Senior Employment Specialist - Harrisburg PA
Church World Service, Inc.

Job Info

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About CWS

Imagine waking up every morning with the chance to change someone's life. Imagine knowing your efforts will benefit both your career and our neighbors around the world. At CWS, our team knows they are making a difference every day. Whether you're in our U.S.-based offices supporting refugees, asylees or unaccompanied children ... implementing hygiene initiatives in Cambodia or rebuilding projects in Central America ... or even connecting remotely from your home on fundraising campaigns, grant reports, or critical communications - you have the opportunity to work towards a world where everyone has food, a voice and a safe place to call home.

Purpose

The Senior Employment Specialist is responsible for providing employment services to eligible participants of the CWS Harrisburg Employment Program, including: identifying eligible clients; promoting programs with employers; offering support and employment services to refugees to help them reach financial self-sufficiency in the U.S.; compiling data to submit to contractor; completing monthly, quarterly, and annual reports to Harrisburg Office Director, contractor and partners; and provides support and training to other employment staff.

Responsibilities

Direct Client Services & Employer Cultivation

• Work with staff, employers, and key stakeholders in the local community to ensure eligible clients reach the goals of self-sufficiency promptly.
• Identify employers in area served through current contacts, local Chambers of Commerce and outreach to other business and manufacturing organizations.
• Conduct outreach regarding the CWS Employment Program to employers through educational materials, presentations, job fairs, one-on-one contact, cold calls, and letters.
• Practice dignity-centered best practices in working with clients to remove barriers to employment and realize the goal of family self-sufficiency. Connect clients to in-house support and make referrals to external service providers. Identify support services that may assist clients in becoming self-sufficient, such as ESL, transportation, legal services, and childcare.
• Assist clients with identifying training programs related to their career goals and make referrals.
• Provide individualized job development and job placement services to program participants. Develop plan of action and counsel clients in areas such as job interview skills, expected workplace behaviors, and resume writing.
• Identify job opportunities suitable for clients, assist in filling out applications, set up interviews with potential employers, accompany clients to interviews, and follow up with employers until decisions are made. Negotiate job advancements when available.
• Follow-up with employers and clients after job placements to offer additional support as needed and to maintain positive employer relationships for potential future placements.
• Document all contacts and services in client case files and maintain case note logs. In addition to documenting all services, record clients' employment-related progress in case file, including compliance, job offers, all placements, job retention, public assistance usage, follow-up on placements, and possibilities of upgrades. Complete all required reports.
• Address emergency situations as they arise and professionally mediate conflict, as necessary.
• Conduct regular reviews of client case files to ensure quality in service provision and fulfillment of documentation requirements.
• Assist Integration Supervisor in guiding new employment specialist onboarding, training and growth in the role. Coordinate with the Integration Supervisor to provide training and ongoing hands-on, in-the-field coaching to other employment staff.
• Serve as direct liaison to two workplaces participating in three-year pilot of Employer Engagement Program. Coordinate with Associate Director of Integration and staff team to facilitate participating employer and client needs related to key goals, such as diverse employee recruitment and retention, on-site trainings, translation services, ESL instruction and cultural orientation.
• Responsible for collecting data and assisting Integration Supervisor in submitting required monthly, quarterly, and annual reports to contractors.
• Collect relevant data and report to Integration Supervisor monthly.

Administrative Support & Leadership

• Participate in writing grant proposals and attend trainings and conferences as requested by supervisor.
• Represent the program at meetings and speaking engagements relevant to the responsibilities of the position.
• Cultivate team systems for continuous improvement and best practice with client employment placement, advancement and employer engagement.
• Engage in on-site monitoring visits conducted by CWS/IRP national staff and/or federal and state partners.
• Keep informed about refugee and immigrant issues, and available services to refugees, using current information to better identify and serve refugee clients.
• Advocate on behalf of refugees, and refugee-serving voluntary agencies. Meet regularly, collaborate, and cooperate with other local refugee agencies and community organizations.

Qualifications

Education: Bachelor's degree in social work or related field or equivalent work experienced is required.

Experience: Four years of previous work experience and interest in refugee resettlement or other direct social services

Other Skills:

Superior written and verbal communication skills are required. The successful candidate must be computer literate, with proficiency in MS.

Office (Excel and Word) and internet applications.

Fluency in a current refugee caseload language is preferred but not required (Spanish, Swahili, Kinyarwanda, Arabic).

Special Requirements

• Undertake other duties as assigned, including client assessments, job counseling, job placement and follow-up.
• Work varied hours, including some night and weekend work.
• Valid drivers' license, clean driving record and suitable vehicle for transporting clients required.

Benefits

CWS offers a competitive benefits package that includes:
- 403 (b) Retirement Plan
- Medical, Dental and Vision Insurance
- Generous Paid Time Off (21 Paid Days Off; 27 Days after 2 Years)
- 14 Official Holidays
- Sick Time Off (12 Accrued monthly)
- Life Insurance and AD&D
- Long Term and Short-Term Disability
- Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
- Health Savings Account
- Flexible Spending Accounts
- Commuter Benefits

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