Career Coach

Job Overview

The Career Coach delivers workforce development, educational, career, and family support services that empower participants to achieve economic mobility, financial stability, and long-term self-sufficiency. Through participant-centered coaching, case management, and resource navigation, the Career Coach helps individuals and families build the skills, confidence, and connections needed to achieve their educational, employment, and personal goals. Working collaboratively with internal staff, employers, educational institutions, and community partners, the Career Coach supports participants throughout their journey by promoting goal achievement, reducing barriers to success, connecting families to resources that address basic needs, and fostering long-term family stability and independence.

Job Responsibilities

• Promote and model AVANCE's Core Values while providing exceptional customer service to participants, families, community partners, and visitors.
• Recruit, screen, enroll, orient, and onboard eligible participants into Caminos al Futuro programs while educating them about available educational opportunities, workforce development services, financial capability resources, and community supports.
• Develop individualized service plans with participants and provide strength-based coaching through motivational interviewing, goal setting, action planning, accountability, and regular follow-up to help participants establish, monitor, and achieve educational, employment, career, financial, family, and personal goals.
• Assess participant and family needs, identify barriers to success, and coordinate referrals to internal and external resources that address basic needs, including food, housing, transportation, childcare, healthcare, legal assistance, public benefits, mental health services, and other supportive services that promote family stability and economic mobility.
• Assist participants with collecting, reviewing, organizing, and submitting documentation required for program eligibility, enrollment, educational and workforce pathways, supportive services, certifications, financial assistance, and grant-specific requirements.
• Maintain regular communication with participants through phone calls, text messages, emails, virtual meetings, home visits, school visits, worksite visits, and other approved methods to monitor engagement, attendance, progress toward goals, and successful program completion.
• Accurately enter, maintain, verify, and update participant information, case notes, assessments, referrals, supporting documentation, service activities,  outcomes, and performance measures in multiple databases and reporting platforms required by AVANCE and each applicable program or funding source. Ensure all participant records are complete, accurate, timely, and fully compliant with organizational policies, contractual obligations, grant requirements, and data quality standards. Routinely review data for accuracy, resolve discrepancies, and meet all reporting deadlines.
• Plan, coordinate, and facilitate orientations, workshops, presentations, and educational activities supporting Career Readiness, Financial Literacy, workforce development, college access, CDA, and other Caminos educational and career pathways.
• Develop and maintain collaborative relationships with AVANCE staff, employers, educational institutions, workforce agencies, social service organizations, and community partners to coordinate comprehensive participant services and expand opportunities for educational attainment, employment, and career advancement.
• Provide ongoing participant support before, during, and after educational advancement or employment placement to encourage retention, career growth, increased earnings, financial capability, financial stability, and long-term success.
• Assist with program reporting, data quality reviews, audits, performance measures, continuous quality improvement initiatives, and compliance with organizational and funding requirements.
• Perform general administrative duties, including maintaining participant files, scheduling appointments, answering and directing phone calls, preparing correspondence, and supporting overall program operations.
• Travel to AVANCE locations, participant homes, educational institutions, employer sites, community organizations, and other locations as needed to deliver services and support program activities.
• Perform other duties as assigned in support of the mission, vision, values, and strategic goals of AVANCE.

Education

Required:

• Associate degree or pursuing an AA degree and/or certification in education, social services, human sciences, business, a related field, or a minimum of 1 year of relevant experience. 

Preferred: 

• Bachelor's degree in education, social services, human sciences, business, or related field. 

Work Experience

Required: 

• A minimum of one (1) year of experience, training, or knowledge about human/family development, coaching, career readiness, and/or adult education. 
• A combination of education, experience, and working with training programs may be considered. 

Preferred: 

• 2 Years of previous experience, training, or knowledge about human/family development, coaching, career readiness, and/or adult education. 

Additional Skills Required 

• Bilingual fluency in English and Spanish (oral and written) is required.
• Excellent verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills, including strong literacy, writing, editing, and proofreading abilities.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to multitask, prioritize responsibilities, and maintain attention to detail in a fast-paced environment.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite, especially Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Adobe Acrobat; comfortable with basic internet research.
• Demonstrated ability to meet high-performance goals and deadlines, including the ability to work effectively under pressure.
• Strong presentation, analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills, with the ability to generate, analyze, and summarize reports.
• Excellent follow-up skills and a forward-looking mindset—proactively seeks opportunities and solutions.
• Ability to work independently and as a highly resourceful team player, managing multiple projects simultaneously with minimal supervision.
• Strong relationship-building skills with staff, leadership, community partners, and external stakeholders.
• Knowledge of career readiness strategies and experience supporting at-risk populations in areas such as human and family development.
• Understanding of job search skills, including resume building, interviewing, networking, and use of social media.
• Flexibility and creativity, with a willingness to work varying hours, including evenings and weekends as needed.
• Emotional maturity and enthusiasm for AVANCE’s mission.
• Reliable daily transportation, valid driver’s license, clean driving record (subject to annual MVR check), current auto liability insurance, and bondable by AVANCE, San Antonio, Inc.
• Ability to travel to various training sessions and sites as needed.

Travel 

Travel required locally or occasionally long-distance up to 30% of the time for work-related meetings and functions.

Equipment  

Computer, computer software programs and peripherals, resource materials and equipment, copier, fax, and other equipment applicable to the position. 

Working Conditions  

Mental and Physical Demands

General office and sedentary. Regularly required to sit; use hands to handle or feel; reach with hands and arms; and talk or hear. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus. Use of personal computing equipment. Maintain emotional control under stress; work with interruptions and deadlines; walking, standing, stooping, bending, pulling and pushing; occasional: lifting/carrying, pulling/pushing 10-30 pounds. Work evenings and weekends as needed.

Environmental Factors  

Occasional exposure to biological hazards (communicable diseases, bacteria, insects, mold, fungi, etc.). Occasional exposure to weather related conditions when working in outside environment/neighborhoods and events. 

ADA/ADAAA Statement

AVANCE is committed to equal opportunity in employment for persons with disabilities and complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), as amended, and any other applicable state and federal laws. Accordingly, AVANCE does not discriminate against qualified individuals with disabilities regarding application, hiring, advancement, discharge, compensation, training or other terms, conditions, and privileges of employment. Moreover, it is AVANCE’s policy to provide reasonable accommodations in employment to qualified individuals with disabilities so that they can perform the essential functions of the job, unless the accommodation would impose an undue hardship on the operation of AVANCE’s business or would change the essential functions of the position. Retaliation against an individual with a disability for utilizing this policy or seeking a reasonable accommodation is prohibited. Individuals with any questions or requests for accommodation should contact the Human Resources Department.