly competitive set of benefits. All US employees are eligible for sick time, a 403b retirement savings plans: up to 4.5% immediately vested matching contribution, plus an 3-7% additional IRC contribution, and an Employee Assistance Program which is available to our staff and their families to support in times of crisis and mental health struggles.

In addition, full-time employees are eligible for 10 US paid holidays, 20-25 paid time off days, disability & life insurance, medical, dental, and vision insurance (employee contribution starting at $135, $7, and $5 per month respectively) and FSA for healthcare, childcare, and commuter costs. Part-time employees are eligible for a proportionate amount of paid time off. These additional benefits apply to employees who work at least 6 months within a 12-month time period.