Workforce Development Specialist

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Are you ready to embark on a new career endeavor?

Join The Doe Fund on our mission to break the cycles of homelessness, addiction, and recidivism. Our flagship Ready, Willing & Able (RWA) program provides paid transitional work experience, transitional housing, advanced occupational training, and comprehensive supportive services to individuals experiencing homelessness. The Doe Fund is also one of New York City’s largest nonprofit developers of permanent affordable and supportive housing, with more than 1,900 units in operation or pre-development. The Doe Fund has an annual operating budget of $73 million and a full-time staff of nearly 500, a significant portion of whom are graduates of our programs. 

We are currently seeking a Career Coaching Professional to join our team. The Workforce Development Specialist is responsible for developing meaningful engagement with RWA participants. This engagement covers both the initial 12 months of the program as well as the 12 months of post-graduation contact.

This position will be based out of multiple locations (Brooklyn & Manhattan).

We offer a competitive salary and a comprehensive benefits package, including medical and dental coverage, paid retirement plan participation, paid sick, personal and vacation time, paid holidays, discounted gym memberships, and more.

The Ideal Candidate:

• You have earned a bachelor’s degree in a related field
• You can work on average two or three evenings per week
• You have a passionate desire to motivate participants to secure and retain employment
• You have sensitivity towards working in workforce re-entry for those with significant re-entry barriers; especially the homeless and individuals with conviction histories
• You have two to four years of classroom facilitation
• You can work effectively within a culturally diverse environment
• You have a working knowledge of Microsoft; Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Google
• You have strong oral and written communication, presentation, and networking skills
• You have excellent organizational skills
• You can manage multiple agendas effectively and follow up accordingly
• You can both work independently and as part of a team
• You are flexible, and creative and have a solution-oriented approach to issues

Key Responsibilities:

Major responsibilities of the Workforce Development Specialist include, but are not limited to the following:

Facilitating and Tutoring

• Facilitate CSS (Career Success Strategies) class which covers:
  • Online Job Application
  • Personal and Professional References
  • Budgeting
  • Job interviewing both general and job sector-specific
  • Resume Building
  • Cover Letter Building
  • Virtual interview software
• Meet regularly with an assigned caseload of trainees to deliver one-on-one coaching in:
  • Resume Preparation
  • Virtual interview preparation and practice
  • Difficult questions and employment gaps
  • Ongoing job search efforts
• Interact in person and via email with Program Directors, Case Managers, and other Career Coaching Professionals to refine the understanding of applicants’ needs and identify targeted job development efforts
• Maintain up-to-date records on client efforts, progress, and development needs
• Aid in facilitating monthly mock interviews with corporate partners
• Participate in both staff and team meetings
• Conduct service-oriented orientations on overall and specific department services as scheduled by the facility and leadership team

Job Placement Assistance/Coaching

• Participate in a job sector team
• Aiding in employer referral opportunities for clients
• Maintaining employer relationships where appropriate
• Engaging clients for employment satisfaction by aiding clients to create and follow a career plan
• Advocate for clientele when denied employment
• Aid in gathering evidence of rehabilitation
• Maintaining up-to-date records for tracking and follow-up
• Submit weekly sector-specific job leads via Indeed for referral to job seekers
• Schedule and conduct weekly one-on-one job search coaching sessions as directed by career development plan

Student/Graduate Follow-up

• Document student engagement through data entry, case notes, status emails, and case conference meeting
• Structure and maintain personal availability schedule for heavy walk-in engagement with participants under the direction of the leadership team
• Provide comprehensive graduate case management for a caseload of engaged participants which includes career coaching, professional portfolio development, and employment referrals
• Update and refer graduates to the  active graduate resource list to support retention outcomes related to, employment, housing, and sobriety
• Act as point person for re-engagement with displaced graduates or graduate job seekers, connecting them to in-house housing support, temporary work contract opportunities, and overall career development support
• Support retention outcomes and the collection of retention information through weekly outreach to graduates
• Responsible for all administrative tasks connected to the facilitation of the retention-oriented Earning Supplement Program

Interested?

Submit your application for review here.

Before you go, we want to assure you that we are committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace reflective of individuals who share our mission and who want to join us in working on the cutting-edge of important social issues.

We are an equal opportunity employer and we highly encourage applications from candidates regardless of race, color, citizenship, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, veteran or reservist status, or any other category protected by federal, state, or local law.