Manager of Employer Partnerships & Career Placement

About TASK

The Trenton Area Soup Kitchen (TASK) feeds those who are hungry in the Trenton Area and offers programs to encourage self-sufficiency and improve the quality of life of its patrons. Every person we serve moves along one continuum of care, at their own pace, across five stages:

• Food First – meeting immediate needs with dignity
• Stabilization & Connection – linking patrons to essential support
• Readiness & Skill-Building – building confidence and capability
• Employment & Placement – opening doors to meaningful work
• Self-Sufficiency & Economic Mobility – sustaining independence

Every role at TASK, including this one, supports patrons somewhere along that continuum.

Theory of Change and Organizational Impact

All TASK employees contribute to the organization's Theory of Change by providing food first and supporting opportunities for greater stability, self-sufficiency, community connection, belonging, and improved quality of life. This position sits at the intersection of two Theory of Change Pillars: Employment & Placement, by building the employer partnerships, job development, and placement pipeline that opens doors to meaningful work; and Self-Sufficiency & Economic Mobility, by strengthening retention, wage progression, and career advancement so participants can sustain independence long after placement. Success in this role directly supports One Mission. One Continuum. One Future.

The Opportunity

TASK is seeking a dynamic, mission-driven Manager of Employer Partnerships & Career Placement to lead employer engagement, job development, placement, retention, and career advancement within our Education & Employment Program. This role builds and maintains employer relationships that expand access to quality jobs, supervises our Workforce Readiness team, and uses employer feedback and participant outcomes to strengthen the pathway from workforce readiness into sustainable employment. This is a full-time, salaried position, located in Trenton, NJ.

What You'll Do

• Serve as the primary employer-facing liaison, building and maintaining a documented employer partnership pipeline that creates sector- and credential-based career pathways for participants.
• Own placement strategy and employer relationships, evaluating job opportunities for wages, scheduling, benefits, and advancement potential.
• Supervise, coach, and manage the performance of the Workforce Readiness Specialist and Workforce Readiness Coordinator.
• Guide complex placements and employer concerns, and lead strategies that strengthen retention, wage progression, and longer-term career mobility.
• Monitor placement, retention, and employer-engagement data, ensuring accurate records and using trends to inform employment strategy.
• Collaborate across Case Management, Culinary Operations, and other departments to support participants' employment transitions.

What We're Looking for

• Bachelor's degree in workforce development, business, human services, or a related field preferred; equivalent experience considered.
• Minimum of five years of experience in business development, employer engagement, workforce development, or employment/career services.
• Demonstrated experience developing employer or external partnerships and supporting employment placement.
• Supervisory or team-lead experience required.
• Strong relationship-building, negotiation, and data-driven decision-making skills; proficiency with CRM/case-management platforms such as Apricot.
• Bilingual Spanish/English skills preferred.

Who Thrives Here

• You are a relationship-builder who can earn employer trust while keeping participants' goals at the center.
• You lead with empathy and understand the barriers facing individuals experiencing poverty, homelessness, food insecurity, or justice involvement.
• You are a confident people-manager who sets clear expectations and coaches a team toward shared outcomes.

TASK offers a generous health benefits package including medical, dental, vision, hospital indemnity, and life insurance; paid time-off benefits, and 401k retirement plan.

3 weeks' vacation, 10 sick days, 3 personal days, plus holidays.

Bi-lingual Spanish is a plus