Customized Employment Specialist

Open Door Group (ODG), a mission-driven non-profit organization serving communities across British Columbia and Alberta, is looking for a Casual Customized Employment Specialist to join our team in Sechelt!

Wage:$33.49 to $35.31 per hour (Grid 34, Health Sciences Association Community Bargaining Agreement)

Status: Casual

Hours of Work: Up to 36 hours per week, on an as-and-when-needed basis.

There are no guaranteed hours of work in this position. However, there will be an initial training period where the successful candidate will work close to full-time hours. Following this, casual staff are required to provide availability such that they are able to work a minimum of 225 hours over any 12-month period in order to maintain employment status.

Location: The primary work location for this position will be Open Door Group's Sechelt office. This is also a community-based role that requires travel throughout the Lower Sunshine Coast, from Gibsons to Earls Cove, to meet with clients, employers and community partners and provide support in community and workplace settings.

The Customized Employment Specialist supports individuals who may not be well served by traditional employment approaches to discover, access and maintain meaningful employment that fits their strengths, interests, abilities and individual circumstances.

This casual position supports the delivery of WorkBC Employment Services in the Sunshine Coast area, helping individuals overcome barriers to employment and pursue opportunities that reflect their strengths, goals and individual circumstances.

This isn't a traditional, desk-based employment counselling role. Much of your work will happen in the community. You'll spend time getting to know job seekers through conversation, activities and observation; exploring employment possibilities alongside them; building relationships with employers; visiting workplaces; and providing hands‑on support before and after someone starts a job.

Customized Employment is an individualized and flexible approach that personalizes the relationship between job seekers and employers to benefit both parties. Through the Discovery process, you'll work with clients to understand their strengths, interests, abilities, employment needs and ideal conditions for success. This can include interviewing and observing clients and gathering information from families, care providers and other members of their support network.

Using what you learn through Discovery, you'll explore possibilities in the community and build relationships with employers. Rather than simply matching someone to an existing job posting, you'll learn about workplaces, understand employers' needs and identify opportunities to carve or create positions that work for both the job seeker and employer. Depending on the individual's needs, you may also explore supported employment or self‑employment opportunities.

Your day may include meeting a client in the community as part of the Discovery process, visiting a workplace to learn more about an employer's needs, connecting with community partners, reaching out to a new employer, negotiating a customized employment opportunity, providing job coaching at a worksite, helping someone develop skills for greater independence and employment success, or documenting client progress and managing your caseload.

This role is a great fit for someone who is curious, creative and relationship-oriented, enjoys being out in the community, and can see possibilities where others might not. You'll need to be equally comfortable building trusting relationships with clients and approaching employers and community partners to develop opportunities and supports.

The people you support may experience complex…