Job Development Specialist

ABOUT RED HOOK INITIATIVE (RHI)  

Red Hook Initiative (RHI) is a community-based nonprofit working to improve the lives of the more than 6,500 residents of Red Hook Houses, Brooklyn’s largest public housing complex. RHI believes that the social change to overcome systemic inequities begins with empowered youth, and that change in communities should come from within. In partnership with community adults, we nurture young people in Red Hook to be inspired, resilient, and healthy, and to envision themselves as co-creators of their lives, community, and society. 

 Youth development, community building, and community hiring are at RHI’s core approach to strengthening Red Hook’s future. Our model gives young people and residents the tools, resources, and opportunities they need to interrupt the systems and barriers that perpetuate historic inequities in the community. Residents lead the way toward a more equitable, hopeful future. Over our 20-year history, RHI’s model and dedicated team have been nationally recognized for its innovative, place-based approach to social change. 

Youth Development: RHI engages over 450 adolescents  each year, from middle school through young adulthood, endeavoring to interrupt cycles of injustice and to build hope. 

Building Community: Works with Red Hook youth and adults to organize, exercise leadership to drive positive change for the community, and increase social cohesion to build a more resilient neighborhood. 

Investing in Residents: RHI hires locally and invests in residents who will improve their lives and the community in which they live. More than $1.5M was earned in the last year by people from Red Hook. 

 For more information on the Red Hook Initiative, please visit rhicenter.org. 

JOB SUMMARY 

Summary and Description: The RHI Workforce development serves over 200 older youth ages 16-to 24. where about 75% of people, aged 16-24, are unemployed. We serve a number of populations which include novice, wage workers, court-involved young adults, LGBTQ folks, and the housing insecure in a historically underemployed neighborhood. We aim to build strategic bridges of accessibility for Red Hook to obtain consistent, gainful employment. Through referrals to trade certifications or continuing education and by incorporating soft skills training, internships and job placement into our employment coaching services we aspire to help young adults achieve their goals toward a thriving wage. 

The Job Development Specialist will be responsible for initiating and maintaining meaningful partnerships with businesses and employers in order to secure viable employment opportunities for program alumni and walk-in job seekers. They will manage a portfolio of employers & a caseload of participants in order to actualize job placement plans & career goals for the young adult community. The Job Development Specialist will identify labor market trends and engage employers in active partnerships, by co-creating sustainable jobs or internships for program participants. They will maintain vital relationships to define job descriptions that have mutual benefit for participant and employer. 

This Workforce Development team will mitigate barriers to employment for young adults. So, If your passion is to help BIPOC communities become prepared for the competitive job market, we encourage you to apply! If you can balance accountability and empathy to provide quality care to help participants move from survival toward thriving, then we encourage you to apply! 

ESSENTIAL DUTIES + RESPONSIBILITIES

The responsibilities of the workforce training coordinator include but are not limited to:

Industry Research & Relationship Cultivation

• Engage marketing and relationship-building techniques as an ambassador of the RHI Workforce program, its participants, and service offerings  
• Initiate and maintain ongoing contacts with local business and industry leaders, as well as job placement/training agencies, to to secure internship and job placements 
• Monitor local labor market trends and assess employer hiring preferences, and entry level requirements to leverage business relations. 
• Collect job orders, including requirements and skills to match with qualified candidates
• Collaborate with key members of RHI’s departments including development, farm and college retention to source and distribute employment opportunities
• Maintain an inventory of opportunities for young adults seeking vocational and trade-specific employment 
• Create, catalog and attend job fairs, networking events and information sessions 

Job Placement Coordination

• Coach participants one-on-one to navigate hiring processes and support their pursuit of career goals  
• Assign participants employability tasks such as job search, applications, and sector-based research 
• Customize resumes to fit identified opportunities 
• Facilitate employability skills workshops, as needed, coordinating with Workforce Trainer
• Conduct and coordinate internship placement employer check-ins, assessing satisfaction for retention 

Strategy & Administrative Support

• Document contacts, services and outcomes in a customer relation management platform (Salesforce)
• Account for employment verification, job retention outcomes to track quarterly job placement metrics 
• Participate in networking, outreach and recruitment activities, as needed

May be assigned other duties and responsibilities as determined by the Workforce Development Manager

COMPETENCIES, EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE (Knowledge, Skills & Personal Attributes)

• 1 - 3 years working in workforce development, job placement, recruitment, marketing, or sales management.
• Networking and business cultivation skills
• Adaptability to meet the varied needs of job seekers
• Clear, compelling written, verbal, interpersonal communication skills 
• A motivational, strength-based, encouraging approach to youth development within an urban context
• Strong computer literacy working knowledge of Google Suite, and Zoom 
• Data Driven and ability to coordinate record-keeping and statistics 
• Highly organized, methodical, team-oriented, and performance-driven
• Bachelors preferred, but not required
• Knowledge of labor market trends in a range of occupational fields, a plus  
• Knowledge of workforce development and high-growth employment sectors is a plus
• Spanish, Mandarin, or multilingual fluency is a plus

WORKING CONDITIONS (ENVIRONMENT) & PHYSICAL DEMANDS

• While performing the job's essential duties and responsibilities, the employee will be required to operate a computer and other office equipment.
• RHI provides a hybrid, In-person and remote work arrangement for employees. 
• 40 hours weekly, Flexible start times, 2-3 evenings weekly, potential for some weekend events. 
• This job is based on-site at RHI’s main program office in Red Hook, Brooklyn. The ideal candidate will either be a resident of Red Hook, or one of its neighboring communities, or will be within reasonable commuting distance to RHI’s main program office. 
• Common in-house collaborators: Workforce Team, Adolescent Program, Database & Evaluation

COMMITMENT TO DEI & EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY  

RHI actively engages individuals from all backgrounds and is committed to embracing diversity across all areas and aspects of the organization. We firmly believe that an atmosphere of civility and mutual respect towards individual differences and embracing an inclusive and equitable environment is indispensable to building a successful organization, contributing to a positive and meaningful employment experience for staff, and advancing the best possible outcomes for the clients served by RHI’s programs. We are also committed to community hiring and supporting the job prospects of Red Hook residents.

As an equal opportunity employer, RHI is committed to providing employment opportunities to all qualified individuals and does not discriminate against any employee or applicant on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity and expression, disability, age, marital status, military status, veteran status, pregnancy, parental status, genetic information, or any other characteristic or basis prohibited by applicable law.