Career Coach and Weld County Program Coordinator

About Forward Steps

At Forward Steps, we believe all youth and young adults deserve the confidence and freedom to pursue a fulfilling future. Our evidence-based programs provide individualized support, meaningful relationships, and resources to young people facing adversity throughout their educational and career journeys. We do this through two programs:
Guardian Scholars (GS), which supports current and former foster youth pursuing postsecondary education, and Realizing Aptitudes (RA), which provides career and postsecondary readiness coaching to youth and young adults. Both programs promote a multiple-pathway approach and provide individualized support designed to help young people recognize their strengths, explore possibilities, build skills, and take meaningful steps toward their futures. Realizing Aptitudes partners with schools, nonprofits, workforce organizations, and community partners to provide individualized career coaching, career exploration, work-based learning navigation, workforce readiness programming, and connections to education, training, employment, and apprenticeship pathways.

We are a small, collaborative team passionate about helping young people recognize their potential and build fulfilling futures. We would love to have you join us!

Job Summary

The Part-Time Career Coach will work within Forward Steps’ Realizing Aptitudes program to provide direct career and postsecondary readiness services to youth and young adults throughout Weld County while also supporting the program’s expanding apprenticeship and work-based learning initiatives. This is a Weld County-based position, and candidates must reside in Weld County.

Required Competencies

Occupational Competencies

• Experience facilitating one-on-one and small-group coaching, advising, education, workforce development, or youth-development services
• Experience working with youth and young adults, particularly those who have experienced barriers or difficult life circumstances
• Knowledge of career development, workforce development, postsecondary pathways, work-based learning, or related fields
• Ability to build professional relationships with employers, schools, community organizations, workforce partners, and other external stakeholders
• Strong facilitation and communication skills with both youth and adult audiences
• Ability to maintain accurate coaching and program records and appropriate levels of confidentiality
• Ability to manage multiple partner relationships, student needs, and program activities with strong follow-through

Foundational Competencies

• Local presence: Must reside in Weld County and be able to travel regularly to partner schools, community organizations, employers, and other program locations throughout the county
• Relationship building: Develop authentic, trusting relationships with young people, partners, employers, and community stakeholders
• Active listening: Listen attentively, understand and respond to individual needs, and retain key information to inform coaching and follow-up
• Cultural competence: Demonstrate the ability to understand, appreciate, and interact effectively with people from different cultures, backgrounds, identities, and lived experiences
• Initiative: Comfortable with independently conducting outreach, following up with partners and employers, and moving projects forward
• Adaptability: Adjust coaching and programming to meet the needs of individual students and partner environments
• Critical thinking: Analyze challenges, identify potential solutions, and make thoughtful decisions

Preferred Competencies

Occupational Competencies

• Relevant education, training, and/or professional experience in education, counseling, human services, workforce development, youth development, or a…