Salary Range: $24.23 - $26.66 per hour 

FLSA Status: Non exempt

Schedule: Full-time; Monday through Friday, 8:00AM - 4:00PM

Homelessness is a public health, social and racial justice issue!

Since 1984, St. Francis House has committed itself to healing the wounds of those impacted by an inequitable society and breaking down the barriers, including systemic racism that prevent all people from living lives of dignity.

St. Francis House is the State’s largest provider of day services supporting people who are at risk of or are experiencing homelessness. Located in the heart of downtown Boston, we compassionately welcome nearly 500 adults through our doors every day who are seeking a safe and dignified refuge and opportunities to rebuild their lives. Our holistic approach allows us to deepen our impact by offering integrated programing that helps our guests achieve stability in the areas of housing, income, and behavioral health. Joining our team would provide for you a dynamic opportunity to work with an interdisciplinary team of providers dedicated to solving this public health crisis.

We offer an extensive Benefits package! Up to 90% of individual insurance premiums paid for Harvard Pilgrim Health Care health insurance & Altus dental insurance, 4 weeks of vacation and 13 holidays recognized per year, employer – paid life & disability insurance, a vested 403b retirement with 5% match, and much more!

Job Summary

The Career Coach provides individualized workforce development services to help participants prepare for and obtain employment. The Career Coach maintains an active caseload, assesses strengths and barriers, develops employment/career plans, connects participants to education and occupational training, builds job-search skills, and supports participants through placement.

Success is defined by meaningful progress toward employment, occupational training, increased income, and career advancement.

Essential Duties/Responsibilities

• Assesses participants' employment history, strengths, skills, career interests, workforce readiness, and barriers to employment.
• Assist guests in obtaining immediate employment if that is their chosen pathway.
• Creates individualized career plans with participants that establish employment, education, training, income, and career-development goals.
• Maintains an active caseload of participants engaged in employment preparation, occupational training, job search, or other defined career-development activities.
• Provides ongoing individual career coaching and monitors participant progress toward established career and employment goals.
• Coaches participants in identifying and addressing barriers that may interfere with obtaining employment and coordinates with internal or external resources when additional support is needed.
• Collaborates with SFH programs and external community providers to coordinate services supporting participants' overall stability.
• Assists participants in developing job-search skills, resumes, cover letters, applications, interviewing skills, workplace communication, and other employability skills.
• Provides individual and group-based career coaching and facilitates workforce-development workshops as assigned.
• Connects participants to occupational training, industry-recognized credentials, education, MassHire services, and other career-pathway opportunities.
• Provides job-search and placement support, including identifying appropriate employment opportunities, preparing participants for interviews, evaluating job opportunities, and supporting onboarding when appropriate.
• Collaborates with the Job Developer to connect qualified participants with employer opportunities, recruitment activities, and employment pipelines.
• Maintains working relationships with MassHire Career Centers, education and training providers, and other workforce-development partners.
• Supports participants in identifying opportunities for increased wages, hours, credentials, and career advancement when appropriate.
• Keeps accurate and timely records of participant assessments, career plans, referrals, services, training participation, employment placements, wages, and progress toward established goals.
• Maintains up-to-date and accurate records in agency databases, MOSES, and other systems required by SFH or funding sources.
• Monitors participant engagement and proactively follows up with participants who disengage from career-coaching services.
• Meets established Workforce Development program, grant, employment, income, placement, and other performance outcomes.
• Actively participates in individual supervision, team meetings, case conferences, program evaluation, and cross-departmental collaboration.
• Maintains current knowledge of workforce-development practices, labor-market trends, career pathways, employment resources, occupational training opportunities, and community services.
• Identifies professional-development and training needs relevant to responsibilities and participates in continuous learning.
• Strives for excellence in the fulfillment of SFH's mission through quality, innovation, and continuous improvement.
• Performs other duties as assigned by supervisor.
• Adheres to agency Code of Conduct and applicable policies and procedures.

• Proven ability to engage, motivate, and coach participants toward short- and long-term employment and career goals.
• Knowledge of career planning, job-search strategies, resume development, interviewing, occupational training, career pathways, and job-placement practices.
• Ability to develop individualized career plans and effectively manage an active participant caseload.
• Ability to provide individual and group-based employment and career-development services.
• Ability to work effectively with participants with varying levels of employment experience, education, workforce readiness, and digital literacy.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with employers, training providers, community partners, and other workforce-development organizations.
• Effective and professional verbal and written communication skills.
• Strong planning, organizational, documentation, and follow-up skills.
• Strong interpersonal, conflict-resolution, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to work independently, meet deadlines, exercise sound professional judgment, and meet established performance expectations.
• Experience and comfort using client databases and workforce-development systems to document services, monitor participant progress, and manage workload.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, including Word, Excel, Outlook, and Teams, and ability to learn agency databases and workforce-development systems.
• High degree of cultural responsiveness and ability to work effectively with diverse people and situations.

Education & Experience

• Bachelor's Degree and two years of professional experience working directly with participants in employment/career counseling, career coaching, job placement, workforce development, or related areas.
• Experience providing direct services to individuals facing significant barriers to employment.
• Experience working with individuals experiencing homelessness, substance-use challenges, behavioral health needs, justice-system involvement, or other barriers to employment preferred.
• Experience with career planning, occupational training, employment preparation, or job placement preferred.

Work Environment & Activity

• Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
• Constantly operate computer and other office machinery, such as a calculator, copy machine, computer printer.
• Occasional ability to bend, stoop, reach overhead to lift, move supplies.
• Ability to lift 25-50 pound packages and transport them from one area to another as needed.
• Constantly standing and moving throughout multi-level building.

If you are ready to make a lasting impact in the lives of others, please complete our application process.

SFH is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. We are committed to fair and equitable employment practices and to fostering a workplace where all employees are respected, supported, and able to grow. In support of our mission, we encourage individuals from all backgrounds to apply, including those with lived experience of homelessness or recovery and those who have faced barriers to employment. We value the range of experiences and perspectives that strengthen our work in the community.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these duties. 

This job description is subject to change and does not restrict management’s right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time.