Employment Specialist

Center for Employment Opportunities•Riverside, CA

7d•Onsite

About The Position

The Employment Specialist increases the range of employment opportunities available to our participants using participant interests, experiences, and their ambitions as a foundation for participant job placements, and more broadly, for the identification and cultivation of potential employers for prospect portfolios. The role operates on one of two tracks, based on site and regional staffing needs: Account Specialist track: focuses on employer cultivation, engagement, and placement support, partnering with dedicated vocational staff members on the participant relationship. Full Cycle track: combines employer cultivation, engagement, and placement with direct participant case management, owning the full relationship from job readiness through placement. The Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO) provides employment services to people recently released from incarceration. Across the United States, 8,000-9,000 people participate in CEO each year, transitioning to employment that supports themselves, their families, and their communities. What began as a demonstration project of the Vera Institute of Justice in the 1970s to address employment barriers facing the formerly incarcerated following release in New York City has grown into the leading reentry employment organization in the country, where over 30,000 formerly incarcerated individuals have secured full-time employment since 1996.

Requirements

Demonstrated commitment to CEO’s mission and interest in working in a fast-growing and results-oriented nonprofit environment
Passionate about helping individuals become the best version of themselves; interested in guiding individuals to achieving their career goals through a balance of accountability and empathy
Deep interest in re-entry or criminal justice reform
Comfortable with providing the feedback and support necessary to facilitate the development of participant knowledge and skills
Ability to anticipate problems, evaluate them, and determine and implement solutions
Ability to take into account and analyze various points of view and data to form a perspective appropriate to a particular context
Excellent interpersonal and written communication skills with the ability to adjust to particular personalities and interaction styles on the spot
Self-motivated, diligent, resilient, and demonstrate stamina and vigor as you hold yourself accountable to deadlines and outcomes, even in the face of adversity or setbacks
Comfortable working under pressure and meeting deadlines despite opposition or setbacks
Highly organized with top notch time management skills and the ability to juggle multiple priorities seamlessly or ask for support with prioritization when needed
Comfortable learning new technologies that an organization adopts/implements
2+ years of experience in workforce development, recruitment, or sales/account management, a role in which you needed to meet performance goals on a regular basis
Skilled in networking and cultivating lasting relationships with people and businesses, helping them understand how our work can help them achieve their business strategy and goals
Experience in looking at a set of data or market research and use it to guide your practice and decision-making

Nice To Haves

Lived experience of incarceration or involvement in the justice system

Responsibilities

Envision, develop, and implement a strategic plan for placement services for a local office that ensures CEO meets its participant placement metrics
Conduct reviews of existing CEO business partnerships regularly, evaluate employer demand and usage of CEO services, and determine improvements and ways to leverage relationships with employers
Achieve weekly, monthly, quarterly and annual placement goals in accordance with CEO’s contractual obligations
Research, conduct outreach to, and build relationships with prospective employers willing to hire CEO participants and who have hiring needs that match the skills, experience, and interests of our overall participant cohort
Maintain relationships with existing employer partners
Schedule and conduct daily prospecting, cold calls, and face-to-face meetings
Serve as the liaison among employers, participants, and our criminal justice partners
Produce up to 5 monthly placements
Screen and match program participants with employment opportunities, taking into consideration each participant’s skills, work experience, interests, and goals and aspirations
Customize participants’ resumes to fit identified opportunities
Manage a caseload of participants, support and coach them around applying for jobs, navigating the hiring process, and finding and securing right fit employment
Provide placement support to participants in partnership with assigned vocational staff members coordinating on job readiness and application activity (Account Specialist track)
Communicate employer requirements and opportunity details to vocational staff to support accurate participant matching (Account Specialist track)
Manage a caseload of participants, support and coach them around applying for jobs, navigating the hiring process, and finding and securing right fit employment (Full Cycle track)
Serve as the primary point of contact for assigned participants throughout the placement process (Full Cycle track)
Document all participant and employer contact, activities, and outcomes in our case management system (Salesforce)
Supports the Site Director with administrative and operational duties to ensure the smooth and seamless operation of the site
Perform other job-related duties and responsibilities assigned from time to time
Lead activities within or across offices related to your role’s specific outcomes and/or office needs (such as case conferencing responsibilities)