Youth Services Specialist

Job Overview:

The Afghan Refugee School Impact (ARSI) program is a statewide initiative designed to offer a range of direct services to newly arrived youth and families from Afghanistan. Locally, the IRC is one of several service providers who will implement programs with the objective of connecting youth and families with available resources and providing them with the academic and social support needed to integrate into their communities.

The Youth Services Specialist is responsible for supporting the daily implementation of all school-aged youth ARSI services, with a focus on academic support, English language acquisition, and social-emotional learning (SEL) skill development. During the school year, the IRC will facilitate after-school services at school sites or IRC office locations focused on academic support. Additionally, this position will support IRC’s Communities in Action program through the coordination and implementation of Educational and Cognitive Development services for youth and families.

Major Responsibilities:

• Outreach and recruit Afghan youth to participate in IRC services;
• Verify program eligibility and enroll clients;
• Develop and facilitate culturally and linguistically appropriate after-school tutoring and academic support program;
• Assist with existing school-based learning services and family engagement programming
• Collaborate with colleagues serving the same clients to ensure holistic support is provided to best support student needs;
• Serve as a liaison to key teachers and staff at school sites, school district offices, and community organizations;
• Maintain and input student data including eligibility documents, attendance records, and academic or SEL assessments;
• Ensure all clients follow the policies of the program and report client progress;
• Participate in IRC Youth Department meetings to collaborate with colleagues;
• Participate in ARSI collaborative meetings to foster communication and resource sharing;
• Use IRC and program database(s) as assigned to track client services, outcomes, and metrics;
• Other related duties as assigned.

Job Requirements:

• Undergraduate degree in the education or social services field required.
• Local resident of San Diego, eager to work in person to support refugee youth from Afghanistan;
• Proficiency in Farsi/Dari and/or Pashto required;
• Demonstrated experience facilitating group-based learning services for school-aged youth;
• Demonstrated experience working with refugees, asylees, and/or immigrant populations;
• Experience in a non-profit setting and/or international setting a plus;
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to make presentations and lead groups;
• Experience with online learning platforms including Zoom, Google Classroom and Drive a plus;
• Ability to think and work independently;
• Must be very flexible, capable of working under pressure with deadlines and handling multiple priorities;
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced, multicultural environment;
• Strong digital literacy skills, particularly in MS Office applications and experience with databases;

Working Environment:

• Must be a local resident of San Diego County;
• Work schedule will be a hybrid model with at least 3 days in the office per week and regular afternoon work at school sites or community-based locations for service delivery;
• Standard office hours are scheduled Monday – Friday, 8:30 am – 5:00 pm, with evening and weekend work necessary on occasion;
• Regular travel to off-site locations is required; valid Driver’s License, active and sufficient insurance and reliable transportation required;
• Professional IRC office environment.

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.