Job Coach / Retention Specialist

Job Coach/Retention Specialist -- Buffalo

The Opportunity  

CEO is seeking a Job Coach/Retention Specialist for our Buffalo office who will be responsible for:

• Helping program participants -- formerly incarcerated individuals -- stay focused and motivated while working on transitional job sites and in their efforts to obtain permanent employment. 
• Effectively facilitating program participant progress to interview readiness by providing intensive coaching on interview and employment readiness skills.
• Keeping program participants fully engaged in the labor force for at least twelve months after they’ve secured full-time employment.
• Assisting with the administrative and operational tasks associated with our program participants. 

The ideal candidate for this position is a highly organized, detail oriented individual who understands customer relationship management, demonstrates a “can do” attitude, loves driving results through teamwork, and enjoys jumping into support when needed. 

Who We Are  

The Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO) provides employment services to people with recent criminal convictions. Across the United States, over 6,000 people participate in CEO each year, transitioning to employment that supports themselves, their families, and their communities.

What began as a demonstration project of the Vera Institute of Justice in the 1970s to address employment barriers facing the formerly incarcerated following release in New York City has grown into the leading reentry employment organization in the country, where over 25,000 formerly incarcerated individuals have secured full-time employment since 1996. Since 2009, CEO has gained support to expand its programs through government, nonprofit, and private organizations including the GreenLight Fund, the Pew Charitable Trust, and the Nonprofit Finance Fund. In 2016, CEO embarked on a 5-year strategic plan to grow to serve 9,000 participants annually.

Who You Are  

• You’re deeply dedicated to social justice and perhaps are already working in the re-entry space.  
• You’re flexible and have the ability to adjust gracefully to shifting dynamics and expectations
• You're experienced in providing feedback and guidance to clients to encourage their growth and continued development of their knowledge and skills. 
• You’re passionate about making an impact on people's lives and interested in guiding them to achieve their career goals through a balance of accountability and empathy. 
• You are a people-person and love to inspire others to reach a goal and perform to the best of their ability.  
• You have strong customer service skills and take a human-centered approach when communicating with participants.  
• You have strong time management and prioritization skills.  
• You’re able to anticipate problems, evaluate them, and determine and implement solutions.  
• You’re computer savvy (demonstrated word processing skills, ability to use the Internet to research job opportunities, familiarity with Salesforce preferred).   

Responsibilities  

Key responsibilities of the Job Coach/Retention Specialist include but are not limited to:

Job Coach 

• Engaging participants in ongoing discussions about their employment goals. 
• Using motivational interviewing techniques as appropriate to help guide participants to goal achievement.  
• Developing and producing a professional resume for each participant. 
• Maintaining weekly contact with participants to track their progress to interview readiness. 
• Facilitating group sessions and workshops to build employment readiness skills.   
• Regularly discussing each participant's job start ready progress with colleagues; problem solving with colleagues when needed.  
• Reviewing participants’ daily performance rating provided by their worksite supervisor.  
• Maintaining contact with work crew site supervisors; exercising responsiveness to their concerns.  

Retention Specialist

• Maintaining frequent contact with participants. 
• Researching and connecting participants to educational and vocational opportunities as related to their short- and long-term goals. 
• Providing participants with continued life skills education and relevant resources. 
• Advocating for participant needs with parole officers and other constituencies. 
• Distributing retention incentives to participants.
• Using Motivational Interviewing techniques as appropriate to help guide participants to goal achievement.
• Maintaining accurate client records in Salesforce; updating progress notes in Salesforce during and after each meeting with participants. 

Administrative Support   

• Maintaining accurate client records in Salesforce; updating progress notes in Salesforce during and after each meeting with participants. 
• Recording and reporting progress summaries for each participant, detailing steps taken to resolve challenges and the quality of overall participant participation. 
• Managing the intake process for incoming participants.
• Enrolling participants in SNAP and managing SNAP reporting.
• Performing other tasks and responsibilities that will be assigned from time to time.  

Compensation and Benefits   

The compensation for this position is $44,100. We also offer a comprehensive benefits package, including medical and dental coverage, paid parental leave, participation in a retirement plan, sick and vacation leave, paid holidays and more. We're a workplace that promotes continual learning and teamwork, offering lunch and learns, team outings, holiday gatherings and more for our staff. CEO is also dedicated to ongoing staff development and training, including regular training opportunities in Motivational Interviewing (MI). MI is one evidence-based skill that reentry and human service professionals can utilize when supporting participants to achieve their goals.

More About Us  

The Center for Employment Opportunities believes that everyone deserves the chance to shape a stronger future for themselves, their families, and their communities. Our commitment to being an anti-racism organization that is inclusive across all identities and experiences drives us forward every day. We exist to create greater opportunities for people who face multiple barriers to personal and professional success, and we’re passionate about being agents of change who promote diversity, equity, inclusion, and access to opportunities for all.

People who are justice-involved, people of color, people who identify as LGBTQ+, and people with disabilities are highly encouraged to apply for vacant positions at all levels. We are an equal employment opportunity for all regardless of race, color, citizenship, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, veteran or reservist status, or any other category protected by federal, state, or local law.

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