Immigration Services

Somerville is a city that upholds progressive principles for both employees and residents. The City of Somerville embraces and encourages an innovative, empowering, and collaborative workplace culture in a fast-paced, challenging environment. The City also offers a generous benefits package that embodies a strong work-life balance. Not only is Somerville a “Model City,” as termed by The Boston Globe, but it is also a model employer.

Statement of Duties

The Immigrant Services Coordinator within the SomerViva Office of Immigrants Affairs (SOIA) provides support for the functions of SOIA, which strives to support and enhance the economic, civic, and social integration of immigrant and refugee communities in Somerville with the goal of ensuring Somerville remains a welcoming city and place of opportunity for immigrants, refugees, and existing residents alike. The Immigrant Services Coordinator will coordinate and track citywide language access policy and efforts including translation and interpretation; support immigration services such as legal referrals, legal clinic screenings, and citizenship programs; produce and manage the English/plain language content and outreach for SOIA; and support other SOIA services as noted below.

Essential Functions

• Program/Service Development and Coordination
  
  • Develop, manage, and support citywide language access and cultural competency policy, systems, programs, and resources including coordinating, contracting, and tracking interpretation and translation services. Coordinate with departments citywide, SOIA staff, and external vendors to execute policies and meet needs.
  • To address immigration-related needs, support legal referrals, legal clinics, clinic screenings, clinic outreach, educational workshops/outreach, citizenship programming, etc. Preferably rely on immigration law background to provide legal insights to all initiatives.
  • To address existing and emerging needs of Somerville immigrant and refugee residents and workers, develop and/or support other targeted programs, policies, partnerships, services, workshops, and events in support of and in collaboration with interdepartmental and school staff and external stakeholders.
  • To maintain and build resources, assist with grant applications; solicit and coordinate  volunteer services as needed.

• Plain Language Immigrant Community Outreach, Engagement, & Communications
  
  • Conduct and support multi-faceted SOIA efforts to share information about City, SOIA, and immigration services, as well as opportunities for citizen engagement.
  • Conduct plain-language English communications and outreach for SOIA through traditional, community, and innovative channels (print, web, social media, and alternative communication channels, e.g., communities of faith, employers, and/or nonprofit networks, targeted word-of-mouth).
• Advocacy and Collaboration
  
  • Monitor immigration policy impacts and support and coordinate immediate responses with the Administration and internal and external stakeholders.
  • Provide staff and policy support to any designated municipal entities or immigrant policy/action coalitions of which the City is a member.
  • Work with policymakers, the Mayor, the City Council, SOIA staff, stakeholders and community members to develop and support City policies, programs and legislation that enhance the lives of immigrants and refugees.
  • Support racial justice initiatives for equity and access.
  • Support the City's membership and activities with local, regional and national networks, collaborations and organizations.

Recommended Minimum Qualifications:

Education and Experience

Bachelor’s degree in Human Services, International Relations, Political Science, Law, Public Administration, or related field, or equivalent combination of education and experience. Minimum of five years of experience working in immigration or refugee programs, immigrant services, or related policy development OR any equivalent combination of education, training and experience that provides the required knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the essential functions of the job. Experience with government agencies preferred. Background in immigration law preferred. Written and oral fluency in English required and in a second language relevant to the Somerville community is preferred (Spanish, Portuguese, Kreyol, Nepali, Chinese, etc.).

Knowledge, Abilities and Skill

Knowledge: Knowledge of and demonstrated ability in the areas of inclusive engagement; client management; immigration services, policies, and issues; immigration law; language access policy; citizenship services. Knowledge and empathy for immigrant and refugee experiences.

Ability: Ability to meet with and serve diverse members of the public effectively and appropriately; handle problems and emergencies effectively; communicate clearly and to the highest standards, both orally and in writing, in both English and a relevant second language; operate a computer and use word processing, spreadsheet, social media, and other relevant software; ability to maintain confidential information; ability to maintain, manage, and organize records; ability to deal appropriately with City employees and elected officials; ability to juggle multiple assignments and to meet deadlines. Ability to represent and make presentations on behalf of the program to elected officials, community leaders, residents, business, media, and communities of faith.

Skill: Demonstrated ability to develop, implement, and manage projects; exceptional

communication skills including writing in plain language; ability to support exceptional   outcomes and creatively problem solve; able to collaborate with deep respect with a wide range of organizations, staff, and stakeholders; skilled at building effective collaborative relationships both internally and externally.

Work Environment

The work environment involves everyday discomforts typical of offices, with occasional exposure to outside elements.  Noise or physical surroundings may be distracting, but conditions are generally not unpleasant.  Employee may be required to work beyond normal business hours in response to attend evening meetings or complete work assignments.

Physical and Mental Requirements

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 position’s essential functions.

Physical Skills

Few physical demands are required to perform the work. Work effort principally involves sitting to perform work tasks, with intermittent periods of stooping, walking, and standing.  May also be some occasional lifting of objects such as office equipment and computer paper (up to 30 lbs.)

Motor Skills

Duties are largely mental rather than physical, but the job may occasionally require minimal motor skills for activities such as moving objects, operating a telephone, personal computer and/or most other office equipment including word processing, filing and sorting of papers.

Visual Skills

Visual demands require constantly reading documents for general understanding and analytical purposes.

This position will remain open until filled. Send your resume and cover letter to:

City Hall Personnel Office
93 Highland Avenue
Somerville MA 02143
Fax: 617-666-4426
TTY: 1-866-808-4851
Email: employment_opportunities@somervillema.gov

City of Somerville residents are especially encouraged to apply.

The City of Somerville is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, age, national origin, disability or any other protected category. Women, minorities, veterans, and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply. Auxiliary aids and services, written materials in alternative formats, and reasonable modifications in policies and procedures will be provided to qualified individuals with disabilities free of charge, upon request.

Individuals with disabilities who need auxiliary aids and services for effective communication, written materials in alternative formats, or reasonable modifications in policies and procedures, in order to access the programs and activities of the City of Somerville or to attend meetings, should contact the City’s ADA Coordinator, Nency Salamoun, at 617-625-6600 x2323 or NSalamoun@somervillema.gov.