Vocational ESL Instructor, Refugee Resettlement

Position Title: Vocational ESL Instructor

Organization: Jewish Family Service of San Diego

Department: Refugee Resettlement

Position Type: Half-Time (30 – 37.49 hours/week), Non-Exempt

Work Setting: Hybrid

Reports To: Employment Program Manager

Pay Range: $24/hour

Total Compensation: 

In addition to standard pay, compensation for this position includes:

• Generous employer 401(k) contributions

Time Away from Work:

Being able to take time away from work is critical in bringing your best self to work. Time off benefits for this position include:

• Paid vacation time and sick leave
• 15 paid holidays, including Federal and Jewish holidays (as long as the holiday lands on a normal scheduled work day), and floating holidays
• 2 Wellness Days to be taken any time during the year to support employees’ mental wellness

Position Overview:

JFS is looking for a compassionate, mission-driven individual to join the Refugee Resettlement team as the Vocational ESL Instructor. In this role, you have the opportunity to use your teaching skills and group facilitation experience to make a meaningful difference in your community and help change lives across San Diego. The Vocational ESL Instructor plays an integral role on the team and supports the entire agency by providing ESL training centering on workforce development to increase the skills of refugee newcomers searching for employment. This position reports directly to the Employment Program Manager and works closely with the Employment Team and the rest of the Refugee Resettlement Department.

Responsibilities:

• Design and implement vocational ESL curricula tailored to the language and workplace needs of refugee clients
• Develop lesson plans, instructional materials, and assessments that align with client employment goals
• Coordinate outreach and contact clients to encourage class attendance and participation
• Arrange interpretation services as needed to support multilingual learners
• Track and maintain accurate attendance records, ensuring timely reporting and documentation
• Update multiple databases with client attendance and performance information, ensuring compliance with program and funder requirements
• Maintain physical files and documentation as required by program guidelines
• Provide regular updates to the Employment Team and Department on client progress, challenges, and achievements
• Collaborate with employment specialists to align ESL instruction with job readiness training and workforce expectations
• Offering one-on-one tutoring sessions for clients requiring additional language support
• Adapt teaching strategies to accommodate various learning styles, literacy levels, and educational backgrounds
• Integrate soft skills training, workplace culture, and industry-specific vocabulary into lessons
• Support clients in preparing for job applications, interviews, and workplace communication
• Participate in team meetings to discuss client performance and develop strategies to meet shared goals
• Stay informed about best practices in adult ESL instruction and workforce development
• Other duties as assigned

Skills/Experience/Abilities That Are a Must-Have:

• Must have a valid CA driver's license, insurance, a reliable personal vehicle, and a willingness to travel off-site
• Background in group facilitation or teaching preferably to adult learners from diverse backgrounds
• Ability to design and adapt ESL curricula with a focus on workforce readiness
• Understanding of effective strategies for teaching English to learners with varying literacy levels
• Ability to explain complex concepts in a clear, accessible, and culturally sensitive manner
• Experience in outreach, follow-ups, and motivating students to attend and participate in classes
• Proficiency in updating and maintaining multiple databases and physical files to track attendance and performance
• Ability to work both independently and as part of a team
• Completion of all tasks with a high degree of accuracy and in a manner to meet deadline and compliance requirements
• Familiarity with refugee and immigrant populations, including an understanding of the challenges they face in employment and education
• Ability to modify lesson plans and teaching approaches based on client needs and program requirements
• Strong ability to balance curriculum planning, student tracking, reporting, and administrative tasks efficiently
• Bilingual (Preferred but Not Required) – Fluency in a language commonly spoken by refugee communities (e.g., Arabic, Dari, Pashto, Spanish, Swahili, etc.) is a plus
• Comfortable using online teaching tools, databases, and Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook, etc.)

Skills/Abilities We’d Like You to Have:

• High school diploma or equivalent GED, or some college, bachelor’s degree desirable
• Administrative support experience is helpful

Physical Requirements:

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit, talk and listen. The employee frequently is required to stand, walk, use hands and arms to finger a keyboard, handle papers, and reach for the phone. The employee may need to climb or balance, stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 20 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. The noise level is moderate, so concentration and good hearing are required.
• These are the job duties and the approximate % of time spent on each:
• Sitting (i.e., data entry at a computer or talking on the phone) 75%
• Driving 10%
• Standing (i.e., faxing, copying, filing) 10%
• Lifting (occasional moving of boxes) 5%

Important Notice:

Incomplete submissions will not be considered. Please, no phone calls. Please, principals only. Please, local candidates only (relocation is not provided).

About Jewish Family Service of San Diego
Jewish Family Service of San Diego is a client-centered, impact-driven organization working to build a stronger, more resilient community.  For over 100 years, Jewish Family Service has been a trusted resource for the entire community, offering an array of services that are always life-changing, and often life-saving.  At Jewish Family Service, we believe our employees are the backbone of our Agency.  We strive to ensure that each employee is treated with dignity and respect.  Our goal is your success.  Come work at JFS and be our partner in Moving Forward Together.  To learn more about JFS, please visit jfssd.org. 

*Jewish Family Service is an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran or disability status.

Salary : $24