Employment Specialist - Compass Family Services

About the Organization: Compass Family Services is a 100+ year old nonprofit working on the front lines of San Francisco's homeless crisis. We provide families experiencing or at risk of homelessness with comprehensive support to address immediate needs and ensure long-term success.

About the team: C-WORK prepares parents, most of whom are overcoming significant challenges to their stability, to secure work and progress toward earning a family-sustaining income. C-WORK builds jobseekers' readiness and competitiveness for employment through connections to resources for barrier removal and skill-building. Through group instruction and individual support, C-WORK equips parents for a successful job search.

Schedule: Monday - Friday, primarily during standard business hours

Compensation: $32 - $34 per hour, full time (37.5 hours per week)

Location: 37 Market St., San Francisco. Fully in person (not hybrid or remote)

Organizational Core Competencies: Accountable / Adaptable / Client-centered / Collaborative / Committed to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging / Resourceful

Position Overview:
Compass is seeking an experienced workforce development practitioner to support implementation and ongoing enhancement of our newly redesigned workforce program. The ideal candidate is a self-starter who demonstrates empathy for the challenges our jobseekers face and provides constructive support to help them access resources, set and achieve employment goals, and successfully navigate their job search.

This role requires strong attention to detail and consistency in documenting client interactions and information. Candidates should be well-versed in the local labor market and employer landscape, staying current with trends and opportunities. They should also have a commitment to excellence, proactively identifying and sharing ideas for program improvement, and adapting to changes in programmatic, organizational, or labor market conditions. They are confident in their ability to meet key performance metrics, developed in collaboration with their manager, relevant to core responsibilities and jobseeker outcomes

Responsibilities:
Direct Service (60%):

• Group instruction: Coordinate weekly trainings aimed at engaging referred jobseekers and developing their skills, knowledge, and habits relevant to goal attainment and job-search. 
• Client assessment: Conduct thorough evaluations to understand enrolled jobseekers aspirations, career goals, skills, experience, and any barriers to employment.
• Career coaching: Support jobseekers in setting achievable goals that assure their availability and competitiveness for employment aligned with their interests. Assist them in identifying areas where additional training or education would be beneficial.
• Resource referral and navigation: Identify Compass and community resources – e.g., barrier removal, education and training – relevant to client needs or interests. Familiarize self with processes and timelines for securing resources, share suggestions, and help enrolled clients to navigate efficiently. Coordinate as needed with other Compass staff members.
• Job search assistance: Build upon group instruction and provide tailored guidance and referrals to individuals actively engaged in job search. May include provision of support around best-fit search engines, applications, resumes and cover letters, and interview preparation.
• Job matching: Identify and share with jobseekers relevant job openings in the labor market that align with jobseekers qualifications and interests. Host employers in introducing job opportunities to Compass clients via in-person or remote sessions. Coach jobseekers in assessing alignment of job opportunities with their priorities.
• Job retention: Maintain contact with clients for 3-6 months and follow-up to trouble-shoot issues that could interfere with employment retention or success.

Administration and Documentation (30%):

• Intake: Screen for eligibility and conduct intake of clients completing prerequisite workshops.
• Communication: Conduct outreach to clients consistent with C-WORK policy at each stage of programming. Update client communication to reflect updated policies and procedures.
• Documentation: Maintain detailed records regarding client situations and interactions, detail client goals, track progress, goal attainment and outcomes. Prepare reports as requested.
• Reporting: Support Program Director in reporting of data to funders and other key stakeholders.
• Coordination: Participate in regular and as-needed meetings with C-WORK and Compass colleagues.

Planning, Partnership, and Continuous Improvement (10%):

• Community collaboration: Build and maintain relationships with other Compass departments and external agencies and organizations to access support services and education and training resources for clients. Represent C-WORK and Compass through participation in appropriate collaboratives, convenings, and networking events.
• Instructional design: Customize approved off-the-shelf curricula for needs of C-WORK clients and logistics of C-WORK workshops.
• Continuous Improvement: Review and reflect on jobseeker data and outcomes. Share insights with manager and assigned Learning and Impact representative. Suggest opportunities for improvement.
• Labor Market Research: Stay attuned to changes in the local labor market, especially changes affecting the industries and occupations most accessible to Compass jobseekers and those offering opportunities for advancement. Suggest partnerships and programming that will improve jobseeker competitiveness for employment. 
• Professional development: Research promising practices relevant to employment of individuals overcoming barriers to employment. Identify opportunities to continue to build personal and team skills and knowledge.

Minimum Qualifications:

• At least 2 years of experience in workforce development, human resources, or the staffing industry. Ideally, experience providing instruction and coaching relevant to job search, employment success, or career advancement.
• Experience managing a caseload of individual clients and supporting their access to resources and goal attainment
• Experience providing one-on-one and group instruction, ideally in job search related skills.
• Experience and expertise supporting people overcoming barriers to employment success, potentially including homelessness or housing instability, limited English skills or formal education, the long-term unemployed and those who are justice or systems impacted.
• Awareness of or commitment to learning and practicing trauma-informed care.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills to build rapport with jobseekers, partners, and employers.
• Ability to complete projects on time with limited supervision.
• Strong assessment and problem-solving abilities to support clients accessing resources and achieving goals.
• Knowledge of the local job market, including industry trends, skills in demand, and potential employers. Knowledge of and habit of using available resources to stay up to date about changes.
• Ability to navigate and utilize various employment databases and job boards.
• Familiarity with disability rights and accommodations, if/when working with individuals with disabilities
• Strong computer skills with proficiency in Microsoft programs (Outlook, Word, Excel, etc.). Salesforce experience is a plus.
• Demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging work.
• Able to lift at least 25 pounds (essential for working with a team to handle diaper/food/clothing deliveries).
• Candidates who speak Spanish are especially encouraged to apply.

Compensation and Benefits:

• Salary range: $32 - $34 per hour, 37.5 hours per week. Non-exempt (hourly) pay.
• Paid time off: 4 weeks of vacation in the first year, increasing to 5 weeks in the second year. Also paid holidays, sick time, family leave.
• Insurance: health, dental and vision insurance are fully covered by Compass for employees and dependent children. We also provide long term disability and life insurance.
• Retirement: after one year of work, Compass contributes an amount equal to 5% of your salary into a retirement account; this vests during years 2-6.

Additional details:

• Location: 37 Grove Street, San Francisco
• Fully in-person (not hybrid or remote)
• Covid vaccination required for all staff
• Membership in OPEIU/Local 29 union

To Apply:
Please apply through our online application.

Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records. We are an equal opportunity employer and actively seek to recruit a diverse workforce. Employees must embrace the idea that Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging contribute to the success of our underserved communities, and therefore to shared prosperity in our city and region. Compass Family Services is committed to the continuous work of implementing specific actions that will disrupt systemic prejudice and improve equity across programs and departments, to become an example to partners who also believe in a culture of inclusion that leverages diversity.

Consistent with the Americans with Disabilities Act and California civil rights law, Compass Family Services will provide reasonable accommodation when requested by a qualified applicant or candidate with a disability, unless such accommodation would cause an undue hardship for the agency. Requests for reasonable accommodation apply to all aspects of the hiring process. If reasonable accommodation is needed, please use the answer box for the final question of the job application to let us know.