Specialist II HWSC

**WE ARE OFFERING A $1,500 SIGN ON BONUS FOR SPECIALISTS **

Job Summary

The Specialist II Hillside Work Scholarship Connection (HWSC) oversees the delivery and facilitation of academic and career enrichment planning and support. This position will be actively involved in relationship building, supporting Youth Advocate implementation of programming, engaging youth in program services, and further developing processes to support the program. This position may mentor Specialist I staff. 

Essential Job Functions

• Maintain academic, college, and career partner relationships including but not limited to, school, employers, higher education partners, and community-based organizations. 
• Engage in relationships to identify and provide opportunities for HWSC students such as job shadowing, internships, career speakers, and pre-apprentice trade opportunities.
• Partner with high school guidance counselors and higher education institutions to maintain knowledge and service expertise for student programming.
• Oversee and implement career, post-secondary, academic and/or employment programming and facilitation.
• Ensure student commitment of employment, career, post-secondary, academic, and enrichment programming.
• Identify, coordinate, and participate in local post-secondary college and career, and employment activities and tours. 
• Assist Youth Advocates and their students with the college application and financial aid process, along with workforce preparation planning.
• Provide services to HWSC students in collaboration with and as identified by the HWSC Coordinator and HWSC Manager of Programming. Services could include employment training, academic support, post-secondary preparation and planning.
• Monitor placement and progress of participating students in partnership with students and Youth Advocate.
• Input data from program, employment academics and enrichment services to generate reports from the HWSC database Efforts Toward Outcomes (ETO) as needed for individual and stakeholder summary progress reports. 
• Identify risks or concerns relating to individual student or student trends relating to academic, employment, college, career, post- secondary activities and student transitions from middle school to high school to graduation, college, or career.
• Accurately completes all program paperwork in a timely manner.
• Maintain accurate records of own work time and travel information.
• Deliver Youth Employment Training (requires certification to be obtained within specified timeframe).
• Mentor and provide guidance to Specialist I staff.
• While this job description covers many aspects of the role, employees may be required to perform other duties as assigned.

Education & Experience

• High school diploma or GED required.
• Minimum 3 years of relevant work, volunteer or higher education experience in human services, childhood or youth development, student mentoring, coaching adolescent youth, or related field required.

OR

• Associate's Degree in a relevant field and minimum 1 year of relevant experience required.

OR

• Bachelor's Degree in a relevant field required and minimum 1 year of relevant experience required.

Special Requirements

• Obtain and maintain Youth Employment Training Academy (YETA) certification.
• Unrestricted, valid NYS driver’s license for minimum of 1 year with a clean driving record and minimum insurance coverage that meets agency standards. 

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

In addition to demonstrating the Hillside Professional Competencies of Communicates Effectively, Personal Excellence, Cultural Competence, Builds and Leverages Relationships, and Optimizes Decision Making, the following occupational competencies must be demonstrated:

• Knowledge of and ability to apply services from employment, college, career, post-secondary activities and student transitions for youth. 
• Knowledge of and ability to apply theoretical and practical adolescent development and positive youth development and to recognize the signs and symptoms of students heading at risk (decisions, patterns of behavior, negative peer relationships) and ability to address with appropriate interventions for student.
• Knowledge of and ability to apply State high school graduation requirements and local school specific requirements, as well as necessary post-secondary planning processes (planning, FASFA, SAT/ACT and/or Accuplacer testing, college applications).
• Knowledge of best practices and emerging trends related youth development, work force development, job seeker resources and support.
• Knowledge of and proficiency with software applications and ability to learn new applications (internet, ETO, Parent Connect, Microsoft Office) to track and accurately record all interactions and activities.
• Possess advanced group facilitation skills.

Physical Demands & Work Environment

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Must be able to work a variable scheduling including evenings and weekends
• Must be able to drive to and from multiple work/school sites during your work shift 
• The following physical demands are required:
  • Occasional sitting (up to 4 hours)
  • Occasional standing (up to 1 hour)
  • Occasional walking (up to 2.5 hours)
  • Occasional driving (up to 8 hours)
  • Continuous balancing (up to 8 hours)
  • Occasional balancing, bending, stooping, climbing, kneeling, pushing, pulling, reaching forward or down, reaching overhead, running, and twisting (up to 2.5 hours)
  • Lifting up to 50 lbs. (staff may be required to move and lift desks, set up tables, large screens, backdrops, etc.), 10-15 lbs. on a daily basis
  • Carrying up to 55 lbs. approximately 10-100 ft., 10-15 lbs. on a daily basis
• Manual dexterity is required, including the frequent ability to grasp in both hands and continuous use of fine manipulation skills in both hands (approximately 1-2.5 hrs.)
• Occasional exposure to dust, fumes, gases or chemicals is apparent. 
• Protective clothing or equipment required: Close toed shoes; Protective Shields, Universal Precaution PPE, Gloves for toileting and food preparation
• Ability to change positions as needed

SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS

• May be required to climb stairs as necessary
• May be required to transport students to community events or home sites that may occasionally expose employee to cigarette smoke, cleaning supplies, recreational marijuana, pets etc.

$21.00 Minimum pay rate, $24.00 Maximum pay rate, based on experience. A rate exceeding $24.00 may be considered for highly experienced candidates.