Outreach & Employment Specialist

3rd Street Youth Center & Clinic•San Francisco, CA

9d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Outreach & Employment Specialist is the primary point of contact for young people entering the Young Adult Job Centers, and the person who walks alongside them from first contact through a job that lasts. This role has two halves. 1) Outreach means actively getting in front of young people at our housing sites, across our programs and in the community, bringing them into employment services. It is not a passive, wait-for-referrals role. 2) Employment services means career counseling, job readiness training, coaching, placement, and retention support for the young people who engage. This program carries defined contractual targets, including an annual enrollment goal and a placement rate at exit into unsubsidized employment, education, or training. This role directly drives both. We are looking for someone who can build genuine trust with young people who have been failed by systems before and who can also deliver on real numbers.

Requirements

Associate's degree in Human Services, Social Work, Workforce Development, Education, Business, or a related field; or an equivalent combination of education and experience. Relevant lived experience is valued and may substitute for formal education.
Minimum two years of experience providing direct services to youth or young adults.
Experience in workforce development, employment services, career coaching, education, or case management.
Ability to travel between program sites and throughout San Francisco.
Genuine ability to build trust with young people who may be testing whether you're for real
Comfort with proactive outreach initiating contact, showing up consistently, and bringing people in
Knowledge of workforce development and employment readiness practices
Strong coaching, mentoring, and relationship-building skills
Workshop facilitation and group work abilities
Knowledge of trauma-informed and culturally responsive service delivery
Strong organizational skills and reliable documentation habits
Ability to manage a caseload and deliver on performance goals
Proficiency with Microsoft Office and cloud-based case management systems

Nice To Haves

Lived experience reflective of the young people and communities we serve
Experience working with Transitional Age Youth, including justice-involved and formerly homeless young people
Experience conducting outreach and community engagement
Familiarity with OEWD, WIOA, or similar workforce programs
Familiarity with WorkforceCentral, Apricot, Salesforce, or similar data systems
Bilingual or multilingual abilities

Responsibilities

Conduct proactive, consistent outreach to young people across 3rd Street's programs: housing, behavioral health, health, education, and youth development, and in the surrounding community.
Build visibility and trust through regular presence where young people already are, rather than waiting for them to come to you.
Develop and maintain referral relationships with internal program teams, community organizations, schools, and partner agencies.
Staff and animate the drop-in resource centers, creating a welcoming, low-barrier front door into employment services.
Re-engage young people who disengage, treating return as a warm re-entry rather than a lockout.
Conduct career counseling and planning sessions with real conversations about a young person's goals, interests, and job search strategy.
Complete intake, eligibility verification, assessment, and enrollment documentation.
Develop Individual Service Plans with each participant and update them as progress is made.
Conduct regular one-on-one coaching to monitor progress, remove barriers, and keep momentum.
Facilitate workshops and group sessions, open to any young person, covering: Resume and cover letter development; interview preparation; mock interviews; Professional communication and workplace expectations; Job search strategies and digital literacy; Financial literacy and career exploration.
Prepare participants for employment through coaching, practice, and skill-building.
Identify employment, internship, apprenticeship, and training opportunities aligned with participants' goals.
Match participants to opportunities, coordinate interviews, and make warm introductions to employers.
Support participants through hiring and onboarding.
Maintain regular contact after placement, providing coaching and problem-solving to support job retention.
Conduct required follow-up contacts and document employment status in accordance with OEWD standards.
Coordinate supportive services to help participants stay employed.
Document all services accurately and on time in WorkforceCentral and Apricot, meeting monthly data deadlines.
Work with 3rd Street's compliance and reporting partner to ensure data is complete and accurate.
Maintain confidential participant records.
Collaborate with Housing, Behavioral Health, Youth Development, Education, and Case Management teams to coordinate wraparound support and surface youth for employment services.
Participate in staff meetings, trainings, case conferences, and community events.