Employment Specialist & Program Engagement Coordinator

About The Welcoming Center

The Welcoming Center (TWC) is a Philadelphia-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2003. TWC welcomes immigrants as neighbors and leaders and creates pathways to economic growth by opening doors of opportunity for immigrants of all backgrounds, education, and skill levels. Through four core program areas — English & Digital Skills, Work Readiness, Entrepreneurship, and Community Leadership — TWC helps immigrants build skills, confidence, and agency to achieve economic mobility. To date, TWC has served over 17,000 people from more than 150 countries.

Position Summary

The Employment Specialist & Program Engagement Coordinator (ESPEC) is a full-time position on the Work Readiness team and plays an integral role in relationship management with program staff, participants, and external employer stakeholders. In collaboration with the program manager, staff, and volunteers, the Employment Specialist & Program Engagement Coordinator is responsible for supporting participants in their job search and career development process. The ESPEC will work closely with participants to assess their skills, develop individualized employment plans, and connect them with suitable job opportunities and career development resources. This is a dynamic, cross-functional role that involves both direct service and leading key initiatives including volunteer engagement, mentoring programs, the design and facilitation of career development workshops and events, and partnership building with local employers.

Key Responsibilities

• In all duties, demonstrate a commitment to organizational core values which uplift the skills, experience, and aspirations of program participants and recognize their role as agents of the change they seek.
• Under the supervision of the Program Manager, facilitates workforce programming that is consistent with the goals of the curriculum and assists in the development and maintenance of coaching standards based on best practices for English Language Learners (ELLs).
• Support intake assessments to identify program participants' skills, and career goals and work with them on a plan for how to achieve those goals.
• Work closely with the Employer Partnership Coordinator and other staff to identify and share resources and job opportunities with our job seekers.
• Using best practices for individual coaching, the ESPEC will provide individualized employment coaching to participants, including résumé and cover letter assistance, interview preparation, and job search strategy.
• Support participants in identifying transferable skills from one profession to another unrelated profession, as well as providing job readiness training. This includes tackling large issues such as career exploration and decision making, as well as tactical skills such as resume and cover letter writing, interviewing, networking, and application preparation.
• Keep current records in Salesforce and other platforms for all participants and programming details. Provide data internally as requested.
• Assist in alumni engagement efforts through outreach, communication, planning, networking and professional development events, and long-term support, in collaboration with other programming within the organization.
• Support the Program Manager and the Strategy & Impact Team in program revisions and design to ensure performance goals are met.
• Support the Program Manager with volunteer management efforts, which include but are not limited to outreach, recruitment, and retention.
• Together with the Program Manager, design, launch, and manage volunteer and mentorship initiatives to support participants' career growth.
• Recruit, onboard, and train volunteers and mentors, ensuring alignment with program goals.
• Match participants with mentors and volunteers. Monitor and support matches and outcomes.
• Track and evaluate engagement metrics for volunteer programs, workshops, and participant outcomes.
• Collaborate with team and volunteers to revise and enhance training curriculum to reflect evolving labor market trends and participant needs.
• Organize networking events and attend job fairs to connect employers with potential candidates.
• Create and facilitate post-class workshops (e.g., networking, workplace culture, contract negotiation, paystub and benefits understanding, etc).

Qualifications

• Understanding of career coaching/counseling practices, techniques, and theories. Attend related continued education opportunities for professional development such as associations, meetings, and conferences. Ability to share knowledge, expertise, and learnings with colleagues and participants.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills and demonstrated experience working with a wide range of constituencies in a diverse community.
• Experience working with ELLs is preferred.
• Demonstrated initiative and creativity in program planning and implementation, especially regarding participant outreach and job search.
• Strong commitment to the core values of community, collaboration, imaginative thinking, and taking an asset-based, participant-centered approach.
• Demonstrated ability to build partnerships with volunteers, mentors, and employers.
• Ability to externally share information and promote the program in outreach efforts to local institutions, organizations, community groups, and potential employer partners.
• Availability to share evening and weekend hours with fellow teammates (evening hours until 7:30 up to two times per week) for programming.
• Highly organized and detail-oriented with an ability to see projects through to completion and effectively communicate updates to supervisors, colleagues, and staff across programs. Ability to manage files and data in consistent ways so that file-sharing is efficient.
• Strong computer skills, including an understanding of cloud-based computer platforms. Familiarity with Microsoft Office Suite and SharePoint, Salesforce, LinkedIn, and other job-seeking online tools, and remote learning tools.

Working Conditions & Physical Requirements

Work Schedule

This is a FT position expected to work 40 hours per week.

Travel Required?

Local (Philadelphia region)

Physical Requirements

Sedentary/desk, Light lifting (under 25 lbs)

Compensation & Benefits

The Welcoming Center offers a competitive nonprofit compensation package that includes:

• • Health, dental, and vision insurance (for eligible positions)
  • Paid time off and holidays
  • Professional development opportunities
  • A mission-driven work environment committed to immigrant inclusion

Equal 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 individuals with lived experience as immigrants or refugees.

How to Apply

To apply, please send your resume and cover letter to

jobs@welcomingcenter.org with the subject line: "Employment Specialist

& Program Engagement Coordinator.” Applications will be reviewed on a

rolling basis. No phone calls please.

The Welcoming Center offers a competitive nonprofit compensation package that includes:

• • Health, dental, and vision insurance (for eligible positions)
  • Paid time off and holidays
  • Professional development opportunities
  • A mission-driven work environment committed to immigrant inclusion