Retention Specialist

RETENTION SPECIALIST - Sacramento, CA

The Opportunity

We’re looking to hire a resilient and results-driven Retention Specialist for our Sacramento program who will keep our program participants fully engaged in the labor force for at least twelve months after they’ve secured full-time employment.

Successful Retention Specialists understand customer relationship management and work to build strong and trusting relationships with participants; strategically manage their caseloads, balancing the needs of individual participants with organizational needs to achieve programmatic outcomes; and hold themselves accountable for capturing a running record of participant interactions and milestone achievements within CEO’s case management system.

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. 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 come to CEO with at least 1-2 years of related experience 
• You’re passionate about making an impact on people's lives and interested in guiding them to achieving their career goals through a balance of accountability and empathy 
• You're experienced in providing feedback and guidance to clients to encourage their growth and continued development of their knowledge and skills 
• You have excellent interpersonal and written communication skills with the ability to adjust to particular personalities and interaction styles on the spot 
• You’re a strong task manager and organized worker with the ability to maintain oversight of all of the details as you coordinate many moving pieces 
• Knowledge of Sacramento's labor force strongly preferred 

Key Responsibilities

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

• 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 

Compensation and Benefits

The salary for this position is $46,288. annually. 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.

Please note that due to the volume of resumes received, we are unable to contact each applicant regarding the status of each position or reply to candidates' inquiries via phone or email. 

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