Product Specialist

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 50 countries and more than 25 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.

**Background/IRC Summary:**From March 2022 – March 2023, the International Rescue Committee launched and implemented a first-of-its-kind service model for the resettlement of 556 Afghan Humanitarian Parolees (AHPs) who arrived through Operation Allies Welcome. With a comprehensive and personalized digital case management model, the Virtual Afghan Placement and Assistance (VAPA) program provided direct, digital case management for the successful resettlement of these new arrivals. Building off this award-winning program, the IRC now implements the Virtual Reception & Placement (VR&P) program for Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) holders, the Virtual Resettlement Line for humanitarian parolees, and the Welcome Corps Support Line for private sponsor groups welcoming newcomers.

Using the model developed during VAPA and further advanced for the current iteration of the VR&P program, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) aims to meet the high-reaching goal of receiving and resettling up to 10,000 individuals in FY24 from the Western Hemisphere and Operation Enduring Welcome platforms.

Job Overview/Summary:

The remote and pioneering nature of this project requires a Product Specialist to develop applications, maintain API connections, build and maintain CRM technology, implement data protection recommendations, and create new functionality nested within the Signpost technology team. Signpost, a rapidly scaling community-led information service that uses technology to support clients in times of crisis, has built a case management system in Zendesk that will equip VR&P case staff with digital tools, channels and social media.

The Product Specialist is a technology generalist who will govern, and implement VR&P and products, including Zendesk Support, Zendesk Guide, PowerBI, Azure, and Transifex. The Specialist will talk with project staff and translate their needs to new features, policies, and guidance. They will work directly with project leadership to design and implement the project’s technology requirements on a quick timeline. This position requires deep technical problem-solving skills, excellent interpersonal skills, a high level of independence, an interest in the use of technology for emergency response, and the ability to work well in a multicultural, dynamic environment.

The Major Responsibilities:

• Product Administration (40%)
o Coordinates with external Technology Partners technology build or troubleshooting tasks o Monitor automated integrations with other systems and resolve any failures and/or escalate issues

to the appropriate support

o Lead bug fixing, product testing, and troubleshooting requests for users on short timelines o Maintain relationship with IRC IT and Zendesk Services team to tackle problems as they arise o Train new users on the use of Signpost tools and create user guidance

o Report and analyze product data and analytics on a weekly and monthly basis

• Product Implementation (30%)
o Coordinate with Signpost program support team to deliver on project timelines and build

re-purposeable tech

o Works alongside the Product Manager and technology team to design and build new features o Meet regularly with programs teams to understand ongoing needs and requests o Design technical system workflows and processes alongside project teams o Lead the integration and migration of Signpost CRM tools and data with partner tools o Set timelines and expectations for the delivery of new features with project teams

• Technology Strategy (15%)
o Contribute to the build out and execution of Signpost’s technology roadmap o Contribute to discussions with tech partners and potential collaborators about new features

• Technical Project Management Support (15%)
o Add new tickets and tasks for software development teams o Prioritize ongoing development work alongside the Product Manager and Product lead o Participate in task management with the product team

Job Requirements:

Work / Educational Experience:

• 2-5 years’ work experience in the humanitarian sector, product administration or management, quality assurance, systems engineering or technology development

• Teaching or client facing experience in complex stakeholder environments

• Bachelor’s in computer science and/or systems engineering

Required Skills and Competencies:

• Experience administering Zendesk and/or other CRM’s, working with Zapier integrations, using Jira or other product management tools

• Knowledge of Python

• Experience writing user stories and technical tasks for developers, data analysts, and cloud engineers

• Experience troubleshooting and coordinating with management, Quality Assurance teams, and end users

• Proficient in Social Media tools, Web Analytics, Microsoft Office, Microsoft Tools, and Sharepoint

• Strong organizational and time-management skills; demonstrable ability to prioritize and deliver on time • Ability to respond enthusiastically and positively to ambiguity

Preferred experience & skills:

• Knowledge of Spanish, Arabic, French, Ukrainian, or Russian

• Knowledge of CSS, R, SQL or Javascript

• Knowledge of Geospatial mapping tools such as ArcGIS, Carto, etc.

• Knowledge of Data Analysis tools and principles (PowerBI)

• Knowledge of Figma and basic User Experience Design principles

• Experience in a humanitarian or development organization, or similar

Working Environment:

• This role may require working remotely full or part time as IRC transitions to standard office working environment

Compensation:

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.

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.

**Standard of Professional Conduct:**The IRC and the IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in the IRC Way – our Code of Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, Accountability, and Equality.

Commitment to Gender, Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion: The IRC is committed to creating a diverse, inclusive, respectful, and safe work environment where all persons are treated fairly, with dignity and respect. The IRC expressly prohibits and will not tolerate discrimination, harassment, retaliation, or bullying of the IRC persons in any work setting. We aim to increase the representation of women, people that are from country and communities we serve, and people who identify as races and ethnicities that are under-represented in global power structures.