Position Title:                          Circuit Rides & Travel Manager

Reports To:                              Senior Circuit Rides and Travel Manager

Supervises:                              Travel Supervisor, Circuit Rides & Scheduling Specialists

Division :                                 CWS Africa

Department:                             Programs

Team:                                       Regional

Job Location:                           Nairobi, Kenya

Grade Level:                            Grade 8, National

This position is contingent upon funding; shortlisting will happen on a rolling basis.

Introduction:

Church World Service (CWS) is a not-for-profit, faith-based organization transforming communities around the globe through just and sustainable solutions to hunger, poverty, displacement and disaster. CWS does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, gender identity, genetic information, age, disability or veteran status in employment or in the provision of services.

The Circuit Rides & Travel Manager is responsible for coordinating and supporting the planning and execution of all United States Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) Circuit Ride activities at RSC Africa as well as Applicant Travel to the U.S. This role ensures the effective coordination of field Travel operations, travel logistics, and partner engagement to meet programmatic goals and compliance standards. The Manager leads cross-functional teams, drives process improvements, and serves as the secondary liaison with PRM, USCIS, and other stakeholders for circuit ride planning and Applicant Travel.

This position plays a key role in aligning departmental activities with organizational priorities, ensuring quality, timeliness, and efficiency in refugee processing and travel facilitation. The Manager also contributes to strategic planning, budgeting, and staff development, while ensuring compliance with safety, security, and operational protocols.

Key Relationships

Internal to CWS

• RSC Director
• Deputy Director of RSC Programs
• Senior Program Managers
• Program Managers and Supervisors
• Program Processing Associates
• Pipeline and Case Quality Team
• SARU Team
• Circuit Rides and Scheduling Specialists
• Data Integrity Supervisor
• Data Analyst

External

• PRM and USCIS
• CWS RSC Africa’s implementing partners
• Travel Agents
• As Needed

Working Environment

• Office environment with periodic travel to the field as required.

Core Job Responsibilities:

Leadership & Coordination

• Engage in effective team management and supervision as per CWS expectations, including: ensure policies, procedures, and culture are understood and abided by; provide clear expectations, managing performance, yearly performance evaluations, and coordinating proper use of benefits; providing coaching and corrective action plans as needed; effective communication; maintaining accurate job descriptions; ensuring a safe, healthy and professional work place; and promoting safe-space, open door, and escalation policies.
• Ensures staff are safe in the field by coordinating with the Security Risk Management Specialist and disseminating information related to staff safety in the field.
• Under the guidance of the Senior Circuit Rides & Travel Manager, contribute to strategic planning conversations to set and achieve RSC Program goals.
• Provide input on quarterly and/or annual departmental staff and work projections, which contribute to Programs annual budget.
• Identify processing gaps by regularly undertaking frontline processing activities and then work to fill the identified gaps. Provide input/ideas and apply cost saving measures to ensure program sustainability.

Data Management and Analysis

• Ensure effective workplans are created and utilized and that Case processing duties are completed effectively.
• Closely monitor the movement of cases through the entire USRAP pipeline, ensuring cases are being processed and presented according to USRAP priorities.
• Acts as the point person for staff inquiries relating to processing of cases.
• Develops reports and quality control checks that ensure accuracy and efficiency as well as their use.
• Where needed, assists in ensuring RSC circuit rides are planned, revised and updated as needed until confirmed, and staff are prepared while ensuring all functions are completed in the most operationally responsible manner.

Program Administration

• Ensures the deployment of Prescreening, USCIS Support and Cultural Orientation circuit rides.
• Ensures applicant travel arrangements are completed through collaboration with identified travel agent(s), and RSC Procurement, including travel booking, applicant document verification, and airport departure/arrival assistance.
• Ensures that travel briefing is completed for applicants prior to travel including do’s and don’ts of travel.
• Ensures vulnerable applicants including the elderly, disabled and those with health conditions are provided with required assistance
• Ensures unaccompanied minors are adequately supported and handed over to the appropriate carrier staff.
• Monitors and tracks ticketing information in coordination with the travel agent to ensure invoices submitted correspond to tickets issued.
• Ensure applicants sign relevant travel documentation (travel loan – promissory notes) and ensure these are shared/stored appropriately.
• Coordinates with IOM and Independent Panel Physicians to ensure Medicals are scheduled, completed and uploaded in START in a timely manner.
• Ensure all Correspondences received is responded to in a timely manner
• Ensures Assurances are correctly reviewed and requested in a timely manner
• Coordinates with the Circuit Ride and Travel department to ensure Travel information is correctly updated in START for them to complete booking of applicants.
• Coordinates with the Pipeline and Case Quality team to ensure that needed filters and reports are created and provides them with feedback about gaps in the system. Additionally, ensures that feedback received from the Pipeline and Case Quality team is communicated to Programs staff and required training is provided in a timely manner.
• Develop work plans and oversee their implementation and reporting for direct reports.
• Track progress towards achievement of established annual goals and objectives.
• Deploy staff and resources to ensure timely and efficient work output, in coordination with Programs
• Management.
• Actively engages in circuit ride briefings and debriefings.
• Oversees the scheduling of eligible individuals for Prescreening, USCIS support, Cultural Orientation and Medicals.
• Participates in training and on-boarding new staff.
• Maintains records of all correspondence with partners.

Compliance

• Ensures all functions strictly adhere to the DOS/BPRM, USCIS, RPC, CWS and RSC Africa policies, guidelines, and procedures
• Ensures development, implementation, dissemination, monitoring and adherence to Processing Guides for processing of refugees eligible for the US Refugee Admissions Program in sub-Saharan Africa.
• Conducts job function observations to ensure compliance is met and identifies any areas of improvement or training needs.
• Identifies and assists with regular process reviews to compare requirements vs. current processing and outputs.
• Demonstrates ability to conduct field processing and case processing activities.
• Demonstrates ability to conduct logistical and administrative activities including Cultural Orientation training both in the field and remotely.
• Travels to field locations to monitor all travel activities, conduct performance evaluations and meet with partners and vendors.
• Runs regular Quality Checks and ensures that case updates in START are properly done.

Stakeholder Engagement and Representation

• Maintains effective relationships with RSC implementing partners, including PRM, IOM, UNHCR, RPC and domestic Resettlement Agencies.
• Ensure professional, timely, and proactive communication with partners.
• Represent CWS/RSC Africa’s values and policies to staff, partners, and applicants.
• Ensure staff professionalism in all external engagements

Additional Responsibilities

• Perform other duties as assigned to enhance program quality and efficiency.

Experience:

• A minimum of eight (8) years’ paid work experience is required.
• A minimum of two years’ (2) direct supervisory experience in the USRAP is required.
• Experience leading teams is preferred.
• Previous experience with USRAP strongly preferred.

Skills:

• In-depth knowledge of the US Refugee Admissions Program and START database.
• Strong verbal and written English language skills.
• Demonstrated computer skills, especially Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook and PowerPoint.
• Excellent organizational and time management skills.

Education & Certifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree, or four (4) additional year’s work experience in lieu of a bachelor’s degree.

Abilities:

• Ability to adapt to urgent priority changes including and not limited to primary assigned tasks changing in short notice.
• Ability to perform a full range of processing responsibilities, including but not limited to case processing, field processing, and facilitating cultural orientation sessions.
• Supervision of staff to ensure policies and procedures are implemented and executed in accordance with guidelines and standard operating procedures.
• Maintain a high-performance standard with attention to detail, completing tasks within set timeframes.
• Exercise good judgement and seek guidance as appropriate when confronted with unanticipated problems.
• Deal effectively and courteously with a large number of associates, outside agencies, refugees and members of the general public.
• Manage large and diverse workload under pressure with competing priorities
• Maintain the integrity of official records.
• Analyze and solve complex problems and make sound decisions.
• Work with minimal supervision.
• Maintain a high-performance standard with attention to detail;
• Work independently and contribute to overall operations of RSC Africa.
• Actively participate in the implementation of the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP)

Important Requirements:

• Strong English communication skills, both written and oral.
• Ability to work in a multi-cultural environment required.
• Commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion and willingness to support CWS’ Platform on Racial Justice as a CWS employee required.
• Remain alert and responsive to any child safeguarding and PSEAH (Prevention of Sexual, Exploitation, Abuse and Harassment) risks, acquire relevant knowledge and skills which will enable you to promote strong safeguarding PSEAH practices, understand the child safeguarding and PSEAH Policies and procedures, and conduct yourself in a manner consistent with the Child Safeguarding and PSEAH Policies.

• The candidate should be in good health, willing and able to travel extensively in often difficult conditions and have a high degree of flexibility. Must have proof of Yellow Fever vaccination before traveling for RSC Africa.
• This position is based in Nairobi in Kenya.
• This position requires use of laptops at all time, competence in Microsoft office packages is required.
• This position may require travel in sub-Saharan Africa on short notice and under sometimes difficult conditions to meet demands of a dynamic operational program.
• Background check which includes references, and an educational and criminal check is required before the start of employment.
• A valid passport and the ability to maintain a valid passport throughout the entire appointment is required, which includes having enough passport pages for travel.
• Environmental: Incumbents in this position will be exposed to excessive noise, marked changes in temperature and/or humidity, dust and infectious diseases, harsh weather climates, long work hours, bumpy roads, extended travel, excessive sun exposure, and non-ventilated spaces.
• The US Embassy rates Kenya as both HIGH in crime and HIGH in terrorism. Incumbents should fully understand the insecurities present within Kenya and the region.
• The position is Full time
• All employees should be prepared to work from the CWS office within their location of hire. Remote work arrangements may vary depending on location and the governing regulations based on prevailing context.