Career Coach

Lao Family Community Development, Inc.•Oakland, CA

1d•$22 - $25•Onsite

About The Position

Lao Family Community Development, Inc. (LFCD) is a community development nonprofit serving Contra Costa, Alameda, and Sacramento counties. The agency provides community development facilities and workforce, education, and human services to low-income families and individuals, refugees, immigrants, transitional-age youth, seniors, people with disabilities, and other special populations. LFCD seeks a Career Coach to prepare and place CalWORKs, General Assistance (GA), and CalFresh recipients in subsidized or unsubsidized employment and manage participants in the Cal-AIM initiative, which provides comprehensive care management for clinical and non-clinical needs. The position is based at a Career Pathways Employment and Training (CPET) office in North Oakland and directly reports to the Site Supervisor. The Career Coach recruits employers and job seekers, facilitates orientations and assessments, and develops Individual Employment Plans. The role provides case management, vocational training counseling, job placement, and retention services while supporting participants’ long-term career advancement. It also involves understanding employer hiring and business-development needs, complying with Alameda County Social Services Agency requirements, and accounting for factors that affect participants’ ability to succeed and advance at work.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in social work, psychology, or a related field, plus at least 2–3 years of similar experience preferred; alternatively, at least 3–4 years of experience in case management, direct employment services, and coaching.
Enthusiasm, client-centeredness, creativity, dedication, organization, and motivation to work with low-income people and individuals facing multiple employment barriers from diverse ethnic and social backgrounds.
Ability to work effectively under pressure, adapt to change, manage time well, and communicate effectively.
Ability to work independently and collaboratively with other staff.
Ability to communicate regularly with the Site Supervisor and make individual and group presentations and facilitate workshops.
Ability to understand, explain, and apply complex local, state, and federal regulations, policies, and procedures governing WIOA, Refugee, GA, CalFresh, and CalWORKs Welfare-to-Work programs.
Working knowledge of effective case-management techniques.
Must verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States, complete the required employment eligibility verification form, and pass a background check.
Flexible schedule availability for some evenings and weekends.
Ability to regularly sit and work at a computer; use hands to handle or feel; talk or hear; and move objects weighing up to 25 pounds.

Nice To Haves

Bilingual Spanish language skills.

Responsibilities

Build trusting relationships with participants, encourage program participation, and help individuals develop self-sufficiency plans based on CalWORKs 2.0 principles.
Complete the Online CalWORKs Appraisal Tool (OCAT) for newly enrolled participants as needed, including screening for barriers and explaining available services.
Recommend and develop participant training plans, refer participants to training opportunities, and collect timesheets, employment verification letters, and pay stubs as evidence of job placement.
Conduct post-placement and post-exit follow-up to support job retention.
Lead and facilitate Welfare-to-Work orientation, CalFresh/GA and Job Club sessions, career assessments, workshops, job-search and interview preparation, and individual or small-group counseling.
Develop participant employment portfolios, including a master application, résumé, cover letter, thank-you letter, not-offered letter, reference list, CASAS testing, and Individual Employment Plans.
Introduce participants to ONET Online to help identify career interests, education pathways, labor-market alignment, and job matches.
Assess participant needs and identify appropriate job interests and employment opportunities.
Create Welfare-to-Work plans when participants obtain employment or enroll in vocational education, and conduct retention follow-ups for 180 days for WTW participants and 90 days for CalFresh/GA participants.
Write monthly retention case comments and weekly Job Club comments.
Track attendance; enter data; update daily logs and job activities in CalSAWS; maintain enrollment records; and use the system to access and audit participant rosters and track program activities.
Provide Work Experience and Community Service (WEN/CS) activities at approved worksites in the assigned region, supporting participants with limited education, English communication abilities, employment histories, or marketable skills.
Ensure participants in Unpaid Work Experience (UWEN) and Paid Work Experience (PWEN) receive at least the minimum hourly wage for hours worked and scheduled biweekly payroll checks.
Meet in person with participants and worksite supervisors at host sites to discuss progress and monitor compliance with worksite agreements.
Attend required training, obtain and maintain required certifications, build relationships and networks with partners, and survey participants after placement to assess job stability.
Prepare monthly program activity reports for the CPET Site Supervisor.
Support agency initiatives and strategic-plan goals, remain knowledgeable about the agency’s mission, vision, and values, and perform other duties assigned by the Site Supervisor or Program Manager.