Employment Specialist - San Jose

Job Train is a nonprofit organization on the move. We are delivering best in class outcomes, increasing our reach by expanding regionally, and we have committed to an ambitious new expanded mission to help our community advance beyond the initial job placement by providing career advancement programming to help them achieve “full economic mobility.”

Born out of the civil rights movement in 1965, we now serve those in need of job training or other services that will advance their economic mobility at one of our Bay Area career or training centers. We create an environment and workspace where our staff reflects the diversity of the communities we serve, fostering a safe and welcoming place for our clients.

We deliver on some of the best outcomes in the workforce development field, with a vision to provide our clients with the long-term support they need to achieve full economic mobility.

We are growing, and we need your help!

The Employment Specialist position is an integral part of the Career Center’s success and Job Train’s more than 55 years of continuous expansion. This role is on the front lines of understanding one of the most dynamic job markets in the world and has shared responsibility for continuing to keep Job Train on the cutting edge of workforce development in California and nationwide.

This is an onsite role.

• Connect and guide clients to the appropriate services and resources based on an in depth understanding of the breadth and scope of Job Train services
• Work one-on-one empathetically to build rapport and assess client needs and/or barriers to gaining employment
• Develop and co-create Individualized Employment Service Plan in partnership with client (resume, career coaching) leveraging internal team / knowledge / network as needed
• Manage a caseload of job seeking clients on a continuous basis (pre- and post-employment retention follow up to one year)
• Build and manage interpersonal relationships with clients and employers and community partners
• Represent Job Train to complete outreach events: job fairs, workshops, employer events, 1-1, and large audiences
• Deliver and report timely outcomes and program deliverables (internal / external)
• Conduct cold calls as required with employers and recruiters
• Coordinate job development activities with other organizations to support clients toward economic mobility
• Collaborate with employment specialists and Job Train staff to provide input / feedback to proactively and continuously improve the career center processes

We strive to find candidates who have the qualifications for the role, but who are also aligned with our values of teamwork, community and leadership and have a commitment to advancing diversity, equity and inclusion. The specific qualifications for this role are listed below.

• Proven experience with:
  Workforce development (LMI, labor force dynamics) as it relates to job placement and/or managing a caseload and/or account management or grant management experience.
• Direct experience working with specialized populations experiencing barriers to employment (ie: people experiencing homelessness, low-income/public assistance, justice engaged, long-term unemployment, mature workers, DV survivors, etc.)

• Ability to manage a caseload by assessing and meeting client employment needs, staying organized in follow up, documentation, and reporting job placements.
• Excellent customer service and client rapport-building skills by maintaining and modeling a professional demeanor while efficiently performing the required job duties.
• Communication skills, especially the ability to guide conversations and achieve employment goals effectively & efficiently.
• Facilitation and public speaking skills with the ability to deliver workshops in a variety of settings.
• Critical thinking through a lens of empathy, compassion, equity, innovation & inclusion.
• Understanding of grant funded programs, databases & reporting parameters.
• Broad familiarity with computer software and systems (i.e.: MS Suite, spreadsheets, meeting technology, etc.)
• Ability to work independently,…