Workforce Development Specialist | Job Developer

Job Title: Workforce Development Specialist | Job Developer, Full Time

Dept: Adult Workforce Development | Location: The Jack and Shirley Silver Hub, Commonpoint

Agency Overview:
Commonpoint is a multifaceted community center dedicated to sustaining and enhancing the quality of individual, family, and communal life throughout New York City, offering services to people of all ages, ability levels, stages of life, and backgrounds. They strive to meet the evolving needs of their community of over 100,000 members, ranging from providing in-school and after-school programs, professional and career development, assistance with food insecurity, legal services, financial counseling, mental health services, senior classes, dementia care programs, and tax preparation assistance, to name a few. Commonpoint has grown tremendously in the last five years and now has a mission-driven staff of 3,000 and over 80 sites in the five boroughs.

Overview:
The Adult Workforce Department at the Jack and Shirley Silver Hub offers comprehensive employment and support services designed to help individuals achieve long-term career success. Through access to career counseling, job placement, training, education, and resources, we empower clients to enter the workforce and advance their careers.

The Workforce Development Specialist will play a critical role in supporting IT, Culinary Arts, Security Guard, Construction, Customer Service, and Allied Health clients and graduates by connecting them with meaningful internships, apprenticeships, and employment opportunities. This position ensures that placements align with clients’ career goals, fostering professional development and long-term success.

Additional Information:
Transportation will be provided, including a MetroCard, as the role requires travel between Queens, Manhattan, and the Bronx.

Responsibilities:
Employer Engagement:

• Develop and maintain partnerships demonstrating excellent rapport with employers in key sectors, including Information Technology, Construction, Customer Service, Culinary Arts, Security Guard, Community Health Workers, and Allied Health sectors.
• Support Director of Employer Partnership to conduct virtual and in person meetings with external business
• leaders who are aligned with the mission
• Secure paid and unpaid internships, apprenticeships, and direct job placements to meet monthly, quarterly, and
• annual placement goals.
• Collaborate with the supervisor to discuss employer partners, job trends, training referrals, and job matching progress.
• Submit appropriate candidates to employers to fulfill job openings.

Client Support and Advocacy:

• Work closely with Employment Coordinators and Career Coaches to coach clients on career pathways, addressing resume development, application processes, mock interviews, and networking strategies.
• Advocate for clients by sourcing job leads tailored to their skills and interests and ensuring alignment with available job opportunities.
• Assist clients in building essential social skills and work habits that promote long-term career success.
• Address barriers to employment by coordinating referrals to internal and external social services.
• Lead professional development workshops for clients when necessary to improve their own professional development and personal brand
• Lead job opportunity sessions as well as sharing job opportunities and career fairs creatively utilizing Canva
• Guide clients through all facets of job search, including resume revisions, online applications, mock interview sessions and networking
• Work occassionaly out of the Commonpoint Bronx site at least 20% of the time and Queens site 80% to support job seekers/clients

Collaboration and Reporting:

• Work with the Intake Team to ensure job placements are accurately reported in Salesforce
• Provide necessary follow ups with clients after their vocational trainings and employment
• Add case notes to SF about clients status, engagements, and progress
• Collect employment verification letters, pay stubs, etc and upload to client’s files timely in salesforce as they hit their 30, 60, 90, 185, 365 milestones
• Maintain the job bank, updating job links and opportunities regularly.
• Collaborate with senior staff to design and deliver training sessions and workshops on labor market trends and program outcomes.
• Generate program reports and contribute to funding proposals as needed.
• Share and track new updates of employer partners, report clients who have interviewed and have been placed

Community Engagement and Events:

• Ability to travel to different boroughs: Attend external job fairs to establish new partnerships and represent Commonpoint by tabling the organization’s resources
• Attend events on the weekends occasionally
• Actively participate in internal staff meetings, mock events, internal job fairs, and staff professional development training sessions to enhance program effectiveness.
• Travel outdoors to connect and establish relationships with business leaders at least once a week

Technical Skills:

• Demonstrate strong proficiency in digital tools, including Zoom, Microsoft Word, Excel, and Google Workspace applications (Gmail, Google Voice, Calendar, etc.).
• Salesforce a knowledge preferred but not required
• Expertise in resume creation, editing, and formatting.
• Knowledge of Canva or other graphic design platforms - preferred

Required:

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Human Resources, Education or related field
• At least 3 years of Workforce development and at least 2 years of job placement experience
• Proven experience working with low-income, limited-English, and immigrant populations.
• Spanish, Yiddish, or Russian is a plus but not necessary

Key Attributes for Success:

• Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills for fostering client and employer relationships.
• Strong attention to detail and demonstrate professionalism at all times
• Believe and practice equity and inclusion
• Follow through on assignments and meet deadline
• Strong organizational and time-management abilities to balance diverse responsibilities effectively.
• Innovative problem-solving skills to address employment barriers and create opportunities.
• Commitment to collaboration, team-building, and achieving shared goals.
• Strong presentation skills with the ability to engage and inspire audiences.
• Salary - 55K - 60K

How to Apply:
Interested candidates are invited to submit their resume and cover letter to Diahan Collins at [email protected]. Please include the Role “Job Developer” in the subject line. Due to the high volume of applications, only qualified candidates will be contacted for further consideration.

Commonpoint is an equal opportunity employer.