Placement Specialist

Goodwill Industries of Houston•Houston, TX

2d•Onsite

About The Position

The Placement Specialist works in Goodwill Houston’s Workforce Development department and reports to the Program Manager. The role connects job-ready Career Center customers with employment opportunities and is accountable for achieving verified employment outcomes. It supports customers from career readiness through employer referrals, interviews, employment verification, and retention follow-up, while maintaining an active placement pipeline, meeting employment goals, and accurately documenting outcomes in CaseWorthy. The position maintains an active presence at the designated Career Center to support customers, colleagues, operations, and business needs. The Placement Specialist facilitates onsite Career Readiness Workshops, with virtual access when appropriate, and provides instruction and individual coaching in resumes, interviewing, job-search strategies, digital literacy, workplace expectations, communication, and employment preparation. The role assesses customer readiness, coordinates next steps with Career Center colleagues, and connects participants to jobs, hiring events, training, and other services. The position provides individualized placement assistance, including assessing customers’ interests, skills, experience, credentials, wage expectations, availability, transportation, and other placement considerations; matching them to qualified opportunities; and helping with applications, interview preparation, logistics, and employer follow-up. The Specialist manages the placement pipeline, tracks progress through employment and retention, prepares weekly status updates, participates in case reviews, and collaborates with Career Navigators, Employment Specialists, and Business Services. The Specialist obtains and documents employment verification, conducts post-placement retention follow-up, and identifies opportunities for advancement or continued training. The role also maintains accurate and timely records in CaseWorthy and other approved systems, ensures outcomes meet documentation standards, supports compliance and data-quality reviews, maintains confidentiality, and follows organizational procedures and applicable laws. Travel to other GWH locations, employer sites, hiring events, community events, and partner locations may be required as assigned.

Requirements

At least two years of workforce development, career services, and/or human services experience.
Complete required Placement Specialist training and successfully complete the required teach-back component.
Excellent computer skills, including proficiency in Microsoft Office.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Ability to communicate and interact well with a variety of personality types.
Ability to analyze opportunities and problems, evaluate alternatives, and develop effective approaches.
Reliable transportation to travel to assigned work locations.
Legally authorized to work in the United States without current or future employment sponsorship.
Ability to sit, stand, bend, and reach, and to lift, push, and pull up to 25 pounds.
Ability to spend most working hours at a computer.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree; equivalent professional experience may be considered in lieu of a degree.
Experience facilitating workshops, training sessions, or group presentations.
Experience working directly with job seekers and employment outcomes.
Experience working in a goal-driven or performance-based environment.

Responsibilities

Facilitate onsite Career Readiness Workshops and provide virtual access when appropriate.
Teach resume development, interviewing, job-search strategies, digital literacy for job searches, workplace expectations, professional communication, and employment preparation.
Conduct mock interviews and provide structured, individualized feedback and coaching.
Adapt workshop delivery to customers’ learning needs while following established curriculum, objectives, and service standards.
Assess customer participation and readiness and coordinate next steps with Career Navigators, Employment Specialists, and other Career Center staff.
Connect workshop participants to job opportunities, hiring events, employer spotlights, training, and other Career Center services.
Maintain an active pipeline of job-ready customers and provide individualized employment placement assistance.
Coordinate with Career Navigators and Employment Specialists to identify customers ready for placement and confirm and document work-ready status.
Complete an individualized customer work profile within 48 hours of assignment.
Assess customer interests, skills, experience, credentials, wage expectations, shift availability, transportation, and other placement factors.
Match qualified customers to employment opportunities and assist with targeted job searches, applications, interview preparation, employer follow-up, and other placement activities.
Coordinate interview logistics, including scheduling, confirmation, transportation, professional attire, and required documentation.
Follow up after applications, interviews, hiring events, and employer referrals, and re-engage customers who have not secured employment after completing services or training.
Promote opportunities that support career advancement, economic mobility, and GWH wage goals.
Maintain an organized placement pipeline with documented next steps and prioritize activity based on readiness, employer demand, job availability, training completion, and credentials.
Track customer progress through referrals, applications, interviews, offers, start dates, employment verification, and retention.
Monitor employer referrals and ensure timely customer and employer follow-up.
Prepare and submit weekly placement status reports to Employment Specialists, Career Navigators, and Business Services, identifying customer status, barriers, and support needs.
Participate in Career Center case reviews and pipeline meetings and collaborate with colleagues to address barriers and supportive-service needs.
Obtain timely employment verification and document employer, position, start date, wage, hours, and other required outcome information using approved methods.
Conduct post-placement follow-up at established intervals and coordinate support to help customers maintain employment.
Identify opportunities for customers to advance to higher-wage employment or continue training when appropriate.
Ensure WFD compliance with regulatory and accreditation standards and maintain accurate, timely customer records in CaseWorthy and other approved systems.
Ensure employment outcomes meet documentation and verification standards before reporting and maintain supporting records for organizational, grant, audit, and Goodwill Industries International reporting.
Follow procedures for customer enrollment, service documentation, employment verification, unique customer counting, and outcome attribution.
Protect customer confidentiality and comply with privacy and data-security requirements.
Participate in data-quality and compliance reviews, correct documentation issues promptly, and maintain accurate data entry for billing.
Maintain a consistent Career Center presence and perform other duties as directed by management.
Attend other GWH locations, employer sites, hiring events, community events, and partner locations as assigned.
Follow GWH policies, procedures, safety regulations, guiding principles, and applicable local, state, and federal laws; maintain professionalism, punctuality, confidentiality, and good housekeeping.
Meet or exceed monthly and annual placement goals, including verified outcomes and wage targets; maintain at least 90% data accuracy; and provide weekly pipeline updates and monthly KPI reports.
Perform duties requiring the ability to sit, stand, bend, reach, and lift, push, or pull up to 25 pounds.