The Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization (IRCO) is a non-profit organization established in 1976 to serve immigrants, refugees, and the broader community in Portland, Oregon. Our mission is to welcome, serve and empower refugees, immigrants and people across cultures and generations to reach their full potential. Find out more at www.irco.org.  

POSITION:                           Resource Navigator

JOB CLASS/GRADE:            Specialist 1/Grade 8

WAGE:                                   Starting at $49,572 per year based on experience 

FLSA; EEO; WC:                   Non-Exempt; Professional; 8864

LOCATIONS:                        Slavic & Eastern European Center (SEEC) Washington Office 4400 NE 77th # 275, 

                                               Vancouver, WA 98662 & SEEC, 555 SE 99th AVE, Portland, OR 97216

                                               On Site

FTE; FT/PT; STATUS:           1.0 FTE; Full-Time with Benefits; Regular

NUMBER OF POSITIONS: (1)

APPLY AT:                            www.irco.org 

STATUS:                                Full-Time with Benefits

PROGRAM(S):                      SEEC Schoolsout WA (SOWA)

SECTOR/DIVISION:            Slavic & Eastern European Center/Center Managed Funds  

REQUIREMENTS:                English required, bilingual in Ukrainian or Russian languages 

                                               preferred. Must possess a valid driver’s license, verification of current auto insurance,

                                               and have full use of an automobile during work hours.

Program/Department Summary
The program serves school-age refugee children, primarily ages 5 to 18, per current Office of Refugee Resettlement guidelines and policies, prioritizing children in the country less than one year and residents of Washington State. The central goal of the program is to fund activities that lead to unified access to the education of children and youth. Allowable activities must be aligned with the intent and purpose of the Refugee School Impact funding.

Position Summary
The Resource Navigator conducts community outreach, performs eligibility screenings, and supports students and families. In this role, you will manage funding for activities that secure equal access to resources for children and youth, while providing essential resource navigation and training for schools and systems.

Essential Functions

• Provide specialized approaches and support for eligible students, such as English as a Second Language classes.
• Connect students with tutors based on tutors’ availability.
• Organize after school and summer programs activities.
• Provide mentoring, behavioral health support, and programming that supports unified access.
• Support families learning to navigate the U.S. education system, such as school-specific orientation for both families and students, and language access.
• Develop training for school staff and systems around the unique and varied needs of ORR-eligible populations, ensuring language access by translating critical documents, interpretation, and specialized staff dedicated to working with ORR-eligible school-aged children, youth, and families.
• Support parent engagement through school orientation workshops.
• Prepare reports with complete and consistent information to assist the supervisor to be able to submit the data in a timely manner and sharing the required data and information if needed. 
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Secondary Functions

• Capable of meeting multiple, including conflicting deadlines.
• Strong analytical and decision-making abilities for related job functions.
• Deal with distressed and demanding clients and employees in an effective manner.
• Maintain a high level of confidentiality.
• Communicate with a variety of personality types and levels of the organization as well as with people outside of the organization.
• Ability to work flexible hours to meet the availability of clients.
• Attending staff meetings, partner meetings, internal and external committee meetings as assigned.
• Support organizational record keeping requirements.
• Other duties as assigned as needed by supervisor.

Education & Experience

MINIMUM JOB SPECIFIC QUALIFICATIONS:

• Associate’s degree or equivalent combination of training and experience.
• Minimum of two years of experience in case management, community outreach services, advocacy, social support, and assistance in resource navigation systems for groups and families.
• Is part of, has background, and/or experience in working with immigrant and refugee communities and understanding the cultural values and beliefs of that community.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bilingual in Ukrainian & Russian languages preferred with the ability to communicate and translate information effectively, both orally and in writing, into concepts that are understandable for community members
• Experience/proficient in MIP, Microsoft Office, Microsoft Excel, and a variety of software packages
• Experience using standard office equipment
• Strong communication skills in a multilingual, multi-background organization
• Ability to use initiative and judgment in completing tasks and responsibilities
• Strong ability to work with multi-background staff in a team setting
• Ability to courteously meet and deal effectively with other employees, agency representatives, the public, and others
• Ability to function in a positive manner in a demanding work environment, to demonstrate a high degree of flexibility, to respond to priorities and schedules that change frequently, and to meet commitments

Physical, Mental, & Environmental Requirements 

• On Site Position
• Physical: Positions at this level require some physical efforts or manual labor such as lifting, carrying or constant movement. Positions with regular responsibility for driving are to be placed at least at this level.
• Mental: There is regular variation in tasks and the job holder must decide which tasks to complete as well as the order in which tasks are completed. 
• Environment: There is a moderately low level of personal risk encountered.  Job conditions are occasionally uncomfortable relative to noise, temperature, inside/outside work, dirty conditions, or interactions with angry or hostile people.
• Schedule: The work schedule is mostly stable and does not fluctuate without prior notice.

Supervisory Responsibilities

Positions at this level are not responsible for any supervisory functions or responsibilities, but may occasionally be asked to orient and/or train new employees or volunteers.

What We Offer

IRCO is a very employee-friendly workplace and offers great benefit packages to our staff:

• Many flexible working arrangements and schedule
• Amazing opportunity to work with people who come from all over the world
• Work that helps your community 
• 3 to 6 weeks of PTO per year 
• 401k match of over 100% on first 5%, immediate vesting 
• 3% match for student loans or college savings 
• 12 Paid Holidays and 1 Floating Holiday
• Medical & Dental insurance options with 90% coverage for employee AND Families, no deductibles
• Employer Paid Life, Short term, and Long-term Disability Insurance 
• Flexible spending accounts

Required Engagement 

Engage fully in recommended professional development, as well as other assigned or required training activities. This engagement can also include participation in optional activities that embrace IRCO’s mission, vision, and values-based initiatives. 

How To Apply

1. Complete the IRCO application in our Careers Portal: IRCO Application for Employment.  
2. Upload your resume and cover letter addressing your qualifications for this position IRCO Careers.  
3. For questions about this position, please email jobs@irco.org

Please note that physical applications are accessible from IRCO’s main office, 10301 NE Glisan, Portland, OR 97220. Due to the high volume of applications received, we will not be able to contact applicants or return calls regarding applications. Complete applications should include a cover letter, resume, and IRCO application. 

IRCO is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, age, national origin, disability status, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any characteristics protected by State and Federal law. We will make reasonable accommodations to meet our obligations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and state disability laws.