Cultural Mediator (Pashto and Urdu)

Applications are welcome from internal and external candidates. For all IOM vacancies, applications from qualified and eligible first-tier candidates are considered before those of qualified and eligible second-tier candidates in the selection process. For the purpose of this vacancy, internal candidates are considered first-tier candidates.
  Context   Under the overall supervision of the Chief of Mission (CoM) in Ireland and of the Head of the Immigration and Border Governance (IBG) Unit, under direct supervision of the Senior Project Associate, and in collaboration with relevant units at Headquarters and the Administrative Centres, the successful candidate will be responsible and accountable for providing assistance with the implementation of the cultural mediation activities under the IBG Unit. The project aims to assist International Protection Applicants (IPAs) in Ireland with their application through IOM Cultural Mediators (CMs) and thus support the International Protection Office (IPO) in the management of the International Protection applications daily flow.

• Provide cultural mediation and interpretation support to International Protection Applicants (IPAs) by providing information and facilitating communication with the International Protection Office (IPO) (from English into beneficiaries’ mother tongue and vice versa) during their application process, either in person or online, always respecting the principles of neutrality, accuracy, impartiality, and confidentiality
• Provide administrative and linguistic support to IPAs during the various stages of their application for international protection. This could include, when needed, assistance in the completion of relevant forms.
• Contribute to identifying potential vulnerable cases and signs of exploitation among the beneficiaries assisted and to their onward referral to appropriate services in Ireland.
• Be available to travel from/to sites in the area of the assigned duty station as requested by the Project Management Team (PMT).
• Provide regular reporting as requested by the Project Management Team.
• Assist through interpretation in collection of information and data, case identification, and referrals.
• Assist the Project Management Team with the preparation of all relevant documentation, surveys, and statistics related to the project and regularly report to the PMT on the activities performed.
• Any other related task, as required. Education
  • High school diploma with at least five years of relevant experience; or,
  • University degree with at least three years of relevant professional experience. Accredited Universities are those listed in the UNESCO World Higher Education Database.   Experience
    • At least 2 years of experience in cultural mediation in the framework of migrants’ assistance.
    • Previous experience with international organizations, NGOs, EU Agencies and/or Irish law enforcements or Government’s Departments would be an asset. Skills
      • Ability to work with migrants and asylum seekers
      • Interpersonal skills (i.e. empathy and emotional resilience)
      • Intercultural competence and communication skills
      • Culture-specific knowledge
      • Capacity to prevent and mitigate conflicts and bridge gaps due to language misunderstandings in an objective and impartial manner between the beneficiaries and the authorities
      • Psychological understanding in interpersonal communication and sensitiveness in addressing the asylum-seekers’ claims
      • Knowledge of the procedures related to the asylum application in Ireland
      • Excellent written and verbal communication skills
      • Ability to prepare clear and concise reports and work with statistics
      • Good experience with Microsoft Office Languages
        • For this position, fluency in English is required (oral and written).
        • Fluency or mother tongue in Pashto and Urdu is required
        • Working knowledge of Dari/Farsi, Hindi or Bengali would be considered as an advantage IOM’s official languages are English, French and Spanish. Proficiency of language(s) required will be specifically evaluated during the selection process, which may include written and/or oral assessments.   Required Competencies   IOM’s competency framework can be found at this link. Competencies will be assessed during the selection process.   Values - all IOM staff members must abide by and demonstrate these three values:
        • Inclusion and respect for diversity: Respects and promotes individual and cultural differences. Encourages diversity and inclusion.
      • Integrity and transparency: Maintains high ethical standards and acts in a manner consistent with organizational principles/rules and standards of conduct.
    • Professionalism: Demonstrates ability to work in a composed, competent and committed manner and exercises careful judgment in meeting day-to-day challenges.
  • Courage: Demonstrates willingness to take a stand on issues of importance.
• Empathy: Shows compassion for others, makes people feel safe, respected and fairly treated. Core Competencies – behavioural indicators (Level 1)
• Teamwork: Develops and promotes effective collaboration within and across units to achieve shared goals and optimize results.