OVERALL PURPOSE OF THE JOB
Community Sponsorship is an alternative resettlement stream to the traditional state-centred model of resettlement. As an alternative pathway to protection for refugees, it is an area of priority focus for Amnesty International at the global level.
Ireland’s community sponsorship programme seeks to enable a local Community Sponsorship Group to come together to support arriving refugees. The local group will provide supports around access to housing and to different state services. Refugees will arrive in Ireland following selection by UNHCR and a vetting process overseen by Irish Refugee Protection Programme.
Community Sponsorship was first piloted in Ireland December 2018 with the arrival of a Syrian family to Dunshaughlin, Co. Meath. It is expected that up to 50 refugees will arrive in Ireland during the pilot phase of Community Sponsorship.
The Irish community sponsorship programme draws from the Canadian model of refugee sponsorship which was first established in 1979.
Amnesty International Ireland has worked closely with key civil society partners including the Irish Red Cross, NASC, the Irish Refugee Council, the UNHCR, the Irish government and the Global Refugee Sponsorship Initiative in the development of a Community Sponsorship Programme for Refugees in Ireland.
A key element of the Irish programme is the establishment of a civil society-led organisation to provide support to community sponsors and Community Sponsoring Organisations.
Applications are invited for a Co-ordinator to oversee and co-ordinate the development of the National Support Organisation (NSO) to facilitate civil society engagement with Ireland’s new programme of Community Sponsorship for Refugees. The successful applicant will work closely with an advisory board of stakeholder and partner organisations and institutions to establish the NSO.
In its first year of operation, the NSO will focus on the recruitment of new partner organisations, the recruitment of local community sponsorship groups, the promotion of community sponsorship for refugees nationally, securing future funding for the NSO, the development of a digital/online presence.

MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES
Co-ordinating the establishment and activities of the National Support Organisation for civil society involvement in Irelands Community Sponsorship Programme for Refugees;
Co-ordinating the recruitment of civil society organisations and sponsorship groups to participate in the Programme;
Co-ordinating the development and delivery of a cross-team work plan for the Programme;
Co-ordination with the Advisory Board and other key stakeholders.
Ensuring that the project activities are being completed per agreed work plans;
Supporting the delivery and further development of training programmes for community sponsors;
Establishing and maintaining relationships with partners and other stakeholders;
Developing and implementing systems for financial tracking and monitoring;
Implementing systems for monitoring and evaluation of the NSO’s outputs and impact;
Providing coordination of regular meetings with key stakeholders;
Managing all administrative elements of the Programme;
Communicating the activities and progress of the Programme internally, and to partners and other groups as appropriate.

PERSON SPECIFICATION
Demonstrable experience of project management;
Excellent organisational skills and the ability to organise and prioritise own work and that of others;
Ability to work on own initiative and take ownership of the role;
Excellent time management; ability to manage multiple priorities and work to deadlines;
Experience in managing income and expenditure budgets;
Track record of effective work both independently and as part of a team;
Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal;
Ability to establish positive working relationships with colleagues and partners;
Proactive approach and strong problem-solving skills;
Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to communicate with a wide range of audiences;
Strong Microsoft Office skills – Word and Excel;
Interest in and support of the aims of Amnesty International and human rights principles in general;
Previous experience in an NGO/charity environment an advantage.
Previous experience of working on migration or refugee related issue an advantage.
The salary for this full-time 12 months fixed-term contract position of 35 hours per week is approximately €40,000-€45,000 per annum, depending upon experience.
Please go to wwwamnesty.ie to apply. It is our strong preference that you apply online. However, if you are unable to complete an online application, you can download the application form from our website and send it to positions@amnesty.ie or by post to Seán MacBride House, 48 Fleet Street, Dublin 2.
Closing date for applications is 21 July 2019