Career Specialist

Under the direction of the Site Manager, identifies and develops job opportunities to assist Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program participants in finding and retaining employment; develops and facilitates job readiness activities to strengthen employment skills, and matches participant skills, work experience, related training and interests with local employers.

Initiate and maintain contact with a variety of business and industry representatives, employers, and training agencies to encourage participant job placement; conduct online research and explore internal and external resources for job leads; maintain job boards; identify job opportunities for participants who have successfully completed training programs; collect data from employers related to job requirements and match participant goals and abilities to those positions.

Assess the interests and aptitudes of participants seeking employment in collaboration with the case management team; refer qualified applicants to employers and conduct necessary follow-up when participants are placed in positions; seek out employment resources and participate in outreach and recruitment activities by coordinating and attending job fairs and meetings with employers; assist participants with applying and preparing for job opportunities.

Plan, develop and manage the Subsidized Employment Program (SEP) for youth and adult participants; build partnerships and maintain relationships with local businesses; make cold calls to potential employers, explaining the benefits of SEP and identifying and securing work sites for participants, including volunteer and paid training opportunities; effectively market and represent the program, its services and eligible participants to potential employers.

Plan, organize, and facilitate career development activities intended to enhance soft skills and improve employability; specific areas of interest include career exploration, higher education, work readiness, job search, application procedures, resume writing, interview preparation, job retention skills and attitudes, and career advancement; assist participants in preparing job search portfolio; advise participants and staff regarding labor market demands and available training opportunities; outline career pathways.

Provide a combination of hands-on instruction and support to contracted facilitators/vendors including event coordination, supervision, and processing of contracts and payments; attain all project deliverables on time and within budget, including necessary facilities, food, incentives, transportation and supplies; establish and track budget expenditures for each project, adhering to appropriate procurement procedures to ensure compliance with financial terms and conditions of the TANF grant