Career Coach (Veterans)

Description

Career Coach Full-Time Chicago, IL (Pilsen) 

National Able Network, a dynamic and growing nonprofit agency specializing in the delivery of innovative employment and training programs, has an immediate opening for an experienced full time social service professional to assist with the administration of the Veterans program. 

The Career Coach (Veteran) works with a team to deliver employment services including assessing barriers to employment and employment goals, delivering effective training and support, referring to outside agencies for other services (as appropriate), providing job search assistance and working with local companies to identify employment leads, and supporting employment with retention services to clients/participants. Will also collaborate & partner with positions such as: Office managers, Quality professionals, Training professionals and others to meet the needs of clients and participants. 

Responsibilities:

• Assesses, manages and maintains a caseload of new registrants as well as carryover participants, tracks clients’ progress in training and job search activities on a monthly basis. Case notes all interactions with clients.
• Develops an Individual Employment Plan (IEP) and action steps for achieving IEP goals. Monitor progress to goals, modifies, and updates IEP as necessary.
• Determine supportive service needs and advise clients on all social services for which they are eligible; may refer clients with special needs to internal staff and/or external resources as appropriate.
• Research and identify potential employers regarding job opportunities aligned with client caseload needs; Utilize both internal and external job boards and interface with administrative personnel to ensure the internal job board is updated; Participate in on-site job fairs and mass interviewing/hiring activities. 
• Assess, maintain, and submit accurate, timely and complete case notes, documentation, and data for government mandated case noting systems as well as the agency’s internal reporting systems, regarding clients’ including: all interactions, training, supportive services, job placement programs, exit/termination and follow-up activities.
• Research, evaluate, and maintain partnerships with training providers for both vocational and remedial training. Process required documentation for various training enrollment and completion.
• Review documents for accuracy and compliance.
• Act as liaison for clients with internal personnel or on-site agencies and external service providers, during all phases of training, placement and retention, in order to ensure consistent flow of benefits and services.
• Conduct ongoing post-placement retention and follow up efforts.
• Attend workshops and or seminars relevant to serving veteran participants. Incorporate strategies learned to improve future service delivery.
• May coordinate and/or participate in outreach efforts; recruit’s participants in job and resource fairs; present at events and orientations with partner agencies; may facilitate OJT sessions
• Uses email and other marketing efforts to identify and bring in companies with job openings for clients/participants; coordinate intensive job lead search and candidate referrals to companies for clients; Referral of candidates to job fair; Maintains database of companies & partners. 
• Assist with the facilitation of workshops and training sessions on entrepreneurship fundamentals, including business planning, marketing and financial management. 
• Connect veterans with local and national’s networks, incubators and funding opportunities to support entrepreneurial ventures. 
• Assess individual strengths and goals to tailor coaching plans that align with both career and business aspirations. 
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Requirements

Required Skills and Abilities:

• Fully familiarized with the job readiness curriculum and ensure that each program registrant successfully completes job readiness training. 
• Ability to manage a heavy caseload and extensive volume of paperwork in a fast-paced, time-sensitive environment; may manage multiple tasks and projects on a regular basis. 
• Experienced professional having wide ranging experience with multiple employment database software and operating systems to document and record client activities.
• Developing professional expertise, applies agency policies and procedures to resolve a variety of issues. 
• Drives consistent application of established process, reliable follow- through and assesses work for accuracy and quality.
• Works on a variety of problems of moderately complex scope where analysis of situations or data requires a review of variety of factors and provides recommendations and/or solutions.
• Strong service-orientation and interpersonal skills; develops rapport and works successfully with a diverse population of clients, co-workers, potential employers, and other external agencies.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree and/or minimum 2-4 years of relevant experience in social services, counseling, job development, customer service or related field with an employment focus preferred.
• A valid driver’s license and/or ability to travel to seminars/workshops and other National Able Network offices when necessary.
• Veterans are strongly encouraged to apply.