Economic Empowerment Specialist

Are you a person of compassion? An advocate for justice? Someone who stands up for the rights of the vulnerable and speaks out for the marginalized, the exploited and the forgotten?  Do you believe in our calling as Christians to welcome the least of these and love our neighbor?

If you answered ‘yes’, to any of the above, World Relief, and millions of people around the world need you.

At this pivotal moment in time, we are rapidly expanding and growing our team to meet the increasing needs of our world. We are looking for people who want to use their gifts and talents to make a real and tangible difference in our world and the lives of the suffering.

If you’re looking for a purpose-driven career in which you can grow your talents, while also standing up for the rights of the vulnerable, we want you to join us today.

ORGANIZATION SUMMARY

World Relief is a global Christian humanitarian organization whose mission is to boldly engage the world’s greatest crises in partnership with the church. The organization was founded in the aftermath of World War II to respond to the urgent humanitarian needs of war-torn Europe. Since then, for 80 years, across 100 countries, World Relief has partnered with local churches and communities to build a world where families thrive and communities flourish.

Today, organizational programming focuses on humanitarian and disaster response, community strengthening and resilience, and refugee & immigrant services and advocacy.

To assist refugee clients to prepare for, secure, and retain employment that will make self-sufficiency possible, fulfilling the Match Grant program requirements and the Mission, Vision, Values and policies of World Relief, and in close collaboration with other employment staff at World Relief.

This position is 32 hours a week.

• Collaborate, network and communicate with the Match Grant Program staff and other employment staff on a daily basis to ensure cooperation and common goals for the program.
• Ensure services, which support and strengthen clients’ motivation and capacities to become self-supporting, are provided in a planned, effective, and timely manner to eligible clients. 
• Provide assessment of client’s skills and experience and develop an employment plan with reasonable employment goals and strategies that will lead to employment.  Monitor progress and communicate obstacles to case manager. 
• Make contact with refugees enrolled in the program through office visits and telephone calls (and home visits when necessary) until case closure. This should be weekly for job club and/or tailored job search meetings until employed, after that there should be a 2-week check-in then further follow-up can be conducted through the case management staff.
• At least once a month, the client contact should include a progress review for the family, to identify progress with English or other education services, interaction with a volunteer, and make sure other needs are being communicated to the case managers. 
• On the 120th and 180th days, or within 3 days, checking in with clients to confirm employment status and check on general progress.
• Maintain an employment “working file” for each adult client enrolled. Document activities through timely case notes which reflect current status.
• When appropriate, refer clients to other Job Clubs, childcare providers, DMV, medical care, job training, transportation information and other sources and services that will remove identified barriers to employment. 
• Communicate to clients employment related information including orientation to American work values and employer expectations.  Provide job counseling and assist clients to develop effective job applications, resumes and interview techniques.
• Contact potential employers to obtain interviews for clients.  Accompany refugees to job interviews as necessary and provide a translator when needed. 
• Represent World Relief to area employers as a desirable source of workers.  Act as liaison between employer and client to ensure good employer relationships.
• Initiate Work Verification and Work Termination in accordance with grant requirements and update IRIS with job information regularly. 
• Instruct two-hour Job Readiness Class once each week using prepared curriculum, keep curriculum up to date, 
• To support WR Spokane’s overall work to see clients obtain and retain quality job placements, carry out relationship development with potential and new employers on behalf of all employment programs, support other employment program staff with job readiness, job placement, follow-up and record-keeping activities when time allows. This may ebb and flow, depending on the case load in Match Grant. Consult with MG manager for direction on when it is or is not appropriate to be involved in this activity.
• Maintain all program requirements.

• Mature and personal Christian faith
• Committed to the mission, vision, and values of World Relief
• Desire to serve and empower the Church to impact vulnerable communities
• Able to affirm and/or acknowledge World Reliefs Core Beliefs, Statement of Faith, Christian Identity and National Evangelicals For the Health of The Nation document
• Computer literate, with proficiency in MS Office (Outlook, Excel and Word) and internet applications required.
• B.A. degree plus 2 years’ relevant experience such as direct services and case file maintenance.
• Valid driver’s license and able to pass the background check and MVR. 
• Prior multicultural experience 
• Experience in a social service setting assisting people in need 
• Must be able to drive 

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Ability to solve practical problems
• Ability to deal with complex and diverse individual and family situations
• Computer skills, Windows XP, Microsoft Word and Excel
• Organizational skills with attention to detail
• Able to work under pressure
• Ability to work together with other staff members

• Ability to log activities, complete reports, and compose case notes
• Ability to speak a language in addition to English strongly preferred

World Relief offers a competitive benefits package and employee discount program for full-time and part-time employees.

World Relief is honored to be recognized with the Gold-level Cigna Healthy Workforce Designation for exceeding the core components of our well-being program including leadership and culture, program foundations and execution, and whole person health.

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Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

We are proud to be an EEO/AA employer M/F/D/V. We maintain a drug-free workplace and perform pre-employment substance abuse testing.

For World Relief staff, strong commitment to the mission, vision, and values of World Relief is essential, and Christian faith is a prerequisite for employment, based upon United States federal guidelines provided in Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.