Roving Cultural Mediator

In Italy, the IRC conducted assessments in 2017 and identified critical protection gaps in the services provided to refugees and migrants. To address these gaps, IRC established a presence in Italy and implemented various programs, including Refugee.Info, child protection programming, mentoring programs for refugee youth, Women Protection and Empowerment, and education initiatives. As part of our commitment to providing support, IRC Italia will be collaborating with UNHCR teams in key disembarkation areas, reception facilities, and informal settlements in Sicily and Calabria between May and December 2024.

We are looking for six ON CALL Roving Cultural Mediators at IRC, for the following languages: Arabic, Bengali, French, Dioula, Dari/Pashto and Urdu. The successful candidates will have a unique opportunity to make a significant impact on the lives of refugees and migrants in Southern Italy. Joining one of our four teams based in Catania, Agrigento, Reggio Calabria, or Lampedusa on an as-needed basis, the successful candidates will play a crucial role in maintaining and strengthening the operational capacity of each team during intense periods of work or staff leaves.

Specific Duties and Responsibilities 

• On-Call Availability: Be prepared to travel across the project locations (Catania, Agrigento, Reggio Calabria, Lampedusa) to support teams during intense work periods or staff absence.
• Duty Periods: Fulfill duty requirements during high-need periods, including evenings, weekends, and holidays.
• Outreach Activities: Conduct outreach activities in disembarkation areas and reception centers to identify beneficiaries’ needs and vulnerabilities.
• Support and Referral: Assist Protection and Specific Needs Experts in identifying individuals with specific needs and facilitate their referral to relevant services, with a focus on GBV services.
• Cultural Mediation: Provide cultural mediation during information provision sessions, both individually and in groups.
• Information Delivery: Deliver up-to-date and accurate information on rights and responsibilities to newly arrived individuals, prioritizing women, children, and families.
• Service Information: Provide information to newly arrived individuals on available services based on their specific needs.
• Feedback Provision: Provide feedback on information materials to constantly improve their relevance and effectiveness.
• Psychological First Aid: Support the delivery of psychological first aid as needed.
• Protection Monitoring: Assist in gathering relevant data for protection monitoring activities.
• Capacity Building: Attend capacity-building activities as required.
• Additional Tasks: Fulfill any other tasks assigned by the team leader.

Reporting Lines

Position directly reports to: Project Team Leader, IRC Italy

Expected Travel 

This roving position requires travel to one or more of the four disembarkation border locations (Agrigento, Catania, Lampedusa, and Reggio Calabria) based on the teams’ needs. Regular travels throughout each respective catchment area will be necessary to provide assistance during disembarkation procedures and within reception facilities. The successful candidate must be prepared to be on call and travel at short notice.

Standard of Professional Conduct:

IRC and IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in the IRC Way – our Code of Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, Accountability, and Equality. In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Harassment-Free Workplace, Fiscal Integrity, Anti-Retaliation, Combating Trafficking in Persons, and several others.

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:

IRC is an equal opportunity employer and we value diversity and inclusion. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, nationality, ethnicity, gender, age, religion, caste, sexual orientation, differently abled, geographic origin, marital status, veteran status, and cultural background (or any other characteristic protected by law). 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.

#LI-GR2

Read Full Description