Career Coach - First Source Jobs Program

Economic Opportunity and the First Source Jobs Program at Somerville Community Corporation

Somerville has become an epicenter for growth and transformation, with an anticipated influx of 30,000 new jobs in the next 15 years. With this growth comes market pressures that drive up the cost of living, resulting in the displacement of residents who cannot afford the increasing expenses. SCC’s goal is to make sure people of all incomes can continue to live and thrive in Somerville, and to benefit from the changes taking place. In addition to building and preserving affordable housing as a means of preventing displacement, SCC recognizes the value of helping people achieve economic stability. Today our economic opportunity work consists of financial education and counseling, first time home-buyer education, and the workforce development program, First Source Jobs.

The First Source Jobs Program

In response to an organizing campaign to make sure Somerville residents have access to good local jobs, including the anticipated new jobs, SCC launched the First Source Jobs Program in 2014. First Source connects local residents looking for jobs with local employers. This helps residents increase their economic stability and have a better chance of remaining in Somerville, while providing employers with a local workforce. SCC’s role is to work with Somerville residents, especially those facing barriers to employment, to establish a career pathway resulting in good jobs and economic stability. SCC’s approach is relational, with a belief that strong partnerships with people along the career continuum lead to more effective results. We are also committed to a honors participants as experts and as agents of change, both in their own life and in relation to systems that affect them and their community.

First Source Jobs Program Career Coach

SCC is seeking a new member of our Economic Opportunity team to serve as a Career Coach through the First Source Jobs Program. The Career Coach will work directly with job seekers to provide soft skills training; access to other SCC programming, such as financial literacy and leadership development; referrals to other wrap around services provided by our community partners; and one-on-one coaching from job search through post-placement. The coach will also help collaboratively design and implement our cohort training model. The First Source team connects our participants with a network of advanced training programs and employers. The coach will work with the SCC team, including staff across the organization (in particular, community organizing), and community members to align program delivery with an evolving, shared vision. The Career Coach will work under the supervision of SCC’s First Source Jobs Program Manager.

Primary responsibilities include:

• Coaching participants of the First Source Jobs Program to establish individual career plans, and provide pre- and post-placement guidance
• Facilitating direct job readiness training (e.g., resume writing, interview preparation, workplace communication, etc.) for job preparation, both individually and in workshops at SCC and at other community organizations
• Job search and referral
• Making referrals to other programs and services as appropriate
• Data input, management, and assessment
• Assisting in meeting internal and external reporting requirements
• Recruitment and outreach to various audiences along career preparation continuum (job seekers, trainers, employers)
• Program design and evaluation with team of staff and community members
• Assisting with the creation and improvement of job readiness curricula
• Assisting in creating partnerships with organizations that align with First Source services
• Participating in coalitions that help to advance the First Source Jobs Program’s vision for economic opportunity

Our Ideal Candidate

Our ideal candidate is a proactive self-starter who is mission-driven can juggle multiple tasks and projects independently. They should bring many of these skills and qualifications:

• Has at least 2 years of experience in the workforce field, with a commitment to a relational coaching model
• Demonstrates strong interpersonal skills and commitment to a relational approach to building and reinforcing partnerships
• Is curious and explorative: open to new models of workforce development, including finding synergies with other programs
• Demonstrates leadership in program design and execution
• Proven ability to work effectively with people of diverse social, economic and professional backgrounds
• Demonstrates an understanding of the cycle of poverty in the US in relation to employment barriers that many community members face
• Has strong oral and written English communication skills, and a proven ability to communicate with English Language Learners
• Computer literate in social media, Microsoft Office suite, and standard database systems (Salesforce a plus)
• BA preferred, experience can be substituted for education.
• Proficiency in Spanish, Portuguese or Haitian Kreyol required (proficiency in other languages may be considered)

SCC is committed to supporting a diverse workforce. Bicultural or multicultural candidates, people of color, women, people with disabilities, and veterans are encouraged to apply. We seek candidates who embrace our mission, and bring a sense of humor and passion to their work. We offer a competitive salary and benefits package.