Private Sponsorship Program Officer

U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI), established in 1911, is a non-governmental, not-for-profit international organization dedicated to addressing the needs and rights of refugees and immigrants. USCRI, working with its affiliates, provides legal, social, and health services to refugees, unaccompanied migrating children, trafficking survivors, and other immigrants in all 50 states, Mexico, El Salvador, and Honduras. USCRI advocates for the rights of refugees and immigrants both nationally and globally, helping to drive policies, practices, and law.  To learn more about our work, please go to our official website at www.refugees.org. 

 OVERVIEW

In January 2023, the U.S. Department of State, in coordination with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, launched the Welcome Corps, an exciting new program that enables everyday Americans to welcome refugees arriving through the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP). Through the Welcome Corps, groups of at least five private citizens form Private Sponsorship Groups (PSGs), that provide services to support refugees to settle into American society, attain self-sufficiency, and thrive in their new homes. USCRI is applying to become a Private Sponsorship Organization (PSO) with Welcome Corps to provide guidance to PSGs in fulfilling their core resettlement responsibilities and enabling many more people who have experienced persecution, and are officially designated as refugees, to successfully build new lives in the US. 

 As one of ten national refugee resettlement agencies serving the USRAP, USCRI is uniquely positioned to provide support as a PSO in the Welcome Corps. USCRI has successfully administered Reception and Placement (R&P) services since the USRAP’s inception in 1975, resettling more than 350,000 refugees across the USA since then. This experience, and USCRI’s network of 14 field offices and approximately 140 affiliates, will lend significant expertise and resources to PSGs, to enable them to meet their obligations to new refugees. 

USCRI is seeking to hire 3 full-time program officers to support a total of approximately 50 PSGs in delivering core resettlement services through the Welcome Corps program. Positions will be dependent upon USCRI approval as a PSO.

 ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

This job description identifies the key responsibilities and expectations for work performance however, it does not encompass all specific job responsibilities that you may be required to perform.  

• Support and oversight of PSGs throughout the 90-day sponsorship period, as well as provision of pre-arrival and preparation support; 
• Provision of post-arrival mentorship to PSGs to ensure the delivery of core sponsorship services; 
• Development and implementation of measures to mitigate the risk of sponsorship breakdown and respond appropriately if breakdown occurs; 
• Development and implementation of policies and strategies to ensure the safety of refugees at all times, including protecting against sex and labor exploitation, domestic violence, and trafficking; 
• Collection and review of 30- and 90-day PSG reports; 
• Coordination and communication with the Community Sponsorship Hub (CSH) of the Welcome Corp regarding PSG matching, refugee travel, program changes, and notification to CSH and/or relevant authorities of serious issues;
• Development and implementation of a strategy for recruiting and training PSGs;
• Coordination with USCRI’s R&P and other refugee programs to ensure the dissemination and exchange of best practices and resources, including to inform plans for refugees after their 90-days of Welcome Corp enrollment; 
• Collaboration with local USCRI offices and affiliates to ensure PSGs are accessing local social services and other resources;
• Documentation of lessons learned to inform further development and strengthening of the Welcome Corps program;
• Development of public communications, including on social media, as needed; and 
• Engagement as a contributing member of the Refugee and Social Services Division team, collaborating closely with colleagues to plan and deliver division-wide activities to better achieve USCRI’s goals. 

 POSITION REQUIREMENTS

Master's degree in social work or a related field and one year of relevant experience, OR a Bachelor’s degree with at least three years of relevant experience;

• Experience working with refugee-serving programs or re