Screening and Intake Officer / Interpreter Coordinator

Innovative Human Rights NGO Seeks

AAM Screening and Intake Officer / Interpreter Coordinator in Kuala Lumpur

About Asylum Access

We are human rights advocates who support forcibly displaced individuals and communities as they reclaim their rights, agency and power. Our unique combination of legal empowerment, policy advocacy and global systems change creates conditions in which refugees can live safely, move freely, work legally and go to school. Our work transforms the traditional approach of endless humanitarian handouts to a sustainable solution that honours refugees’ freedom, dignity and autonomy, and equips them to make choices about their own lives.

Asylum Access’ global team and family of local civil society organisations advocate to make human rights a reality for refugees throughout Africa, Asia and Latin America. Our national organisations are led and staffed primarily by community members in those countries, and there is strong mutual trust and respect between us and our clients. On the international stage, we work with established institutions to shift the global system to better uphold and promote refugees’ human rights. We can help catalyse and lead systemic transformation because, uniquely among NGOs in the refugee response sector, we focus exclusively on rights and governance.

Department Description

The AAM Legal Services team provides legal aid to refugee clients through individualised legal assistance, community outreach and advocacy initiatives. The team works to identify those with heightened vulnerabilities, assist individuals and communities in navigating the UNHCR process, as well as provide information on their rights and responsibilities under certain domestic laws and policies. Through its legal empowerment activities and advocacy tools, the team seeks to encourage systemic change and increase access to rights for forcibly displaced individuals and communities in Malaysia.

Position Description

The Screening and Intake Officer / Interpreter Coordinator is a member of AAM’s Legal Services team.  As Screening and Intake Officer, the incumbent will assist the AAM office and all departments as a frontline staff in managing and processing incoming Service Request Forms (SRFs) across the following languages: English, Burmese, Urdu, Somali, Persian, Arabic and Malay. The role is to effectively engage, screen, assess and coordinate responses to individuals who contact AAM for assistance in a timely manner. As Interpreter Coordinator, the incumbent will be the lead in recruiting, training, and coordinating AAM’s interpreters. This will include ensuring AAM’s interpreter services remain of high quality through monitoring and capacity-building, where necessary. The incumbent will spend approximately 90% of their time for Screening and Intake duties, and 10% of their time for overseeing AAM interpreters.

Key Responsibilities

As Screening / Intake Officer  (90%):

• Review and process all Service Request Forms (SRFs) received by AAM to identify actionable cases for onwards referral and further action using established office processes;
• Liaise with AAM interpreters as necessary for the translation of SRFs in the language of clients and prospective clients;
• Conduct client intake and screening interviews, assessing needs, identifying vulnerabilities and referring cases to the relevant service providers as necessary;
• Provide accurate information to clients and prospective clients on AAM’s services;
• Set adequate expectations regarding AAM’s scope of services and waiting times;
• Provide general advice to clients on UNHCR processes and/or other service providers;
• Liaise with relevant teams on case-specific concerns, as required;
• Inform clients and prospective clients where AAM cannot assist, explaining why where appropriate, identify other organisations who may be able to assist, and redirect to these organisations accordingly;
• Where directed, draft partner referral submissions for individual cases requiring UNHCR intervention or support;
• Undertake necessary case management practices, including maintaining database records and keeping detailed notes of all casework activities on RIPS and other recording tools;
• Ensure all administrative processes and tasks are completed to the necessary standards;
• Maintain a basic level of knowledge of UNHCR processes, in order to process cases effectively at AAM;
• Maintain a basic level of awareness of political and social circumstances in clients’ countries of origin (COO), in order to process cases sensitively at AAM;
• Attend and contribute to team meetings as required;
• Adhere to the Nairobi Code of Ethics, and AAM Code of Conduct, policies, and manuals;
• Work collaboratively and in coordination with the other team members in different departments;
• Other duties in relation to the above, as required by the supervisor.

As Interpreter Coordinator (10%):

• Ensure AAM’s interpretation needs are adequately met and oversee the recruitment and training of new interpreters;
• Ensure interpreters attend the office and/or any scheduled meetings on time and perform their work to the high standards required by AAM;
• Maintain AAM’s database of interpreters, including tracking training attendance, interpreter availability, and contact information;
• Develop, monitor, and maintain a feedback system for interpreters to provide input or raise issues;
• Collect feedback on the individual performance of interpreters and address any arising issues;
• Coordinate and deliver training sessions as and when necessary to increase interpreter engagement and for the development of their professional skills;
• Assist in training new staff, volunteers and interns on how to work effectively with interpreters;
• Regularly review and update materials for interpreter training;
• If necessary, meet with AAM’s leadership team to discuss interpreter needs and issues as they arise.

Reports to: Legal Services and Solutions Manager

Minimum Qualifications

• General knowledge of the situation of refugees and asylum seekers in Malaysia;
• Proven experience working in a client-focused role;
• Excellent communication, interpersonal and teamwork skills, and the ability to work in a culturally diverse environment;
• Strong communication skills in English (written and spoken) is a must;
• Excellent organisational skills is a must. Proven ability to multi-task and cope with competing demands under tight deadlines, to identify priority activities and assignments and adjust priorities as required in an ad hoc environment;
• Experience in developing and conducting group trainings;
• Ability to take initiative and provide constructive feedback;
• Ability to assess and respond to emergency situations calmly and quickly;
• Ability to problem-solve proactively and creatively;
• Excellent computer skills, with particular experience in Microsoft Office and Google Workspace;
• For this specific position, the candidate must be able to speak, read and write Burmese. Candidates with lived experience are strongly encouraged to apply.

Preferred Qualifications

• A minimum of 6 months of either drafting or professional interpreting experience, or both;
• Demonstrated experience or prior training in engaging directly with vulnerable groups and marginalised communities, including survivors of trauma;
• An understanding of the UNHCR processes;
• Demonstrated knowledge of the local context and protection needs of refugees in Malaysia;
• Demonstrated knowledge of one or more of the following languages: Malay, Rohingya, Arabic, Urdu, Somali, Farsi.

Salary and Benefits

The position comes with a competitive nonprofit salary, and a robust benefits package including paid time off and professional development funds. The monthly basic salary is MYR 3,300.00.

Hours and Location of Work

The Screening and Intake Officer / Interpreter Coordinator is expected to be at work for 40 hours per week, between the hours of 9am and 5pm, from Mondays to Fridays. Work will be conducted in the AAM office. This is a full-time position based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Start Date: As soon as possible.

Application Instructions

Send your resume and a cover letter via Asylum Access online portal BambooHR. In your cover letter, please describe your reasons for applying, relevant qualifications, preferred start date and how you learned about this position. Incomplete applications or applications that do not meet the minimum requirements will automatically be discarded. The final deadline for applications is 2 November 2024. Applications will be reviewed beginning 4 November 2024. Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted, at the latest by 18 November 2024.

Asylum Access is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We value the expertise of those who have experienced displacement, and encourage people with such lived experience to apply.

For more information about our organisation, visit www.asylumaccess.org_._