Career Development Specialist

Easterseals

7d•Onsite

About The Position

Community Work Services, part of The Fedcap Group, is seeking a Career Development Specialist to develop employment opportunities, secure meaningful job placements, and help participants remain employed. This hands-on role emphasizes employer engagement, job development, placement, and retention while providing individualized career coaching and case management. The specialist works with participants, employers, referral agencies, and program staff to build a pipeline of viable job opportunities and match participants with roles aligned with their skills, goals, and support needs. The position focuses on achieving 180 days of sustained employment and remains engaged with participants and employers for up to one year after placement to identify challenges and support continued employment. The role is onsite at 174 Portland St. in Boston, Massachusetts, with local travel required and occasional out-of-area or overnight travel. It is a full-time, exempt position reporting to the Program Coordinator, with annual compensation of $50,000–$55,000.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in vocational rehabilitation, counseling, social work, or a related field.
At least one year of experience in a human-services or community-based setting.
Ability to build employer relationships, generate job leads, and connect participants with suitable employment opportunities.
Experience supporting participants with career planning, job readiness, placement, retention, or case management.
Ability to identify potential barriers to job retention and collaborate with participants and employers on practical solutions.
Strong communication, relationship-building, coaching, and organizational skills, with attention to detail and ability to manage competing priorities.
Sound judgment, problem-solving skills, and ability to maintain accurate and confidential records.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office or comparable business software.
Sensitivity when working with individuals with disabilities and other barriers to employment.
Valid and current Massachusetts Class D driver's license.

Nice To Haves

Knowledge of local labor-market needs, employer outreach, and job-matching practices.
Experience with curriculum development and teaching.
Bilingual English and Spanish skills.

Responsibilities

Develop and maintain relationships with local employers through consistent outreach to generate job leads and employment opportunities.
Build connections with employers, workforce boards, chambers of commerce, business associations, and community partners.
Identify and verify available positions, employer requirements, schedules, workplace expectations, and hiring needs.
Match participants with suitable openings and coordinate referrals, interviews, employer follow-up, and placement activities.
Support successful placements with a focus on 180-day employment retention, identifying and addressing barriers to continued employment.
Help employer partners support inclusive hiring, effective onboarding, and appropriate workplace supports.
Participate in hiring events, job fairs, and employer information sessions, using local labor-market trends to identify promising employers and industries.
Develop individualized retention approaches at placement and maintain proactive contact with participants and, when appropriate, employers for up to one year.
Address attendance concerns, workplace conflicts, changing personal circumstances, and unmet support needs with participants, employers, and program staff.
Monitor and verify 180-day employment retention and other required milestones; document solutions and outcomes and use feedback to improve job matches.
Manage an assigned caseload, assess employment readiness and barriers, and maintain individualized employment plans with goals, timelines, and follow-up.
Provide career coaching and job-readiness support, including resumes, applications, interview preparation, mock interviews, and workplace expectations.
Connect participants with training, education, counseling, housing, medical care, and other community resources.
Coordinate with referring agencies and participate in case conferences to review progress, address barriers, and align support services with employment plans.
Assess requests for supportive funds or gift certificates, explore other resources, and assist with appropriate requests and referrals.
Coordinate orientation and pre-screening, verify employment and education histories, and participate in or lead Job Club sessions as needed.
Support participant recruitment and collaborate with program staff and community partners on onsite and offsite information sessions.
Maintain timely and accurate participant records, case notes, employment verification, and supporting documentation in designated systems.
Track employer outreach, referrals, interviews, placements, and retention milestones, including 30-, 90-, and 180-day milestones; review progress with the Program Coordinator.
Track enrollment, services, and outcomes by funding source, prepare required reports, and resolve data gaps for funder compliance, performance reviews, and audits.