Employment Specialist, Center for Employment Opportunities, Oakland, CA

Employment Specialist

Posted on: May 10, 2013
Posted by: Center for Employment Opportunities

DESCRIPTION

The Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO) is a nationally recognized, dynamic nonprofit organization dedicated to providing immediate, effective and comprehensive employment services to men and women with recent criminal convictions. Having made more than 12,000 full-time, unsubsidized job-placements in the last 12 years in New York City, CEO began establishing offices in Upstate New York - Albany, Binghamton, Buffalo and Rochester; Tulsa, Oklahoma - that will provide life skills, paid transitional work and full-time work opportunities for people returning from state prison to those areas.

Having been proven to reduce recidivism through a random assignment evaluation, CEO has been expanding into several jurisdictions in California. CEO's first expansion site, Oakland, was launched in August 2011 as a pilot project called Golden State Works (GSW). This pilot project is operated through a partnership between CEO and Volunteers of America Bay Area (VOA) and has implemented all aspects of the CEO model in Oakland. Of note, CEO's growth in California will be assisted by the San Francisco-based non-profit REDF, an organization committed to scaling social enterprises (www.redf.org).

CEO is currently looking for a Employment Specialist (ES) who will assist participants in finding employment in the private sector. Leveraging the work experience participants gain on the CEO work crews, the Employment Specialist will identify/create job opportunities for participants and match qualified participants with these employment opportunities. He/She will be responsible for developing relationships with employers, successfully placing participants into these jobs and providing on-going support to both the employer and the participant.

This position will report to the Participant Services Manager. This position requires someone that can work flexible hours, has experience in sales, marketing and, preferably workforce development though private sector sales experience will be given preference. The ideal candidate will not only be able to work with participants, but will also be able to work with private sector employers in the Bay Area.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Develop relationships with local employers that are willing to hire CEO participants; build network of employers to ensure long term success
• Make job placements and provide post-placement support to clients and employers
• Meet monthly placement goals
• Consistently and accurately document, in real time, all participant and employer contact, activities and outcomes into a computerized case management system
• Participate in employer recruitment events, job fairs and networking events
• Conduct targeted job search campaigns to place clients
• Participate as a member of a service team by attending case conferencing meetings, liaison with Parole and/or Probation, attend community meetings and training sessions
• Maintain contact with participants, monitor progress, report and refer to team member as necessary; evaluate participant's job start readiness

OTHER KEY TASKS

• Monitor clients' attendance and program participation in order to provide encouragement of corrective measures when needed
• Consistently and accurately document all participant and employer contact into a computerized case management system
• Performs other job-related duties and responsibilities as may be assigned from time to time

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• The Successful applicant will have a Bachelor's degree and experience in one or more of the following areas: (1) Sales/marketing (2) Employment Services (3) Case Manager in social services field

PROFICIENCY QUALIFICATIONS

• Sales Ability – Ability to influence others to change position or to convince them to hire individuals with criminal convictions.
• Negotiation Skills – Works effectively to reach outcomes that gain the support and acceptance of all involved parties.
• Persistence – Ability to continue a course of action in the face of adversity.
• Energetic – Brings and sustains considerable stamina and vigor to all aspects of the work.

HOW TO APPLY

Please submit your cover letter and resume to the address below; please indicate the title of the positon for which you are applying in the subject line of your email AND your salary requirements. Failure to follow this request will result in your application being overlooked.

Attn: Bill Heiser
Director of California Operations
Center for Employment Opportunities
1212 Broadway, Suite 1700
Oakland, California 94612
Email: hr@ceoworks.org

We invite you to visit us at www.ceoworks.org to learn more about our history of successfully helping the formerly incarcerated find employment in the private sector. CEO is an Equal Opportunity Employer

Cooperative Developer, Women's Action to Gain Economic Security, Oakland, CA

Cooperative Developer

Posted on: April 19, 2013
Posted by: Women's Action to Gain Economic Security

DESCRIPTION

WAGES (Women's Action to Gain Economic Security) incubates and supports green cooperatives. Our mission is to build worker-owned green businesses that create healthy, dignified jobs for low-income women. We launch cooperatives where women develop personal and professional skills, become leaders, and gain economic security.

WAGES has established five sustainable housecleaning cooperative businesses in the Bay Area that double or triple low-income Latina workers' earnings while protecting the environment, and has provided technical assistance and coaching to numerous organizations across the country undertaking cooperative development. In 2013, WAGES will expand its model by establishing a sixth co-operative in a new industry, bringing the benefits of our triple bottom line social enterprise expertise to Latina women in a new market segment. As we begin the process of expansion, WAGES offers candidates an exciting opportunity to bring their talents, leadership and creativity to a unique effort advancing social justice, green jobs and women's empowerment. For more information on our work, see www.wagescooperatives.org.

POSITION
Women's Action to Gain Economic Security (WAGES) seeks a Cooperative Developer to work with worker-owned cooperatives that are in their first years of development or that request assistance as they face a new challenge. 

The Cooperative Developer will:

● facilitate organizational and leadership development in worker cooperatives

● serve as an interim general manager when needed at newer cooperatives that are in incubation

These two roles can at times be in conflict. The Cooperative Developer must exercise judgment to navigate the complexity of filling both of these functions simultaneously, and be able to move seamlessly from one to the other as a cooperative's needs change. For example, an effective co-op developer serving as an interim general manager will seek to provide structure and guidance but will also gradually work themselves out of the manager role as a cooperative develops its own capacities to address its management needs. 

REQUIREMENTS

● Demonstrated ability as a facilitative leader, popular educator, or community organizer. People in these roles know how to challenge, teach, and support others to develop and exercise their own knowledge and leadership in an organizational context.

● Understands business and can serve as an interim general manager running the day-to-day operations of a worker-owned cooperative as it get off the ground. Direct hands-on experience managing and growing small businesses or cooperatives is preferred.

● Supervisorial or group leadership experience. 

● Ability to work effectively with people of diverse economic, cultural and linguistic backgrounds.

● Excellent verbal and written communication skills in Spanish and English, with Spanish fluency sufficient to interact positively and effectively with monolingual worker-owners.

● Is flexible, creative, patient, energetic, and collaborative in work style.

COMPENSATION

Salary for this position is competitive and depends on experience. Position includes great benefits, including health, dental, vision, three weeks' vacation, and the opportunity to play a leadership role in the continued evolution of WAGES approach to cooperative development. 

HOW TO APPLY

Send a resume and thoughtful cover letter (1 page maximum) outlining how your experience meets the position requirements to hiring@wagescooperatives.org with "Co-op Developer -- YOUR NAME" in the subject line. Interested individuals are encouraged to submit their information quickly upon learning about the position as applications will be reviewed as they are received.

Director of Development, Embrace, San Francisco, CA

Director of Development

Posted on: March 31, 2013
Posted by: Embrace

ORGANIZATION

Embrace's mission is to advance maternal and child health by delivering innovative solutions to the world's most vulnerable populations. We do this by catalyzing the creation of new products with strong potential to improve health outcomes in developing countries, and then working to get those products directly to the people who need them most. Our ultimate goal is to ensure that every woman and child has an equal chance for a healthy life.

POSITION

This position is an essential part of Embrace's leadership team. Specific responsibilities will include:

- Oversee all fundraising activities of the organization

- Lead creation and execution of annual fund development strategy

- Design and implement internal tracking systems for fund development practice; lead analysis of results

- Manage individual donor cultivation and retention

- Manage corporate giving

- Manage foundation fundraising and grantwriting

- Manage special events

- Manage targeted campaigns and miscellaneous funding opportunities

- Oversee agency communications and ensure integration with fund development strategy

- Assist with Board development, particularly in the area of fundraising

- Recruit, hire, supervise and mentor fund development staff, interns and volunteers

- Manage outside consultants as needed

- Troubleshoot operational issues related to fund development

- Partner with the Executive Director and Board of Directors to shape the overall strategy and vision for the organization

- Partner with the Executive Director and Director of Programs to ensure effective day-to-day functioning of the organization

- Represent Embrace in a variety of public fora and work to build the reputation of the organization in the design, social entrepreneurship, health and international development fields

QUALIFICATIONS

- Three or more years of professional fundraising experience

- Proven track record of successful creation and execution of fund development campaigns, including individual donations, major gifts, foundation giving, and special events

- Proven track record of cultivating and retaining major donors

- Three or more years of senior management experience

- Exceptional verbal and written communication skills with strong attention to detail

- Personal qualities of integrity, credibility, and adaptability

- Passion for the mission of Embrace

- Ability and willingness to work both independently and as part of a growing team

- Some background in marketing, public relations, and communications ideal

- Some background in international development, public health, or social entrepreneurship ideal

- Desire to work in a high-growth start-up environment, developing systems and staff from the ground up

- Minimum bachelor's degree

- Based in the San Francisco Bay Area

HOW TO APPLY

To apply, please send a cover letter and resume to erin@embraceglobal.org with "Director of Development" in the subject line.