Employment Specialist, Workforce Transition & Reemployment

About The Welcoming Center:

The Welcoming Center (TWC) is a Philadelphia-based nonprofit dedicated to immigrant integration and economic mobility. For more than 20 years, TWC has partnered with immigrants and refugees to build the skills, networks, and pathways they need to thrive professionally, economically, and civically. We envision a stronger, more vibrant nation enriched by the contributions of immigrants. Through workforce development, adult education, entrepreneurship, and community leadership programs, TWC supports individuals at every stage of their journey. TWC’s programs are grounded in a whole-person approach that connects participants to meaningful employment, community, and opportunity. Joining TWC means becoming part of a collaborative, mission-driven team committed to building a more equitable and inclusive Pennsylvania.

Work Readiness:

The Work Readiness team supports immigrants and refugees in building career pathways, professional networks, and job-search skills through coaching, training, and partnerships with employers and workforce-system organizations.

About the JBS Workforce Transition Initiative:

The Welcoming Center is launching the largest workforce transition initiative in its 20+ year history in response to the partial closure of the JBS Souderton food processing facility. Approximately 1,300 of the facility’s roughly 1,700 workers were laid off. Many affected workers are immigrants or have limited English proficiency and are navigating sudden unemployment, financial uncertainty, and significant career transitions. Over 12 months, TWC expects to provide multilingual outreach, workforce navigation, employment coaching, and rapid reemployment services to approximately 200 dislocated workers. Team members joining this initiative will have a rare opportunity to help workers and families move from disruption toward stability and meaningful employment.

Position Overview:

The Employment Specialist provides individualized employment coaching, workforce navigation, and reemployment support to workers affected by the partial closure of the JBS Souderton facility. Successful Employment Specialists will establish trust quickly, help participants identify transferable skills and realistic next steps, and balance empathy with forward movement. Participants may be navigating sudden job loss, financial pressure, limited English proficiency, unfamiliar workforce systems, or uncertainty about changing industries. The role requires strong coaching instincts, reliable follow-through, thoughtful caseload management, and the ability to connect participants with employment opportunities, training, workforce-system resources, and supportive services. This is a high-impact opportunity for a professional who believes in the capabilities of displaced workers and can help people move from crisis and uncertainty toward stability and meaningful employment.

Essential Functions:

• Conduct welcoming, accessible intake and employment assessments that identify each participant’s work history, skills, language access needs, goals, urgent concerns, and readiness for reemployment, and collaborate with participants to create practical, individualized employment plans with clear next steps, responsibilities, milestones, and follow-up dates.
• Provide individualized employment coaching, including resume and cover-letter development, job-search strategy, application support, interviewing, networking, workplace communication, and offer evaluation. Help participants identify and communicate transferable skills from JBS or other prior employment and explore realistic opportunities across occupations or industries.
• Build rapport with workers experiencing significant stress while maintaining clear professional boundaries, managing coaching time responsibly, and helping participants move toward action.
• Manage a high-volume caseload using a structured approach that prioritizes urgent needs while providing appropriate levels of support to participants at different stages of job readiness.
• Connect participants to job opportunities and coordinate referrals with TWC employer engagement staff in accordance with project workflows. Prepare participants for employer interactions and incorporate relevant feedback into coaching.
• Navigate participants to workforce boards, training programs, public workforce resources, benefits or supportive services, and community-based resources when needs extend beyond employment coaching.
• Facilitate group workshops, job clubs, information sessions, or hiring event preparation on topics such as transferable skills, resumes, interviewing, job-search technology, workplace culture, and understanding compensation and benefits.
• Maintain accurate, timely, and complete participant records in Salesforce and other required platforms, including service notes, plans, referrals, outcomes, and follow-up activities. Use participant information and outcome data to plan follow-up, identify barriers, and communicate progress or concerns to the Manager of Coaching Operations.
• Collaborate closely with the coaching team, Project Manager, employer engagement staff, and external partners to provide coordinated and responsive services.
• Participate in supervision, case conferencing, professional development, and team learning. Apply feedback and share resources or effective practices with colleagues.
• Represent TWC professionally at workforce events, community outreach activities, job fairs, hiring events, and partner sites.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications & Competencies:

• Two or more years of experience in workforce development, career coaching, case management, human services, recruitment, adult education, or a related participant-facing field. A combination of relevant professional and lived experience will be considered.
• Understanding of career coaching or counseling practices and demonstrated ability to help adults translate experience into realistic employment goals and action plans.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, including the ability to build trust quickly and adapt communication for participants with varied English proficiency, digital skills, educational backgrounds, and work histories.
• Ability to navigate difficult conversations involving job loss, financial pressure, rejection, uncertainty, or changing career expectations with empathy, clarity, and appropriate boundaries.
• Ability to organize a high-volume caseload, prioritize effectively, follow through on commitments, and maintain accurate documentation.
• Demonstrated initiative, resourcefulness, and sound judgment in solving participant and service-delivery challenges.
• Commitment to equity-centered, culturally responsive, participant-driven practice and to recognize participants as agents of the change they seek.
• Strong computer skills, including Microsoft Office Suite, SharePoint, LinkedIn, online job-search tools, and cloud-based platforms. Salesforce experience is strongly preferred.
• Availability for occasional evening or weekend programming and local travel throughout the service region.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience working with immigrants, refugees, English Language Learners, dislocated workers, or adults navigating major career transitions.
• Professional proficiency in Spanish or Haitian Creole.
• Knowledge of Philadelphia-area or Montgomery County workforce resources, employers, training providers, or supportive-service networks.
• Experience facilitating workshops, job clubs, or group workforce activities.
• Demonstrated experience working effectively with immigrant, refugee, and culturally and linguistically diverse communities; relevant lived experience is valued.

Work Schedule: Full-time position expected to work 40 hours per week, typically Monday-Friday. Occasional evening or weekend work may be required for participant services, events, or project needs.

Travel Requirements: Local travel throughout the Greater Philadelphia region, including Montgomery County, for partner meetings, workforce events, community outreach, and participant services.

Physical Requirements: Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer; standing or moving during events and onsite activities; and occasional lifting of 5-10 pounds. Reasonable accommodations may be made in accordance with applicable law.

Featured Benefits:

The Welcoming Center offers a comprehensive and competitive benefits package designed to support employee well-being and work-life balance, including:

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• 401(k) retirement plan with employer match
• Paid time off, including vacation, sick leave, and personal days
• Paid holidays
• Short-term and long-term disability insurance
• Life insurance
• Flexible spending accounts (FSA)
• Commuter benefits
• Hybrid work schedule

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement:

The Welcoming Center is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate in employment opportunities or practices on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, pregnancy, genetic information, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law. We strongly encourage applications from Candidates who bring diverse perspectives and experiences relevant to the communities TWC serves.

Disclaimer:

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities required of the employee. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice. Employment at The Welcoming Center is at-will and may be terminated at any time, with or without cause or notice, by either the employee or the organization.

How to Apply:

To apply, please send your resume and cover letter to jobs@welcomingcenter.org with the subject line: “Employment Specialist, Workforce Transition & Reemployment.” Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. No phone calls, please.

Featured Benefits:

The Welcoming Center offers a comprehensive and competitive benefits package designed to support employee well-being and work-life balance, including:

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• 401(k) retirement plan with employer match
• Paid time off, including vacation, sick leave, and personal days
• Paid holidays
• Short-term and long-term disability insurance
• Life insurance
• Flexible spending accounts (FSA)
• Commuter benefits
• Hybrid work schedule

Professional proficiency in Spanish or Haitian Creole and English.