ICLA Officer (Information, Guidance and Legal Assistance) – CDMX At Norwegian Refugee Council

The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) is an international non-governmental organisation based in Oslo, Norway that works in over 40 countries providing humanitarian assistance to the most vulnerable populations. NRC has been responding to the growing internal and external displacement in Central America and Mexico since 2015, focusing on the protection crisis and integrating legal aid, education, shelter and infrastructure, water and sanitation, and livelihoods interventions.

NRC is an organization with a high international reputation in humanitarian assistance and has been working in Latin America for more than 30 years, leading humanitarian action in many of the countries where it operates.

In Mexico, NRC has been collaborating with local partners since 2019 and is now expanding its reach, starting activities through direct implementation in the States of Veracruz, Coahuila and Mexico City, with more than 20 collaborators hired by NRC in Mexico, providing assistance to displaced people in the intervention areas in the country.

1. Objective

A rewarding opportunity to join our team at NRC Mexico, we are seeking an ICLA Officer to assist in the implementation of field activities and case management of the Information, Orientation, and Legal Assistance (ICLA) competency in accordance with NRC’s programmatic strategy in Mexico. The main work topics could revolve around information, orientation, and legal assistance services for refugee cases and other forms of immigration regularization in Mexico and eventually information and orientation to refugee processes in the United States, management of civil identity documents, and access to basic services such as housing, work, and education, among others.

2. Main Responsibilities

1. Plan, implement and follow up on information, guidance and legal assistance activities for the beneficiary population in the assigned ICLA work areas.
2. Identify, document, assist, prepare the necessary legal documents, refer and follow up on cases of people on the move who require ICLA services, in internal coordination with other NRC competencies and externally with other key actors, ensuring regular follow-up and seeking the closure of cases.
3. Provide support for the ongoing review of cases and evaluate those that present the greatest need for legal attention for analysis of possible strategic litigation cases and/or for referral in accordance with established agreements.
4. Provide inputs for the design of legal strategies and ICLA activities to deliver ICLA services in an efficient and timely manner.
5. Collect and provide analysis on the local context situation, needs and response to the population of interest in their geographic areas of intervention, as well as monitoring the development of new legal and juridical mechanisms on ICLA issues under their responsibility and on this task raise recommendations to the ICLA PDM
6. Apply and properly archive the tools for collecting, evaluating and systematizing information on the activities carried out, as well as the means of verification.
7. Compile and submit in a timely manner the systematization of information related to the programmatic activities of the projects in execution, namely, databases of beneficiaries and activities, activity reports, means of verification, etc.
8. Under the coordination of the ICLA PDM, consolidate quantitative and qualitative information for the preparation of narrative reports (monthly, quarterly, etc.) on the implementation status of the projects under its responsibility.
9. Provide inputs for the development of operational standards, thematic publications and information material for ICLA.
10. Ensure internal coordination with other NRC competencies in Mexico (protection, LFS; Education) seeking complementarity and synergies to address cases based on the needs of people on the move.
11. Ensure coordination with the administrative area of ​​the Office regarding purchasing and contracting processes related to the implementation of assigned ICLA projects and activities, according to NRC standard operating procedures.
12. Identify and participate in coordination initiatives with other actors working with NRC’s population of interest in the area.
13. Support for financial monitoring, preparation and monitoring of purchasing processes of the competition in Mexico City.
14. Implementation and monitoring of the ICLA CASH case management process in the intervention area.
15. Others assigned by the supervisor in the fulfillment of the objective of the position.

3. Professional Competencies

• University degree in Social Sciences (Law, International Relations, Social Work or similar).
• Minimum of three (3) years of work experience in similar positions, preferably in the humanitarian field.
• Experience in providing information, guidance and legal assistance.
• Previous experience working in complex and volatile contexts.
• Documented results related to the responsibilities of the position.
• Demonstrable knowledge of international and national regulations associated with issues of human rights, forced displacement, international protection, migration regimes, access to civil documentation and basic services in contexts of human mobility.
• Knowledge of the operational and security context in which NRC operates.
• Excellent written and spoken command of the Spanish language
• Skills in interview techniques for vulnerable populations.
• Ability to provide immediate response to identified cases.
• Demonstrable knowledge of international and national regulations associated with the topics covered by NRC in Mexico.
• Experience working with vulnerable groups and ability to demonstrate sensitivity to conflict.
• Knowledge and experience in handling the Office package and databases.
• Excellent oral and written expression skills.
• Excellent interpersonal relationships, positive attitude and ability to resolve complex situations.

Desirable:

• Knowledge of the structure of the State and public policy for the care of people in need of international protection and the national protection system.
• Knowledge of the humanitarian context and social organization structures.
• Handling of the English language.

4. Behavioral Competence

The NRC competency framework establishes 10 behavioural competencies and the following are essential for this position:

• Managing unsafe environments.
• Plan and achieve results
• Working with others.
• Analyze.

Want to know more? Click on this Job Description before continuing.

What We Offer:

• A challenging and meaningful job in a highly recognized humanitarian organization.
• A national contract, valid until August 31, 2025, with the possibility of extension, with a competitive salary and benefits package.
• Flexible working environment in a dynamic office.
• Workplace: Mexico City, Mexico.
• Travel: 20% to other areas of intervention.

We encourage you to join our work culture that allows staff to share ideas and take responsibility . We encourage and give responsibility to our entire team at all levels, to help solve the complex problems we face. You will have many opportunities to be heard and to take initiative.

NRC is an equal opportunity employer whose policy is diversity, equity and inclusion of staff in terms of age, gender, ethnicity, nationality, physical ability, among others.

NRC may review applications prior to the closing of the vacancy announcement, so interested candidates are encouraged to express their interest as early as possible.

About us:

The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) is an international non-governmental organisation based in Oslo, Norway that works in over 35 countries providing humanitarian assistance to the most vulnerable populations. NRC has been responding to the growing internal and external displacement in Central America and Mexico since 2015, focusing on the protection crisis and integrating legal aid, education, shelter and infrastructure, water and sanitation, and livelihoods interventions.

NRC is an internationally renowned humanitarian assistance organization that has been working in Latin America for over 30 years, leading humanitarian action in many of the countries where it operates. In Mexico, NRC has been collaborating with local partners since 2019 and is currently expanding its reach, starting activities through direct implementation with NRC-hired personnel in Mexico, providing assistance to displaced people in the intervention areas in the country.

Read more about NRC