Employment Coach

Economic stability through immediate employment is a primary concern and priority for a vast majority of Rubicon participants. Within the Pathways phased service approach, the Employment Coach works within the Employment Services component and provides the first phase of services by focusing on securing immediate short-term employment and/or income support to stabilize participants’ lives. The Employment Coach provides job readiness training and support through group and individualized support services designed to help participants develop essential skills (job readiness, resume, cover letter, and reference list development, master application completion, internet job search skills, etc.) needed to successfully identify and secure immediate employment. The Employment Coach integrates technology into the job search and job readiness programming to help participants build their digital literacy skills.

To help build participant self-efficacy and higher order thinking skills, Pathways is designed as an intentionally self-driven employment and career services model.  The Employment Coach works dynamically and collaboratively with participants using employment coaching, job search assistance, and project-based learning tools and strategies to prepare participants for a successful job search.  Additionally, the Employment Coach understands the unique challenges faced by individuals from socially and economically marginalized backgrounds and knows how to adapt and apply established, as well as innovative, employment coaching and job search strategies to meet their needs. To be effective in this approach, the Employment Coach maintains consistent engagement with the participant’s Impact Coach and the Business Services Representative/Employer Relations Specialist to ensure the participant feels supported throughout the process.

This position is part of a program pilot with responsibilities and program delivery strategies anticipated to evolve over time; in addition to the competencies detailed below, innovation, initiative and a tolerance for ambiguity will therefore be critical competencies for success.  Researching, developing and applying innovative job search tools and strategies will be required to prepare participants for a successful job search within the Pathways model.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Assist participants to identify, select and apply for open positions matching their qualifications. This involves sharing timely employment information and resources and promoting Rubicon’s Job Connect for access to employer job orders and leads.  
• Provide individual and group employment readiness workshops, discussion groups and/or classes based on participant needs, including resume development, interviewing skills, and online job search resources and strategies.
• Provide participants with ongoing coaching and support throughout the job search process. Collaborate with the Impact Coach and Business Services Representative for service coordination as needed. Motivate participants to achieve goals and provide participants with honest, productive feedback.
• Includes coordination of employment readiness workshops and oversight of the computer lab and lab volunteers; Assessing participant level of computer proficiency and assisting them in use of the computers including accessing MS Word, Excel and Outlook in support of their job search activities.

COMPETENCIES:

• Strong experience and expertise with employment readiness training and/or effective job search strategies.
• Solid workshop facilitation skills and abilities; computer and internet proficiency.
• Teamwork, interpersonal flexibility, excellent organizational and communication skills, and the ability to inspire others.

COMPENSATION:

• $23-25/hour
• Medical, Dental and Vision health plans. Kaiser and Sutter Health options.
• Paid vacation and sick leave, 13 paid holidays.
• 4 days paid restorative holiday between Christmas and New Year’s.
• Employer sponsored retirement plan.

About Rubicon

An $18M non-profit Rubicon, provides direct services at eight locations in Alameda and Contra Costa counties and operates a growing commercial landscape social enterprise program that is a leader in sustainable practices. Rubicon transforms East Bay communities by equipping people to break the cycle of poverty. Recognized as a national leader in workforce development, Rubicon provides individualized one-on-one career advising, job search support, financial education, wellness and legal services, to very low-income people who face significant barriers to achieving economic mobility.

Rubicon is a 2022 Great Place to Work, on a journey towards becoming a high-road employer and an anti-racist organization. We are committed to systems change and advocacy through efforts like expanding and deepening Employee Resource Groups; the launch of an internal Racial Justice Task Force; and implementation of talent and culture supports that acknowledge and facilitate healing from the direct and indirect effects of racial trauma.

Rubicon actively recruits staff members with a diversity of culture, thought, and lived experiences who are not only highly skilled, but who consistently demonstrate a commitment to our vision of an East Bay without poverty and are passionate about this work.

Rubicon is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action/Veteran Friendly Employer. We value diversity of culture, thought, and lived experiences. We seek talented, qualified individuals regardless of race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, marital status, age, national origin or ancestry, citizenship, conviction history, uniform service membership/veteran status, physical or mental disability, protected medical conditions, genetic characteristics, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression regardless of physical gender, or any other consideration made unlawful by federal, state, or local laws

 Rubicon uses E-Verify to validate the eligibility of our new employees to work legally in the United States.