Career Coach

Jewish Vocational Service (JVS) is a non-profit, non-sectarian agency and one of the largest providers of workforce development services in Greater Boston. Founded in 1938, JVS has a long history of helping individuals adapt to changing workforce needs and achieve economic stability through employment, training, and education. Today, our mission is to empower individuals from diverse communities to overcome barriers to employment and begin building meaningful careers, while partnering with employers to hire, train, and sustain productive workforces.

The Career Coach provides job-readiness training to individuals with disabilities, focusing on the foundational skills needed to obtain and maintain employment in the community. This includes delivering pre-employment and on-the-job training to participants through one-on-one coaching and small group instruction, including services provided through the MassAbility Transition Program.

The MassAbility Transition program (Transition Program) provides an array of career exploration, self-advocacy, work readiness training, and counseling on post-secondary education for career seekers with disabilities age 14 – 22 who are enrolled in school or higher education. The Transition program also provides work-based learning opportunities for career seekers on-site in employer settings. The Career Coach assigned to the Transition Program provides a diverse array of career and professional development training sessions in both on-site and virtual settings. The Transition Coach needs to be willing to deliver services in-person both in the Greater Boston and Brockton Areas. This is a hands-on role that requires an average of 4 days a week in person and 1 day remote work. For four weeks out of the year, the Coach will run intensive in-person Career Camps, 2 each in Boston and Brockton. During these camps, the Coach will be on-site with students every day of the week.

JVS’s Transition Services Program often serves students outside of traditional school hours. For this reason, the hours for this position will be either 11 am – 7 pm or Noon – 8 pm with a one hour break for lunch.

In addition to providing education and support for students, the Career Coach also cultivates and partners with employers to provide work based learning experiences for students. On some occasions, the Career Coach will support the career seekers to pursue, secure, and sustain, competitive employment opportunities.

This role requires the ability to initiate and sustain collaborative relationships with transition age career seekers, their families, local school partners, and businesses across the Greater Boston and Greater Brockton areas. While previous experience is not required, candidates who have experience working in education, employment, or other settings with young adults with disabilities will be well positioned for success. Competitive candidates must be able to work effectively with career seekers, their support teams, and employers to create a more equitable workforce and inclusive world.

Accountability and Results Focused

• Deliver engaging in-person and virtual training sessions focused on topics like job exploration, work readiness, self-advocacy, and counseling on post-secondary education. The Coach is responsible for helping ensure that the Transition Program meets its enrollment and program completion goals
• Constantly strengthen and revise MassAbility Transition Services curriculum and adapt the curriculum to students with unique learning or support needs
• Organize and lead intensive youth Career Camps that take place during school vacation holidays in the spring and in the summer
• Collaborate effectively with youth career seekers, families, and educators to identify and eliminate barriers to student participation in the program
• Engage employers in diverse fields of student interests and secure their commitment to providing work based learning opportunities
• Work effectively with a large team of disability focused workforce development professionals who are committed to providing the pre-employment training, hands-on job coaching, and small group or individualized coaching support career seekers with disabilities need to identify their career goals, develop positive work histories, and establish a trajectory towards career success
• Demonstrate schedule flexibility in order to meet career seekers or employer’s support needs

Build relationships, collaboration and teamwork

• Actively participate in outreach to new students, families, educators, and employers who want to participate in the Transition Program
• Contribute to, and in some cases help construct, transition teams that bring together the family, educator, MassAbility, and other supports that will help catalyze the career seeker’s success
• Partner with MassAbility Counselors and Placement Staff in order to equip students to achieve their career and/or education goals
• Maintain positive relationships with existing employers and community partners and cultivate new relationships that will provide the work-based learning opportunities that help career seekers make progress towards their goals
• Collaborate with professionals across JVS to partner for impact in support of the agencies larger mission

Administrative/Communication

• Learn and help strengthen Transition Program Curriculum
• Monitor and evaluate program effectiveness
• Monitor, assess, and document client progress
• Organize and maintain electronic files and records
• Participate in regular supervision and department meetings
• Perform other duties as assigned or requested

1-3 years of experience in workforce development or related field desired

1-3 years of experience in working with individuals with barriers to employment desired

Associate or bachelor’s degree in human services or another related field (desirable)

A deep commitment to disability inclusion in the workforce required

An understanding of job development and job placement desired

Flexibility with in-person services and local travel in Greater Boston and Greater Brockton required

Ability to work effectively with staff and clients from diverse cultural, socio-economic, ethnic, and educational backgrounds is required

Working knowledge of Microsoft Office suite required

Ability to learn and utilize JVS’s Salesforce database

Strong interpersonal, communication and organizational skills are required

Ability to work independently and as part of a team is required

Knowledge of virtual meeting platforms preferred

Fluency in Spanish, Haitian Creole, or Cape Verdean Creole language highly preferred

Knowledge of community resources and web-based resources preferred

Knowledge of the disability rights movement and/or self-advocacy movements desired

Spanish, Haitian Creole, or Cape Verdean Creole Highly Preferred

JVS is strongly committed to diversity and a workplace environment that respects, appreciates and values employee differences and similarities. By providing and supporting a work culture that fosters and builds upon diversity and its strengths, JVS will better serve our local communities and continue to provide quality services.

JVS is an employment at-will organization and an equal opportunity employer committed to maintaining a work and learning environment free from discrimination on the basis of sex, race, color, religion, national origin, pregnancy, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital/civil union status, ancestry, place of birth, age, citizenship status, veteran status, political affiliation, genetic information or disability, as defined and required by state and federal laws. Additionally, JVS prohibits retaliation against an applicant or employee because he or she has engaged in protected activity under the statutes prohibiting discrimination in the workplace.