Job Coach/Retention Specialist

About Us

The Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO) provides employment services to people with recent criminal convictions.  Across the United States, over 5,000 people participate in CEO each year, transitioning to employment that supports themselves, their families, and their communities.

What began as a demonstration project of the Vera Institute of Justice in the 1970s to address employment barriers facing the formerly incarcerated following release in New York City has grown into the leading reentry employment organization in the country, where over 25,000 formerly incarcerated individuals have secured full-time employment since 1996.  In 2016, CEO embarked on a 5-year strategic plan to grow to serve 9,000 participants annually.

The Opportunity

CEO will be expanding to Detroit early this year and is in the midst of hiring a team of staff to replicate our evidence-based program model there. The founding team will play a tremendous role in growing the Detroit program, ensuring its sustainability, and helping program participants successfully transition from incarceration to stable and productive lives. 

One of CEO’s core program positions is the Job Coach/Retention Specialist (JC/RS). The JC/RS is essential to identifying and addressing participants’ barriers to employment. Through early intervention and appropriate support services, s/he is devoted to helping participants stay motivated while working in temporary employment and focused on their efforts to retain permanent employment. The JC/RS has a caseload of participants to whom s/he provides support services to ensure they become job start ready. S/he monitors participant progress utilizing weekly targeted case management, motivational interviewing, and connections and referrals to other support services agencies.

The JC/RS is also responsible for helping CEO achieve targeted participant retention outcomes of 90, 180, and 365 days of full-time employment through monthly communication with participants. S/he will keep participants engaged in CEO services and in the labor force for twelve months from the start of the first full-time job placement. A successful JC/RS understands customer relationship management and the importance of quality data entry. S/he will be responsible for maintaining and documenting the status of the relationship between the participant and CEO in our case management system.

What You’ll Bring

• Demonstrated commitment to CEO’s mission and interest in working in a fast-growing and results-oriented nonprofit environment
• Bachelor’s degree (ideally with a focus in criminal justice, public administration, psychology, social work, or a related liberal arts field) preferred, along with 1-3 years of related experience
• Consistent dedication in the face of adversity; adaptability and flexibility
• Strong time management and prioritization skills: can identify the steps of a project, set appropriate deadlines, and hold self and others accountable to outcomes and deadlines
• Strong project management skills
• Demonstrated ability to navigate or learn to navigate technological systems quickly
• Experience providing feedback and guidance to help clients strengthen knowledge and skills; ability to help others stay focused on and accountable to their goals
• Ability to anticipate problems, evaluate them, and determine and implement solutions

More About Us

We welcome diversity and highly encourage applications from people of color and people with convictions. We are an equal employment opportunity for all regardless of race, color, citizenship, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, veteran or reservist status, or any other category protected by federal, state, or local law. Learn more at ceoworks.org.

CEO is an equal employment opportunity for all regardless of race, color, citizenship, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, veteran or reservist status or any other category protected by federal, state or local law.