TITLE: Employment Specialist

DEPARTMENT: Program

REPORTS TO: Manager, Employment Services

Employment Status: Full Time

Reg. Hours Worked: 40 / Week, Non-Exempt

Salary: $24.04/hr

Benefits:

• 5 Paid Flex Days
• 13 Paid Holidays
• 12 Paid Vacation Days
• Medical, Dental, Vision Insurance
• 403b Account Match

JOB SUMMARY:
The Employment Specialist assists candidates with employment barriers in securing stable
employment. The Employment Specialist initiates and maintains ongoing personal contacts with a
variety of business and industry representatives and job placement/training agencies to promote
participant placement; makes cold calls to potential employers; and provides job placement and
retention services.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS INCLUDE, but are not limited to the following:

• Meet established job placement and retention goals as contractually required.
• Connect candidates with sustainable job opportunities and placements, vocational training, job retention support, job development (liaising with employers as appropriate), with focus on employment and income resource connections.
• Assist with workshops designed to enhance career development.
• Develop an individualized Employment Action Plan (EAP) with each candidate served
• Develop resumes, cover letters, and scripts for clients.
• Identify potential employers and develop employment opportunities for program participants by committing 5-7 hours per week on developing new sites.
• Contact employers and collect information detailing qualifications and work site requirements to ensure success on the job.
• Refer qualified applicants to employers and arrange interviews
• Transport participants to interviews, job fairs, and other organizations when necessary.
• Consult with job sites to identify and modify barriers, negotiate job carving, analyze sites and other job accommodations.
• Provide extra needed assistance and understanding performance expectations and compensation.
• Be a liaison between employers and new employees; providing help to fine tune performance issues and concerns, and coordinate any additional services required.
• Connect candidates with basic education and vocational training, where appropriate, as well as unsubsidized and subsidized employment opportunities.
• Maintain relationships with employers, local job resources, vocational training schools, to ensure effective employment linkage services and access to resources.
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of and deep understanding of the three major systems serving jobseekers experiencing homelessness – homeless services, public social services, and workforce development, including the Coordinated Entry System (CES), as well as best practices in homeless services, and regional resources.
• Prepare documentation, forms and reports related to placement activities; track participant activity and progress data in a timely manner
• Attend and participate in team meetings, staff training sessions and all-staff meetings as scheduled.
• Keep calendar updated with events and activities; share calendar with Manager
• Documents services and completes data entry into LA CoC Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) database.
• Other duties as assigned by Manager.

PHYSICAL AND MENTAL REQUIREMENTS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT:

• Work indoors in a temperature controlled environment with occasional exposure to outdoor weather and driving conditions. Stand and sit for long periods of time; move and walk to various locations; climb, stoop, kneel, reach, pull, push, bend, twist, and occasionally lift and or move objects.
• See, hear and speak clearly in order to give and receive information and instructions.
• Complex reading and writing skills, memorization skills, analytical / perceptive comprehensive capabilities.
• Good judgment and decision-making capability.
• Ability to interact effectively with other employees, clients, customers, and members of the public.
• Ability to multitask, prioritize, and manage time to meet deadlines and perform duties under time constraints.
• Ability to adapt to changing work demands.
• Ability to perform arithmetic functions, and gather, analyze, synthesize, and classify information.
• Requires use of computers for long periods of time.
• Travel to off-site locations.
• Detailed oriented and organized.
• Ability to work in an ‘open address’ environment

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

• Understanding of basic business operations and hiring processes.
• Strong knowledge of job search resources, including Internet and other media.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Good public speaking skills; ability to make effective presentations to clients, businesses, and community partners.
• Knowledge and experience in community and economic development, working in the social services field and/or job development industry.
• Knowledge of best-practices in both employment services and serving people experiencing homelessness.
• Demonstrate the ability to work effectively with a diverse range of people and organizations.
• Current California driver’s license and access to a vehicle with proof of insurance.
• Knowledge of the homeless population, substance abuse and mental health preferred.

EDUCATION, TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE:

Minimum Qualifications

• Option I: Minimum of one year of experience in employment services for persons who are disabled and/or homeless.
• Option II: One year of experience in human or social services case management.
• Option III:Successful demonstration of required skills through current or past USHS employment may be considered in lieu of the standard required years of experience.

Desirable

• BA degree in a related field strongly preferred

UNION STATION HOMELESS SERVICES EMBRACES DIVERSITY

We embrace our differences and are committed to furthering our culture of inclusion and
belonging. Our commitment to racial equity within the organization is crucial to who we are
and the clients we serve. Committed to being an anti-racist organization and sharing the
unique cultural experiences from our networks, we offer annual racial equity training, host
ongoing learning experiences through our lunch n' learns, and participate in on-going mental
health trainings.

We promote acceptance, respect, teamwork, and fosters diversity in the workplace. We
believe every individual has a story, past, and a unique set of skills that shape who we are
and through this network, we can learn from each other to become better versions of
ourselves personally and professionally. Through our staff-led network focusing on diversity,
equity, inclusion, belonging and accessibility, we work to communicate, educate, and
express diverse cultivation through our eight Diversity Networks. We are honored that the
Diversity Network has been recognized as part of the Community Impact Awards presented
by the Los Angeles Business Journal.

Union Station Homeless Services is an Equal Opportunity Employer