Employment Specialist

The Organization 

 Founded in 1999, CFUF strengthens urban communities by helping fathers and families achieve stability and economic success. As a pioneer in responsible fatherhood, family strengthening, and workforce development, CFUF’s programs seek to help clients fully exit poverty and sustain themselves and their families. CFUF serves Baltimore’s most marginalized populations living in high crime and high poverty communities. Our members (the term we use when referring to our clients) are 98% African-American, 60% male, 89% unemployed, 50% ex-offenders and homeless, and 30% without high school diplomas. Over 90% face one or multiple temporary or chronic personal, logistical, or human barriers. 

All In is the Center for Urban Families’ comprehensive strategy to accelerate social and economic opportunity and advocate for policies that promote equity and racial justice. Leveraging 20 years of positive impact and applied learnings, the All In strategy targets two critical areas: chronic unemployment and family instability. The approach links individual accountability, person-centered case management, and supportive networks with workforce development training, education, and civic engagement. All In dismantles poverty and builds long-term social and economic prosperity that results in brighter futures for our members, their families, and the communities in which they live. 

National impact

CFUF’s Practitioners Leadership Institute (PLI) provides technical assistance, and promotes and extends best practices in family strengthening, responsible fatherhood and workforce development to practitioners and key stakeholders across the country. CFUF is also nationally renowned for its public policy work in the responsible fatherhood arena. 

Culture and Practice 

CFUF is an organization committed to high excellence and quality service to all of its stakeholders. Our culture thrives from a transparent, reflective, and creative environment. We are a highly autonomous workforce, and our staff embraces humor, food, fun, and a passion to serve our members. We believe in recognizing and rewarding high performers. All of these qualities and attributes makes a premier employer of choice. 

Position Summary

 The Employment Specialist is focused on creating and sustaining strong employer buy-in to CFUF’s workforce development and training programs. This role requires an individual with a strong sales and marketing background who is passionate about helping Baltimore City residents. Additionally, this position’s broader responsibilities include: 1) Establishing and maintaining employer relationships, specifically related to generating employment opportunities and placements for CFUF members; 2) Working across internal departments to ensure that qualified candidates are being placed into employment; 3) Working with STRIVE trainers to prepare CFUF participants to build resumes and interview skills as well as assist with job search preparation; 4) Coaching CFUF members one-on-one to assess employability and assist with job placement and retention; 5) Attending job fairs and employer engagement events; 6) Proactively identifying employment trends and working with the team to identify the best opportunities for our members; and 7) Documenting all employment placements and member interactions. Employment Specialists will spend a significant amount of their time either in the field with employer partners, in the STRIVE class, meeting one-on-one with members, and collaborating internally with the All In Case Managers.

Position Responsibilities

•Research, Identify and engage with viable employer partners in the Baltimore Metropolitan area to develop a relationship to provide openings for positions within their companies/organizations.

•Organize, prepare, and facilitate monthly mock interviews process with employers’ partners for cycles of our workforce development trainings.

•Create job leads and work in partnership with our mobility coaches to match with CFUF members’ skills, interests, and experiences to support positive CFUF member outcomes, job placements, and retention.

•Achieve set number of job leads, placements, and replacements per month based on key performance indicators annual targets.

•Maintain close engagement with employer partners throughout the entire hiring process and provide follow up to ensure quality placements that meet the job requirements of the employer.

•Maintain updated records and ensure all employment placements, replacements, and retention activities are documented in the CFUF database.

•Work with employer partners to create and identify opportunities for upward mobility opportunities within their companies for CFUF members to advance and increase annual income and benefits.

•Identify and cultivate relationships with other private, local, state, and federal agencies involved in workforce development.

•Maintain quarterly employer partners convenings to evaluate successes, challenges and creating new ideas to strengthen partnerships.

•Assist with development of Employer Advisory Board.

•Maintain keen insight into labor market trends and their impact on workforce development.

•Coordinate and work on projects such as job fairs, site visits, and job shadowing with employer partners.

•Work with employer partners to create pipelines to apprenticeships creating earn and learn models for CFUF members.

•Plan and implement annual employer appreciation event.

•Actively participate in team review meetings and assist in developing strategies for CFUF members that lead to increased job placement and retention.

•Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

•Bachelor’s degree required. Bachelor’s degree in Sales, Marketing, or related field preferred. Master’s degree preferred.

•Three or more years of sales experience within a similar industry

•Excellent written and verbal communication, interpersonal, problem-solving, presentation, and organizational skills; attention to detail required.

•Proficiency with sales management software and CRM

•Strong ability to balance persuasion with professionalism.

•Compassionate and invested in working with disadvantaged individuals, families, and communities.

•Demonstrated ability to build and maintain relationships (within corporate, public and/or community-based agencies).

•Must work well within a team and independent environment, as well as value a collaborative work setting.

•Strong executive presence, with superior networking skills.

•Strong data management and data entry skills.

•Knowledge of working with electronic databases a plus (i.e. ETO and/or Apricot).

•Must have a valid driver’s license and reliable automobile transportation.

•Ability and willingness to travel and attend meetings and/or appointments required.

•Must be resourceful, resilient, and tenacious with a high level of personal integrity and passion for CFUF’s mission to accelerate social and economic opportunities and advocate for policies that promote equity and racial justice.