Employment Specialist

**TITLE**: Employment Specialist

**DEPARTMENT**: Program

**REPORTS TO**: Manager, Sources

**Employment Status**:Full Time

**Reg. Hours Worked**: 40 / Week, Non-Exempt

**Salary**:$24.04/hr

**JOB SUMMARY**:
employment. The Employment Specialist initiates and maintains ongoing personal contacts with a
variety of business and industry representatives and job placement/training agencies to promote
participant placement; makes cold calls to potential employers; and provides job placement and
retention services.

**ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS INCLUDE, but are not limited to the following**:

- Meet established job placement and retention goals as contractually required.
- Assist with Job Club workshops designed to enhance career development.
- Develop resumes, cover letters, and scripts for clients.
- Identify potential employers and develop employment opportunities for program participants by committing 5-7 hours per week on developing new sites.
- Contact employers and collect information detailing qualifications and work site requirements to ensure success on the job.
- Refer qualified applicants to employers and arrange interviews
- Transport participants to interviews, job fairs, and other organizations when necessary.
- Consult with job sites to identify and modify barriers, negotiate job carving, analyze sites and other job accommodations.
- Provide extra needed assistance and understanding performance expectations and compensation.
- Be a liaison between employers and new employees; providing help to fine tune performance issues and concerns, and coordinate any additional services required.
- Maintain relationships with employers, local job resources, vocational training schools, to ensure effective employment linkage services and access to resources.
- Maintain up-to-date knowledge of and deep understanding of the three major systems serving jobseekers experiencing homelessness - homeless services, public social services, and workforce development, including the Coordinated Entry System (CES), as well as best practices in homeless services, and regional resources.
- Prepare documentation, forms and reports related to placement activities; track participant activity and progress data in a timely manner
- Attend and participate in team meetings, staff training sessions and all-staff meetings as scheduled.
- Keep calendar updated with events and activities; share calendar with Manager
- Documents services and completes data entry into LA CoC Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) database.
- Other duties as assigned by Manager, Sources.

**PHYSICAL AND MENTAL REQUIREMENTS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT**:

- Work indoors in a temperature controlled environment with occasional exposure to outdoor weather and driving conditions. Stand and sit for long periods of time; move and walk to various locations; climb, stoop, kneel, reach, pull, push, bend, twist, and occasionally lift and or move objects.
- See, hear and speak clearly in order to give and receive information and instructions.
- Complex reading and writing skills, memorization skills, analytical / perceptive comprehensive capabilities.
- Good judgment and decision-making capability.
- Ability to interact effectively with other employees, clients, customers, and members of the public.
- Ability to multitask, prioritize, and manage time to meet deadlines and perform duties under time constraints.
- Ability to adapt to changing work demands.
- Ability to perform arithmetic functions, and gather, analyze, synthesize, and classify information.
- Requires use of computers for long periods of time.
- Travel to off-site locations.
- Detailed oriented and organized.
- Ability to work in an ‘open address’ environment

**KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES**:

- Understanding of basic business operations and hiring processes.
- Strong knowledge of job search resources, including Internet and other media.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
- Good public speaking skills; ability to make effective presentations to clients, businesses, and community partners.
- Knowledge and experience in community and economic development, working in the social services field and/or job development industry.
- Knowledge of best-practices in both employment services and serving people experiencing homelessness.
- Demonstrate the ability to work effectively with a diverse range of people and organizations.
- Current California driver’s license and access to a vehicle with proof of insurance.
- Knowledge of the homeless population, substance abuse and mental health preferred.

**EDUCATION, TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE**:

- BA degree in a related field strongly preferred
- Minimum of one year of experience in employment services for persons who are disabled and/or homeless OR one year of experience in human or social services case management required.
- Successful demonstration of required skills through current or past USHS employment may be considered in lieu of the standar