ORGANIZATION SUMMARY:
World Relief is a global Christian humanitarian organization that is fighting for change that lasts, right here in the U.S. and across the globe. We bring sustainable solutions to the world’s greatest problems – disasters, extreme poverty, violence, oppression, and mass displacement. The organization is approximately 75 years old and has worked in over 100 countries around the world since its founding.
In the United States, we come alongside local churches, community organizations and hundreds of individual volunteers to support newly arriving refugee and other immigrant families. Today, we are proud to partner with over 6,000 local churches, and 95,000 volunteers globally to bring hope, healing and transformation to the most vulnerable.
POSITION SUMMARY:
Are you a person of compassion? An advocate for justice? Someone who stands up for the rights of the vulnerable and speaks out for the marginalized, the exploited and the forgotten? Do you believe in our calling as Christians to welcome the least of these and love our neighbor?
If you answered ‘yes’, to any of the above, World Relief, and millions of people around the world need you.
World Relief seeks a Housing Specialist. The Housing Specialist position has the primary responsibility of developing relationships with property owners and landlords to secure safe and affordable permanent housing for recently arrived refugees. This position will work closely with case managers to identify housing needs and will involve regular travel throughout Chicago and the surrounding suburbs.
This is a position that is funded through a grant agreement until 9/30/2024 and is contingent upon funding extension.
Role & Responsibilities
- Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
- Research fair market housing rates and trends and identify rental properties and apartments through online research, phone calls, community connections, and in-the-field research
- Conduct ongoing outreach to develop, build, and maintain relationships with property owners, private market landlords, and property management companies
- Ensure housing meets federal and local housing standards, including completing site visit and evaluation of each unit
- Interpret and apply housing codes and standards, landlord regulations, and program guidelines
- Coordinate with US-based relatives when securing housing for incoming refugee cases
- Maintain accurate, up-to-date records and documentation, including updating a CRM with hot, warm, and cold housing leads and documenting services to clients
- Negotiate lease terms with landlords, when required, and assist newly arrived refugee cases to understand and sign lease and/or housing agreement
- Once housing is secured, collaborate with WR Finance staff to secure security deposit and rent payment, and collaborate with other WR staff on a move-in date, utility hook-up, and furniture set-up
- When necessary, provide initial housing orientation to newly arrived refugee cases
- Assist with housing-related case management tasks or other housing support, as needed
Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities
- Willingness to conduct on-the-ground searches for generating new contacts for apartments leads
- Adaptable and comfortable working in a fast-paced environment
- Strong organizational skills and ability to maintain detailed, accurate records
- Demonstrated ability to effectively listen and respond to others with diplomacy in potentially stressful situations
- Willingness and ability to continually sell the mission and work of WR to property owners
- Learning orientation: eager for both personal and professional growth, especially within sales
- Knowledge of immigrant experience preferred
- Fluency in a second language preferred: Spanish, Arabic, Burmese, Russian, Ukrainian, Swahili, French, Pashto, or Dari
- Experience in sales, fundraising, marketing, or related field strongly preferred
- A love for and commitment to people who are marginalized, regardless of race, ethnicity, religion or culture, and a desire to see people flourish
Requirements
- Mature and personal Christian faith
- Committed to the mission, vision, and values of World Relief
- Desire to serve and empower the Church to impact vulnerable communities
- Able to affirm and/or acknowledge World Reliefs Core Beliefs, Statement of Faith, Christian Identity and National Evangelicals For the Health of The Nation document
- MS Office skills required
- Valid driver’s license, clean driving record, and auto insurance required
World Relief offers a competitive benefits package (25 hours + per week):
- Medical, Dental, Vision
- Offer 16 company Paid Holidays + 4 additional Personal days per year!
- Paid Sick and Vacation Time
- Paid Parental Leave (12 weeks for qualified employees)
- FSAs: Medical & Dependent Care, & Commuter Funding
- Supplemental Life Insurance (employee, spouse, and children)
- Critical Illness, Hospital Indemnity, and Accident insurance policies
- Legal Shield Insurance
World Relief pays 100% for eligible employees:
- Group Term Life (employee, spouse, and children)
- Long Term & Short-term Disability
- Accidental Death and Dismemberment (AD&D)
- Long Distance Travel Insurance
World Relief offers a competitive benefits package for Part-time positions (less than 25 hours per week):
- Offer 16 Paid Holidays
- Sick time available as required by state/local law
All part-time employees are eligible for the following benefits:
- Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
World Relief - Retirement:
- Eligibility: After 1000 hours in a year
- Automatically enrolled at 4%
- 401K & Roth through Fidelity
- WR matches up to 4%, then an additional quarter percent up to 10%
World Relief Discounts (Immediately Eligible):
- Verizon
- Pet Insurance through Nationwide
- Home and Auto insurance through Liberty Mutual
- Working Advantage Discount Program
- Active & Fit Gym Membership
World Relief is honored to be recognized with the Gold-level Cigna Healthy Workforce Designation for exceeding the core components of our well-being program including leadership and culture, program foundations and execution, and whole person health.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS:
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
·While performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to have ordinary ambulatory skills sufficient to visit other locations
·The ability to stand, walk, stoop, kneel, crouch, and manipulate (lift, carry, move) light to medium weights of 10-15 pounds.
·Requires good hand-eye coordination, arm, hand and finger dexterity, including ability to grasp, and visual acuity to use a keyboard, operate equipment and read application information.
·The employee frequently is required to sit, reach with hands and arms, talk and hear.
WORK ENVIRONMENT:
·General office setting. World Relief also offers hybrid and remote schedules for limited positions.
·Great lengths of time working on computer, reading from computer screen, entering information, standing at copier or fax machine, and some time on the phone or in virtual meetings may be required.
·Year-end archiving activities involve repeated lifting and bending.
·Physical, emotional and intellectual demands
·Equipment used: Employee computer (desktop or laptop), printer, and copier.
·All of the above duties and responsibilities are essential job functions subject to reasonable accommodation. All job requirements listed indicate the minimum level of knowledge, skills and/or ability deemed necessary to perform the job proficiently. This job description is not to be construed as an exhaustive statement of duties, responsibilities or requirements. Individuals may be required to perform any other job-related instructions as requested by their supervisor, subject to reasonable accommodation. This position description is not all-inclusive and is always under review.
We are proud to be an EEO/AA employer M/F/D/V.
For World Relief staff, strong commitment to the mission, vision, and values of World Relief is essential, and Christian faith is a prerequisite for employment, based upon United States federal guidelines provided in Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Legal Background in the United States
World Relief is both an equal opportunity employer and a faith-based religious organization. World Relief strictly prohibits and does not tolerate unlawful discrimination against employees on the basis of person’s race, color, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state, or local law, which does not conflict with the protections afforded World Relief as a faith-based employer.
In addition, physical or mental limitations will not be a factor in the application of World Relief’s employment policies or employee practices, except for those situations in which occupational requirement make consideration of such factors necessary.
Pursuant to the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Section 702 (42 U.S.C. 2000e 1(a) World Relief has the right to, and does, hire only candidates who agree with World Relief’s Statement of Faith.
