Employment Specialist

**Title:** Employment Specialist **Unit:** Employment Services **Reports to:** Program Manager, Placement Services **Status:** Full-Time; Regular; Non-Exempt **Salary Range:** $30.22 to $36.82 per hour (Approximately $55,000 to $67,000 Annually) **Location:** 29-76 Northern Blvd., Long Island City, NY, 11101 **Days/Hours:** Monday - Friday, 9am - 5pm **Organization Overview:** The Fortune Society, Inc. (Fortune) has been working for over 57 years in service to our mission: to support successful reentry from incarceration and promote alternatives to incarceration, thus strengthening the fabric of our communities. The organization has evolved into one of the nation’s preeminent reentry and justice-informed service organizations, providing formerly incarcerated people with the skills and wrap-around services needed to break the cycle of crime and incarceration and to build productive lives in their communities. Fortune has grown steadily over the years to an agency with close to $90 million in annual budget with just under 600 staff. We anticipate that we will keep growing, both in size and depth of service. Fortune has a dual mission: both advocacy and service. The advocacy portion of our mission focuses on building a more just criminal legal system and reducing the barriers to reentry into society. The service side of Fortune has evolved to encompass a broad range of programs that started with employment and education and now includes a robust array of services, among them: alternatives to incarceration, supervised release, court advocacy, discharge planning within correctional facilities, licensed substance use and mental health treatment, a housing continuum ranging from emergency and transitional through permanent congregate and scattered site housing, assistance in obtaining benefits, a care management unit, HIV services, a food and nutrition program, and an arts program. Each service we provide is informed by the needs of the population we serve. Fortune currently serves approximately 14,000 people a year.. Our program models are recognized, both nationally and internationally, for their quality and innovation. We have locations in Brooklyn, The Bronx, Manhattan and Queens. **Position Summary:** Under the direction of Program Manager, Placement Services, the Employment Specialist (ES) is responsible for assisting individuals in finding, securing, and maintaining employment. This role involves providing career counseling, job search assistance, and support services to both job seekers and employers. The ideal candidate will have a strong understanding of labor market trends, creating job leads for participants’ and have excellent communication skills, with the ability to achieve departmental goals. **Core Competencies:** **Mission and Fit:** Embodies Fortune’s mission and values and will be an effective member of the team in furthering both. The candidate should exhibit compassion and understanding for our participants (wherever they are in their re-entry process) and embrace Fortune’s core value that none of us should be measured against the worst things we have done. **Attention to Detail:** The ES must demonstrate competency to develop systems and processes to organize and keep track of placement, case management efforts, employer research and work progress; is routinely conscientious, thorough, accurate and reliable when performing and completing job tasks; and recognizes trends, detects inconsistencies, and determines essential details. Ability to multi-task is preferable. **Multitasking:** The ES must have the ability to meet various demands simultaneously and effectively. Will have the ability to offer intense concentration on complex tasks. The ES will be able to rotate concentration to prioritize most critical and pressing demands first and can determine when the need arises to seek guidance and support with prioritizing from leadership. **Collaboration:** The ES must collaborate and coordinate with one another to…