Career Specialist, NJ

About TKH

Established in 2014, TKH has provided high-tech training to thousands of students from underserved communities across the country. What began as a humble initiative in the South Bronx has blossomed into a national organization delivering programs in Newark, Atlanta, Los Angeles, New York, and Washington D.C. Our mission is to build a diverse tech workforce by uplifting individuals from the most underestimated and underserved communities. We envision a future where all communities have equal access to employment opportunities in tech across all sectors. The TKH model offers in-demand tech skills training, coupled with comprehensive wraparound services to support each Fellow's journey to career success.

Role Overview

The Career Specialist supports fellows and alumni through job readiness, placement, and retention across the Innovation Fellowship, KKCF, and Digital Literacy programs. This role blends direct instruction, one-on-one coaching, employer engagement, and outcomes tracking to ensure participants secure and sustain meaningful employment and ensure meaningful program impacts. The ideal candidate will demonstrate strong community focus, attention to detail, and a results oriented approach while building relationships with employer partners and alumni. This is a hands-on role that requires expertise in career readiness, talent development, and workforce navigation, with a commitment to ensuring high quality placements and ongoing alumni support. Job expectations reflect evolving priorities and needs, and additional responsibilities may be assigned as required.

Career Instruction and Coaching (35%)

• Deliver all career instruction to current Fellows to equip fellows and alumni with the skills and confidence needed to navigate the job market successfully and demonstrate readiness for placement.
• Tailor instruction and individualized coaching to participants needs to strengthen job search strategies and ensure career engagement and placement KPIs are met across local region.
• Collaborate with the Teaching and Learning team to align instruction with technical instruction and industry trends by developing regional reports on job market trends and changes to competitive regional candidate profiles.
• Ensure regional KPIs for 65% retention and placement are met in the region through high quality coaching, instruction, and Fellow and Alumni engagement.

Alumni Placement and Support (30%)

• To ensure 80% positive impact and 65% job placement rates, support alumni throughout the application and interview process by providing feedback on application materials, strengthening interview readiness, and actively following up with any Alumni who has not been placed into a role to improve regional placement KPIs.
• Manage employment placements and conduct retention check ins to advance wage and retention goals while identifying and mitigating challenges that could affect long term employment outcomes.
• Coordinate cross-team to engage alumni with TKH through volunteer opportunities, community engagement, and participating in organizational events, like alumni workshops and summits.

Employer Partnerships (15%)

• Maintain and cultivate hiring partnerships with employers aligned to TKH’s career pathways and priority sectors to expand consistent and relevant job opportunities and strengthen talent pipelines that drive placement performance.
• Coordinate interviews, recruiting sessions, and employer engagement events that match qualified candidates to open roles and support regional placement and salary KPIs.
• Maintain strong communication with employer partners to encourage repeat hiring, align skills with market needs, and advance placement and wage benchmarks across regions.

Reporting and Outcomes Tracking (15%)

• Track employment placements, wages, and retention data to measure progress against regional KPIs and ensure accuracy and accountability in dashboards and reporting systems.
• Document alumni coaching and placement activities to support transparency, identify trends, and inform adjustments to improve job readiness, placement, and retention outcomes.
• Update KPI dashboards and prepare reports that strengthen data driven decision making and ensure compliance with internal and grant expectations tied to employment performance.

Schedule Requirement

• 6-Week Summer Monday Class Time: 10:00am - 2:00pm EST (7:00am - 11:00am PST) or 11:30am - 3:30pm EST (8:30am - 12:30pm PST)
• February to August Thursday Class Time: 5:30 - 8:30pm local time

Qualifications

Experience

• 2+ years experience delivering career development training or workshops
• 1-3 years providing one-on-one career coaching or a similar advisory role
• Bachelor's degree in a relevant field (Education, HR, Business, Communications)
• Experience with resume review, interview preparation, and job search guidance
• Track record of successful relationship-building with employers or external partners
• Experience engaging with alumni or community-building initiatives
• Familiarity with job boards, LinkedIn, and other professional networking platforms
• Proficiency in using CRM or database systems to track interactions and outcomes
• Experience compiling data and creating reports for program improvement
• Understanding of workforce development best practices and hiring trends

Skills and Approach to Work

• Able to deliver engaging career readiness training and one-on-one coaching effectively
• Computer proficiency, including Google Suite and career services platforms
• Superb written and verbal communication skills
• Excellent organizational skills, including the ability to conduct and coordinate multiple tasks and projects under pressure and meet deadlines
• Strong work ethic and commitment to produce high-quality work
• Able to work in ambiguous and fast-paced environments
• Analytical skills and strong attention to detail
• Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to collaborate with others, including actively reaching out to colleagues to support or consult on projects and maintaining a collaborative work environment
• Commitment to contributing to positive organizational culture and core values
• Empathetic approach to understanding diverse student and alumni career challenges

Compensation and Benefits

• $60,000-$65,000 per year (New hires are typically brought into the organization at a salary closer to the start of the range depending on qualifications, internal equity, and the budgeted amount for the role)
• Competitive health, dental, and vision insurance
• HSA or FSA account option
• 2% 401k match
• Technology Reimbursement
• Two-week-long office closure
• Unlimited PTO (available immediately upon hire) + no meeting on Fridays
• Pre-tax commuter benefits
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Employer-Paid Life & Accidental Death & Dismemberment Insurance

Hybrid Work at TKH

All full-time staff are expected to come into a TKH office or the field (community and industry events, including conferences or travel for work) 1-2 days per week, and the Leadership Team will be encouraged to come into a TKH office at least two times per week. There will be one consistent team day a week that will vary by team. Please note that there are some roles that may require being on-site more based on the job responsibilities.

In addition to the 1 team day, there will be weeks when the expectation is 2 days/week based on required meetings. These may include all staff meetings, department stepbacks, professional development, retreats, events, or other purposeful reasons, as requested by your supervisor or team lead.

How to Apply

Click on “create profile and apply to job” and submit your resume and a cover letter (required) answering the following questions:

• Describe your experience working in nonprofit organizations. Include details about our role(s) and how you navigated the unique challenges and opportunities of the nonprofit sector. If you have never worked at a nonprofit before, what aspects of working in a mission-driven organization appeal to you, and what transferable skills would you bring from your previous experience?
• Describe your typical caseload management. Be sure to include how many students or alumni you’ve supported in your previous roles
• Describe your experience developing and delivering career readiness training to adults. This could be a presentation/workshop etc. If none, please describe any related presentation or teaching experience you may have and describe your comfort level with developing and delivering career readiness workshops.
• How are you currently using AI tools in your career services work? What applications have you found most valuable?

It is the policy of The Knowledge House Fellowship, Inc. to promote and provide equal employment opportunities without discrimination based on age, race, creed, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, disability, marital status, Veteran status, genetic predisposition, or carrier status.