LOCATION: Bucharest, Romania

START DATE: 1st August 2024

END DATE: 30th September 2025

POSITION SUMMARY

This role aims to provide legal support and guidance to refugees, forced migrants, and third-country nationals in Romania. This role will also involve provision of AID to refugees, asylum seekers, and other forced migrants through the provision of individual asylum counseling and casework, research in support of individual representation provided by lawyers before the Romanian authorities and courts, group asylum information presentations, assistance with family reunification, issues of discrimination, labor abuse, human rights abuse, and another protection-related advocacy

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Represents clients by attending registration, admissibility, family reunification, and asylum interviews.
• Draft asylum and family reunification case submissions and other case materials.
• Draft case profiles for cases of discrimination or labor abuse cases.
• Supports Romania lawyers who represent clients before civil and criminal court proceedings.
• Compiles biographical data, persecution stories, and evidence to produce comprehensive case submissions.
• Conduct interviews with individual refugees, third-country nationals, and families.
• Communicate with the authorities regularly regarding updates on cases and changes in procedures.
• Advocates for client access to due legal procedures.
• Provides legal information and counseling (group and/or through individual sessions) to refugees and migrants on asylum, refugee law, family reunification procedures, and proceedings before civil and criminal courts.
• Attends meetings and builds relations with legal and other partners.
• Refers to refugees and forced migrants to assistance from partners, as needed.
• Mentors and assists volunteer attorneys from around the world.

QUALIFICATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS

Educational Qualification:

• An undergraduate or graduate degree in a relevant field (e.g. international law, human rights, refugee law, international relations, political science)
• Extensive experience in supporting legal cases.
• Min. of 5 years of relevant work experience.
• Excellent drafting, analytical, and communication skills.
• Experience in documenting asylum seekers and refugee cases before civil and criminal judicial proceedings
• Knowledge of international refugee law, human rights law, and application preferred.
• Knowledge of country conditions in Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq, Ukraine, and other refugee-producing countries preferred.
• Ability to flexibly adapt to a changing legal, emergency-response environment.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, multicultural environment.

Language requirements:

• Romanian – preferably fluent (native)
• English and France – excellent oral and written
• Arabic is a distinctive advantage.

Key competencies:

• Proactive and team player
• Knowledge of Accountability to Affected Population's framework.
• Excellent organizational and problem-solving skills are required.
• Responsible, Professional, and with Integrity
• Ability to work with people from different cultural settings.
• Ability to work effectively with teams.
• Excellent interpersonal, written, and oral communication skills.
• Knowledge of MS Office 365, Email, and Browsers.

DISCLAIMER

This job description is intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed. It is not an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, skills required or permanent location. Location is subject to change based on programmatic needs. Flexibility is essential as we grow and develop. The successful candidate must be comfortable in a fast-paced, changing work environment with many crucial deadlines. All team members may be required to perform duties outside of their normal work hours of responsibilities as needed.

SAMPLE HIRING PROCESS:

We are committed to a fair and respectful hiring process, and we do our absolute best to respond to every applicant. We prioritize communication and transparency with all candidates, even those who are not moving forward. Here’s a snapshot of our hiring process:

Step 1: Submit your application!

Step 2: Phone screen with a Human Resources staff person.

Step 3: Interview with the hiring manager.

Step 4: Interview with a panel of HIAS employees.

Step 5: Reference check.

Step 6: Offer and background check.

Step 7: Start your professional journey with HIAS!

Note: Some of our hiring processes may vary, and not all candidates will advance to each step.

ABOUT US:

Over one hundred years ago, the Jewish community founded HIAS (originally the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society) in New York City, the immigrant gateway to America. Supporting Jews fleeing persecution and poverty in Eastern Europe, our founders were guided by the traditions, texts and history of the Jewish people—a history of oppression, displacement and diaspora. HIAS has since helped generations of Jews facing violence because of who they were, and HIAS remains committed to helping Jewish refugees anywhere in the world. Today, our clients at HIAS come from diverse faiths, ethnicities and backgrounds, as do our staff. We bring our experience, history and values to our work across five continents, ensuring that refugees today receive the vital services and opportunities they need to thrive.

HIAS is a learning community, committed to diversity and inclusion. We do our work with integrity, accountability, transparency and a commitment to the highest ethical standards. We seek employees from diverse backgrounds and life experiences to join our teams located in the United States and across the globe. People who identify as BIPOC, people with disabilities, people from the LGBTQ+ community and people with lived experiences of forced displacement or immigration are all encouraged to apply. We are committed to building a diverse workforce that reflects our vision, mission and values.

VISION:

HIAS stands for a world in which refugees find welcome, safety and opportunity.

MISSION:

Drawing on our Jewish values and history, HIAS provides vital services to refugees and asylum seekers around the world and advocates for their fundamental rights so they can rebuild their lives.

VALUES:

Welcome • Acogimiento • Hospitalité • (Hachnasat Orchim)

We Welcome the Stranger

Justice • Justicia • Justice • (Tzedek)

We Pursue Justice

Empathy • Empatía • Empathie • (Chesed)

We Approach our Clients with Empathy

Partnership • Compañerismo • Coopération • (Chevruta)

We Believe in Changing the World through Partnership

Courage • Coraje • Courage • (Ometz)

We Act with Courage to Build a Better World

Resilience • Resiliencia • Résilience • (Ruach)

We Adapt and Thrive, Continuously Demonstrating our Resilience

DIVERSITY:

HIAS is committed to a diverse and inclusive workplace. All qualified applicants will be considered for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, ethnic background, ancestry, citizenship status, religious creed, age, sex, gender, sexual orientation, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, registered domestic partner or civil union status, familial status, pregnancy, childbirth, military status, protected veteran status, political orientation or other legally protected status.

SAFEGUARDING:

HIAS is committed to the protection of children, vulnerable adults and any other person from any harm caused directly or indirectly due to their coming into contact with HIAS. We will not tolerate sexual exploitation, abuse or any form of child abuse or neglect by our staff or associated personnel. Any candidate offered a job with HIAS will be expected to sign and adhere to HIAS’ Code of Conduct and Safeguarding policies. All offers of employment will be subject to satisfactory references and appropriate screening checks, which can include criminal records. HIAS also participates in the Inter-Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. In line with this Scheme, we will request information from job applicants’ previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment during employment, or incidents under investigation when the applicant left employment. Likewise, HIAS will share this information when other organizations inquire about current and former HIAS staff as part of their recruitment process. By submitting an application, the job applicant confirms their understanding of these recruitment procedures.