Career and Post-Secondary Education Specialist

Career and Post-Secondary Education Specialist

Join to apply for the Career and Post-Secondary Education Specialist role at Just A Start
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Type: Exempt, Full time Supervisor: Director of Youth and Alumni Services Location: 430 Rindge Avenue Suite #202, Cambridge, MA 02140 Salary Range: $60,000-$70,000 annually.

Are you passionate about working with opportunity youth ages 16-24 to increase their access to career and post-secondary educational (PSE) pathways? Do you enjoy learning about new and growing occupations and programs that help young people achieve their career goals? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you could be our next Career and PSE Specialist! The Career and Post-Secondary Education Specialist sits on the Youth Programs team and serves participants in Youth Build and Solar Start, providing job/college application support, partner cultivation, and placement readiness skill building workshops.

• Employment and Post Secondary Education Exploration and Placement
• Deliver high quality 1:1 career and PSE coaching and advising to a portfolio of 60+ trainees and graduates across Youth Build and Solar Start programs.
• Support trainees with developing durable skills that lead to job and PSE success and retention through 1:1 coaching, group/workshop skill building, and hands‑on activities.
• Empower trainees with the skills and knowledge needed to write their own resumes, FAFSA/college prep, online job board fluency, and build skill, certification/credential inventories that connect to individual goals.
• Secure trainee and graduate placements in jobs and PSE that meet or exceed funder contractual obligations while communicating with Case Managers to coordinate services and retention.
• Develop and facilitate Life Skills workshops that teach career/PSE readiness skills including workplace professionalism, communication, and reliability, in collaboration with the Director of Youth and Alumni Services.
• Design, curate and implement group and participant‑centered experiences that help trainees explore new career and PSE pathways (e.g., annual career/PSE fair, job shadowing, worksite tours; and guest speakers, etc.).
• Strengthen relationships and build partnerships with the trades, unions and registered apprenticeships that lead to MOUs and tangible opportunities for trainees.
• Work closely with Case Managers to develop achievable student success plans, goal‑setting and supportive services plans.
• Coordinate and communicate with all Youth Programs teams (e.g., Academics, Construction, Retail Entrepreneurship, Case Management, and Operations) to deliver integrated services.
• Organize and document placement outcomes, activities, and certifications on our CRM (Salesforce), digital servers and funder quarterly reports.
• Pathway Research and Development; and Partnership Management
• Leverage regional and national labor market information (LMI), ONet, state workforce boards, and other workforce development tools to guide occupational research and student placement.
• Cultivate and manage relationships with employers, post‑secondary education institutions, local government, and other workforce training pathway partners to support career/PSE activities, exposure, skill building and placement opportunities for trainees.
• Maintain a database and pathway map that supports, educates, and connects trainees with the skills, certifications/credentials to meet their professional goals.
• Stay informed and educated about emerging workforce occupations, industries, certifications and credentials by attending workforce development related events and conferences, and sharing promising pathways and practices with staff.
• Collaborate with other workforce development staff across Just A Start to deliver continuity of services and pathways that support the organization with its shared strategic plan goals.

• 3‑5 years of related post‑secondary education, workforce development, and/or experience working with opportunity youth (ages 16‑24).
• Past experience developing and/or facilitating workshops is desired.
• Demonstrated ability to deliver strengths‑based and trauma‑informed services.
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