Financial Empowerment Center; FEC) Navigator

Reports to: Community Impact Director, Financial Stability

Type: Full Time, Non-Exempt, In-person

The Financial Empowerment Center (FEC) Navigator serves as a trusted guide who helps individuals and families identify goals, understand their options, connect to the right services, and stay engaged as they work toward greater financial stability and mobility. Using a strengths based, client-centered approach, the Navigator helps each participant develop an individualized pathway and provides follow-up and encouragement as needs and goals evolve.

The Navigator is a central connector within United Way Monterey County's Financial Empowerment Center and broader Financial Mobility Framework. The position links participants to one-on-one financial counseling, financial education, Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA), housing and home ownership supports, entrepreneurship and small business services, public benefits, workforce development, and other community resources. The role helps participants move across programs through warm handoffs, coordinated referrals, and ongoing follow-up.

During FEC start-up, the Navigator also supports day-to-day program operations, workshops, scheduling, and partner coordination.

Success is measured not simply by the number of referrals made, but by whether participants connect to services, remain engaged, make progress toward self-defined goals, and experience a clear and coordinated journey through the FEC and partner network.

• Build trusting relationships with participants and provide individualized navigation using a strengths-based, trauma-informed approach.
• Conduct initial conversations to understand each participant's priorities, strengths, barriers, immediate needs, and longer-term goals.
• Support participants in setting realistic, self-defined goals and developing an individualized pathway to appropriate services and resources.
• Maintain ongoing relationships with participants through regular follow-up, encouragement, problem-solving, and accountability.
• Help participants address barriers that may prevent them from connecting to or continuing with services.
• Manage an active caseload and maintain appropriate professional boundaries while recognizing participants as the experts in their own lives.

• Develop referral relationships with aligned service partners and coordinate referrals through the Smart Referral Network (SRN) and other approved partner systems.
• Receive referrals from UWMC financial education and other programs, complete FEC intake, and connect interested participants to the appropriate UWMC or partner services.
• Connect participants with FEC financial counseling, financial education workshops, VITA, public benefits, workforce development, housing and home ownership services, entrepreneurship and small business supports, legal services, and other community resources.
• Provide warm handoffs and follow up to confirm that participants connect to services; identify next steps when a referral does not work.
• Develop and maintain a strong working knowledge of local programs, eligibility requirements, and community resources.
• Work collaboratively with nonprofit organizations, government agencies, educational institutions, financial institutions, housing partners, workforce providers, and small business partners to improve participant access and outcomes.
• Participate in case conferencing and partner coordination when appropriate and permitted by participant consent and privacy requirements.

• Support FEC financial education activities, including the Thursday evening series, participant registration, reminders, room scheduling,…