Employment Specialist - Half Moon Bay

Job Train is a nonprofit organization on the move, delivering best‑in‑class outcomes and expanding regionally to help our community advance beyond initial job placement. Our mission is to provide career advancement programming that achieves full economic mobility for those in need of job training or other services.

Founded out of the civil rights movement in 1965, we serve clients at our Bay Area career and training centers, fostering a safe and welcoming space that reflects the diversity of the communities we serve.

We are growing and need your help!

Job Train is coming to the Half Moon Bay community! We’ve been invited to develop long‑term partnerships and set the course to reduce unemployment and increase economic well‑being. We are seeking two Employment Specialists from the Half Moon Bay Area who are familiar with the local employment landscape.

• Connect and guide clients to appropriate services and resources based on an in‑depth understanding of Job Train services
• Work one‑on‑one empathetically to build rapport and assess client needs or barriers to gaining employment
• Develop and co‑create individualized Employment Service Plans with clients (resume, force/career coaching) leveraging internal team knowledge and network as needed
• Manage a caseload of job‑seeking clients on a continuous basis (pre‑ and post‑employment retention follow‑up to one year)
• Build and manage interpersonal relationships with clients, employers, and community partners
• Represent Job Train at outreach events: job fairs, workshops, employer events, 1‑on‑1 and large audiences
• Deliver and report timely outcomes and program deliverables (internal and external)
• Conduct cold calls as required with employers and recruiters
• Coordinate job development activities with other organizations to support clients toward economic mobility
• Collaborate with employment specialists and Job Train staff to provide input and feedback to proactively and continuously improve career center processes

We strive to find candidates who have the qualifications for the role and who are aligned with our values of teamwork, community, and leadership, and have a commitment to advancing diversity, equity and inclusion.

• Preferred experience with workforce development (LMI, labor force dynamics) as it relates to job placement and/or managing a caseload, account management, or grant management
• Direct experience working with specialized populations experiencing barriers to employment (e.g., homelessness, low‑income/public assistance, justice engaged, long‑term unemployment, mature workers, DV survivors)

Here at Job Train we use a career ladder. To qualify, candidates must also possess:

• Employment Specialist I: 1 year of customer service experience
• Employment Specialist II: 1 year of direct workforce development experience

• Local Expertise
  :
  Comprehensive knowledge of the Half Moon Bay Area is strongly preferred
• Experience with Salesforce, MS Teams, Outlook, etc. preferred
• Ability to manage a caseload by assessing and meeting client employment needs, staying organized in follow‑up, documentation, and reporting job placements
• Excellent customer service and client rapport‑building skills while maintaining a professional demeanor
• Communication skills, especially the ability to guide conversations and achieve employment goals effectively and efficiently
• Facilitation and public speaking skills with the ability to deliver workshops in a variety of settings
• Critical thinking through a lens of empathy, compassion, equity, innovation, and inclusion
• Ability to work independently, autonomously, and toward Job Train’s mission and career center goals (organization & task management, set and meet personal and professional goals, use adequate discernment)
• Must be able to travel to different sites as needed during training period. Evening and weekend work may be required
• Spanish Language Fluency
  :
  While not required, fluency in spoken and written Spanish may be beneficial

Job Train requires that all employees be fully vaccinated against COVID‑19,…