Financial Counselor, Financial Counseling Division

About NYLAG

Founded in 1990, NYLAG is a leading civil legal services organization combatting economic, racial, and social injustice by advocating for people experiencing poverty or in crisis. Our services include comprehensive, free civil legal services, financial empowerment, impact litigation, policy advocacy, and community partnerships. NYLAG exists because wealth should not determine who has access to justice. We aim to disrupt systemic racism by serving individuals and families whose legal and financial crises are often rooted in racial inequality. NYLAG goes to where the need is, providing services in more than 150 community sites (e.g. courts, hospitals, libraries) and on our Mobile Legal Help Center. During COVID-19, most of our services are virtual to keep our community safe. NYLAG’s staff of 300 impacted the lives of nearly 90,000 people last year.

Mission

The New York Legal Assistance Group uses the power of the law to help New Yorkers in need combat social and economic injustice. We address emerging and urgent legal needs with comprehensive, free civil legal services, impact litigation, policy advocacy, and community education.

Values that guide us

• We reduce the effects of poverty by providing high quality, effective civil legal services. 
• We partner with our clients to help them transform their lives and strengthen their communities.
• We address our clients’ multiple legal needs by collaborating across our practice areas.
• We are at the forefront of identifying and understanding New Yorkers’ most pressing legal needs, rapidly adapting to meet these needs with innovative programs and partnerships.
• We assess need broadly, recognizing that need is not a function of income alone.
• We collaborate with community organizations and engage pro bono attorneys and volunteers to serve a greater number of people with unmet civil legal needs.
• We achieve systemic change through class actions, impact litigation and by advocating for just laws and policies.
• We work to create a welcoming and inclusive work environment that reflects the communities we serve.
• We teach and train the next generation of legal service professionals.

Job Description:

NYLAG's Financial Empowerment and Advocacy Unit (FEAU) was established in 2009 and serves a wide range of clients. FEAU provides services at NYLAG’s office and community-based intake sites throughout New York City, Long Island and Westchester, including via our work with the Office of Financial Empowerment, UJA Federation of NY, HRA, and the Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities.

The financial counselor will work on a number of FEAU projects that aim to counsel, coach, educate, protect, and empower low to moderate income New Yorkers and their families across the City, Long Island, and Westchester. The financial counselor will provide one-on-one assistance to help clients access formal banking relationships, establish and rebuild credit, and organize their finances through budgeting, managing their debt, establishing savings, securing benefits, and understanding taxes to meet financial goals for the short and long term.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Direct services:

•  Facilitate One-on-one financial counseling & coaching with low to moderate income New Yorkers at a variety of community based organizations and partner sites.
• Implement retention and engagement strategies to encourage clients to participate in multiple sessions and reach their financial goals
•  When applicable, engage in outreach through workshops, presentations, and direct outreach to prospective clients

Administrative:

• Ensure data is entered accurately and timely in NYLAG’s case management system and in partner’s system, if applicable
• Ensure client files are saved securely and fully in our central shared file system

Advocacy:

·        When applicable, participate in the unit’s advocacy work by collaborating on blog posts and/or interviews to highlight our efforts

Qualifications:

NYLAG seeks a highly motivated financial counselor with one at least one (1) year of direct financial counseling experience or similar direct service experience. Experience and maturity in working with a diverse range of partners, funders, and clients. Energy and desire to travel across the NYC metro area in the field (once in-person services restart) working directly with clients at partner sites most days per week. Demonstrated capacity to work independently and strong desire to develop their financial counseling & coaching skill set. Bachelor degree minimum requirement. Advanced degrees, CFP, CFA and AFC certified applicants encouraged to apply. Preference will be given to those applicants with bilingual ability (written and spoken )in Spanish.

NYLAG’s Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion

NYLAG is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. People of color, women, people with disabilities, immigrants, veterans, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people, and those with lived experiences in the communities we serve are strongly encouraged to apply.