Job Developer

The Safer Foundation is a social service provider to individuals with arrest and conviction records. Through a full range of services, including case management, educational instruction and advocacy, we focus on preparing individuals for the world of work by helping them find and keep productive and meaningful employment

General Summary:  

Under limited direction, the Job Developer (JD) establishes and maintains relationships with employers and community organizations to develop job opportunities and support continued employment for justice-impacted and reentry individuals enrolled in the CEJA workforce Hub program. The Job Developer will coordinate day-to-day activities such as soliciting employer interest and involvement in employing justice-impacted and reentry individuals. The Job Developer performs activities designed to lead clients to find employment in their field of training, which includes researching and working closely with local employers, business organizations, and community organizations in developing employment opportunities and arranging the direct placement of clients. This position will work specifically with justice-impacted and reentry individuals, and other needs, while also seeking employment. The JD will also work cross-functionally with all programmatic teams and other key personnel at Safer Foundation. This position reports to the Director of Workforce Development, with supporting the CEJA WF hub grant.

Performance Results Description: 

The Position is properly performed when all essential duties and responsibilities are executed by following the Safer values: 

Exceeding Expectations, Communication and Collaboration, Integrity and Evidence Based Innovation. 

Essential Duties and Responsibilities: 

Stakeholder Interface and Service 

• Initiates develops and maintains personal contacts with business and industry representatives for job opportunities related to Industry specific training(s) and construction related positions.


• Establishes and maintains temporary, full-time, part-time, and job banks or opportunities in the Chicagoland area.


• Assists and leads qualified clients in identifying positions in their field of interest.


• Ensures in tailoring resumes and cover letters to available employment opportunities.


• Hosts hiring events to support clients with employment, and helps with application completion as needed.


• Conduct mock interviews with clients before referring them out to potential employment partners, accessing responses appearance, and body language while coaching clients along the way.


• Maintains currency with industry trends; updates labor market information by researching online resources, attending meetings, maintaining contacts with job-ready clients, and networking with local business/chained/franchised organizations that are involved in job placement of justice-impacted and reentry individuals.


• Build relationships and lines of communication with employers to obtain employment and retention verification of employment as needed.


• Prepare weekly, monthly, and quarterly reports with placement numbers and retention goals.


• Works with stakeholders across programs to coordinate, collect and track job placement data; compiles data and prepares reporting for all levels, and correspondence regarding outreach development and placement efforts.


• Works collaboratively with stakeholders and staff to coordinate and facilitate recruitment days, employer panels, and targeted job fairs, and Employment Training workforce board members.


• Attends CEJA meetings in collaboration with the team; advises all parties of employment trends and updates within the renewable energy community along with the needs and concerns of the local business community.


• Send emails to job-ready, make phone calls, host weekly job clubs, lunch and learn sessions, clients marketing available employment opportunities bi-weekly (working with completers on energy portal, and Il work net, honest job registration).


• Host employers monthly and small job fairs weekly, monthly, quarterly


• Collaborate with Safer Skill Training (SST) Facilitators to present to SST participants.


• Performs other duties assigned.

Stakeholder Outreach and Recruitment 

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  Prospect for new employers through intensive research, community-outreach, market analysis, networking, calling, information dissemination and presentation campaigns. 

  
  

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  Understanding these needs, work to identify leads and perform outreach to employers that have a demand for labor and skills who will receive referrals from Safer Foundation. 

  
  

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  Building relationships with employers, making direct employer contacts and account management with field work as needed. 

  
  

Tracking, Document, and Reporting 

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  Enter all qualified  employment placements into Safer’s database. 

  
  

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  Enter all services provided to clients and pertinent documents (IDs, resumes, etc.) into Safer’s database 

  
  

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  Enter all job starts into Safer’s database.  Must use Salesforce, IWN, and funder systems as needed. 

  
  

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  Perform and document 30, 60, and 90 day retention checks with placed clients.  

  
  

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  Participate in periodic multidisciplinary staffings.  

  
  

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  Submit assigned reports that are routinely correct and on-time. 

  
  

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  Handle special projects along with routine expectations when it is required. 

  
  

Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities: 

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  Passion for social justice. 

  
  

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  Hands-on experience and self-sufficiency with Microsoft productivity tools, including Outlook (for email), Office (Word, PowerPoint, Excel) and online collaboration tools (video conferencing, Zoom/Teams, messaging).  

  
  

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  Ability to work with high-risk populations with complex needs. 

  
  


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   Excellent sales and communication skills.

  
  


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  Client-centered ideology.

  
  


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  Cultural competency (cultural and linguistic) as it relates to cultures and trauma experienced by formerly incarcerated individuals and as it relates to predominantly underserved minority communities.

  
  


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  Strong display of professionalism at all times.

  
  


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  Strong ethical principles and display of personal and professional boundaries.

  
  


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  Self-motivated, resourceful and outcome-driven.

  
  


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  Adaptable and teachable; displays a willingness to learn and further develop skills

  
  


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  Emotional Self-Awareness; Possesses knowledge of personal strengths, weakness, and triggers and the ability to self-regulate emotions.

  
  


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  Excellent organizational skills, including the ability to pay attention to detail, prioritize, and multitask

  
  


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  Previous experience working with justice-involved individuals is desired

  
  


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  Ability to work remotely and succeed through virtual technology. 

  
  

Education and Experience: 

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  Bachelor's Degree or equivalent experience; prior case management experience helpful  

  
  

Other: 

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  Must have a valid driver’s license. 

  
  

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  Must have full coverage auto insurance. 

  
  

Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States without current or future employer sponsorship. Safer Foundation is unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of employment visas, including H-1B, TN, E-3, or other employment-based visas.

Work Location & Residency Requirement: This is a hybrid position based out of our Chicago office, with a required in-office schedule. Employees in this role must live in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Wisconsin, or Michigan at the time of hire and keep their residency in one of these states throughout employment. Employees must also be able to report to the [office] location on all required in-office days. Safer Foundation is not set up to employ staff in other states, so we cannot consider candidates who live outside these four states.

Safer Foundation is a drug-free workplace

Equal Opportunity Employer/Affirmative Action/Minorities/Females/Veterans 

www.saferfoundation.org

No Phone Calls Please