Career Coach, STEP-UP
Kellogg
A complete application in a minute
Tailored resume and cover letter, ready to send.
Job summary
Kellogg Community College is seeking a Career Coach to provide outreach, intake, advising, coaching, and job placement for students and participants in a grant-funded program. The role focuses on underserved populations and includes wrap-around coaching to support academic success and employment outcomes.
Responsibilities include delivering career readiness workshops, developing individualized plans, and collaborating with employers to create placement opportunities.
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Education, Social Work, or related area
- Evidence of at least three (3) years’ related experience, such as education/teaching, social work, counseling, or adult development
- Experience with Microsoft Word, Excel, Teams, and Outlook or similar level applications at an intermediate level
- Possession of a valid driver’s license and eligibility to operate college vehicles in accordance with applicable college requirements
Responsibilities
- Provide intensive intake, advising, coaching, follow-up, and job placement services for students and participants
- Develop individualized learning and employment plans with goal setting and career progression
- Counsel students on social, personal, and life issues that impact success
- Participate in student activities, address questions and barriers, and refer to supportive services as needed
- Input and maintain data entry requirements for participant information daily
- Engage with employers for placement opportunities and assist with on-boarding and retention
- Teach career readiness workshops and conduct preparation weeks
Job description
Position Type Administration
Classification Professional 1 - Administration
Department Workforce Solutions
This is a full-time, grant-funded administrative position. Work schedule is Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Evening and weekend hours may be required for job-related meetings and events, as needed by the program and the College. Regular on-campus presence is expected for all KCC employees. Any flexible and/or hybrid work schedules are subject for review, approval, and/or change based on the needs of the College.
See job duties below.
The Career Coach provides intensive and intrusive outreach, intake, advising, coaching, follow-up, and job placement and retention services to students and participants enrolled in the College’s grant funded W.K. Kellogg Foundation project. This position is critically important in serving members of the community that are underemployed and unemployed, low-skilled incumbent workers, veterans, and other vulnerable members of the community who are most difficult to reach and serve (those living in poverty/homeless, minorities, parolees, and individuals with mental health and substance abuse/addiction issues) and connecting them to job-training programs in in-demand industries. The Career Coach helps students navigate the academic and employment landscape, while providing wrap-around coaching and supportive services that leads to academic success and completion, job placement, and on-going job retention. This position serves a very important delivery role in the College’s Skills Development, Training & Technology, Education & Employment Readiness, Pathways to Careers, Upskilling & Understanding, and Personal & Professional Growth ( STEP -UP) Program initiative, which expands job-training programs into other in-demand sectors.
This position is critically important in serving adult members of the community that are underemployed and unemployed, low-skilled and coming from vulnerable areas of the community who are most difficult to reach and serve (those living in poverty/homeless, minorities, parolees, and individuals with mental health and substance abuse/addiction issues). The Career Coach helps students navigate the academic and employment landscape, while providing wrap-around coaching and supportive services that leads to academic success and completion, job placement, and on-going job retention.
In addition, the Career Coach will teach and instruct during career readiness workshops and designated preparation weeks, ensuring participants gain practical skills and confidence for employment.
Please note that this is a temporary grant-funded position through Fall 2029, with the possibility of extension at the conclusion of the grant-funded project.
- Deepening our understanding of diversity, equity and inclusion through learning, engagement with others and personal reflection;
- Valuing the lived experiences and perspectives of others while nurturing and understanding the differences between us;
- Rejecting all forms of prejudice, discrimination and racism; and
- Advancing integrity, justice and civility among and between us.
The job responsibilities are performed in an office area and presentation venues. Travel by car required. The job has intermittent periods during which continuous physical exertion is required, such as walking, standing, sitting, stooping, bending, climbing, lifting material or equipment, some of which may be heavy or awkward (8 - 45 pounds). Typically requires regular use of one or more physical senses of medium intensity and long duration. Must meet reasonable deadlines, quotas or demands for accuracy, and, may be involved in some mildly unpleasant situations.
- Bachelor’s degree in Education, Social Work, or related area from an accredited college or university
- Evidence of at least three (3) years’ related experience, such as education/teaching, social work, counseling, or adult development
- Experience with Microsoft Word, Excel, Teams, and Outlook or similar level applications at an intermediate level
- Possession of a valid driver’s license and eligibility to operate college vehicles in accordance with applicable college requirements
- Master’s degree in Education, Social Work, Counseling, or related area from an accredited college or university
- Experience in teaching, training, and/or facilitation of coursework
- Experience working within grant-funded activities and/or programs
- Experience collaborating with employers and community partners
- Experience with and entering data into database systems
According to the Kellogg Community College Hay Administrative Compensation program, the 2026-2027 annual salary range for a Professional 1 position, $52,299 to $61,526 to start.
- Provide intensive and intrusive intake, advising, coaching, follow-up, and job placement services for students who are incumbent workers, those underemployed and unemployed, low-skilled incumbent workers, veterans, K-12 students, at-risk youth, and other vulnerable members of the community who are most difficult to reach and serve (those living in poverty/homeless, minorities, parolees, and individuals with mental health and substance abuse/addiction issues).
- Work one-on-one with students to develop individualized learning and employment plans; including goal setting, career and education progression/advancement, academic and interest assessments, and strategies in mitigating barriers to personal, academic, and employment success.
- Counsel students on social, personal, and life issues related to family, mental health, substance abuse and addiction, and any other relevant issue that is a barrier to success.
- Participate in student activities and recognition events, respond to student questions and concerns, and address barriers to success.
- Monitor student progress through job-training classes to ensure success or refer students to external supports and professional services when deemed appropriate and applicable.
- Maintain comprehensive knowledge of internal and external referral sources for students at risk.
- Assist in providing feedback to create robust resumes, cover letters, letters of reference, and holding mock interviews to practice their interviewing skills.
- Input and maintain data entry requirements by following ( ETO ) data program techniques and procedures for participant information and progress on a daily basis.
- Engage and recruit employers for placement opportunities for both traditional and non-traditional students completing job-training programs.
- Collaborate with employers to identify and address student learning outcomes, supervision issues, mentoring opportunities, liability, and pre-access requirements.
- Work with employer human resources staff and provide assistance to employee on-boarding, and provide on-going advocacy and support that is needed, so employee is retained in employment. Ensure all pre-access requirements are complete (i.e. criminal background check, drug screen, employer specific safety training, etc.).
- Work with students who lost their jobs to update resumes, cover letters, and applications to secure new employment.
- Represent the College by maintaining a presence in the community through volunteering with community initiatives related to workforce development.
- Engage with existing and potential local partners to advance the mission of the College, most specifically related to the work of the department.
- Meet regularly with members of community outreach and partner development teams to match participants with opportunities.
- Develop and deliver public-speaking presentations to articulate information about job-training programs to external stakeholders.
- Plan and execute recruitment events.
- Perform extensive outreach and recruitment efforts for job-training program(s) for in-demand sectors such as advanced manufacturing, healthcare, and the retail/service industry.
- Outreach to non-traditional places, locations, community-based organizations and agencies.
- Support and coach students into various types of work-based learning opportunities including job shadowing, employer mentoring, earn and learn models, and apprenticeships.
- Support and reinforce classroom work-based learning content like guest lecturers, company tours, mock interviews, and job and career fairs.
- Serve as an advocate for both traditional and non-traditional students in work-based learning engagements.
- Teach and/or facilitate career readiness workshops and designated preparation weeks to equip students with practical skills and confidence for employment success.
- Engage with college administrators, faculty, and other internal and external stakeholders on project teams related to educational partnerships, student outreach, success, completion, and employment.
- Work closely with area outreach, partner development and service delivery teams to identify and match participants with opportunities that result in student achievements and measurable outcomes for the long-term success of both the program and its participants.
- Assist department with scheduling, observing instructors’ delivery methods and effectiveness, and responding to immediate needs with professionalism and integrity.
- Identify industry professionals to participate in industry specific interview panels, workshops and job fairs to promote students’ career opportunities.
- Assist the department and college in activities related to institutional accreditation by the Higher Learning Commission.
- Provide data and input on the preparation of progress and outcome reports for federal grant funders and others, including but not limited to the U.S. Department of Labor, and other relevant entities/grant funders/partners that have a role in grant outcomes or fiduciary interests.
- Share feedback from employers and students as it is related to recent job openings, hiring projections, and required current skills and knowledge.
- Support the department’s ongoing efforts to assess program effectiveness in program curriculum review and revisions efforts.
- Adapt curriculum, with faculty assistance, to meet current student needs (IEP).
- Field staff questions and concerns and provide solutions, or relay to Program Manager or Executive Director for appropriate resolution.
- Provide input to Program Manager and Executive Director on classroom performance of college faculty and contracted providers of instructional services.
- Work with faculty and instructional staff on resolving student behavior and attendance issues before they become a barrier to completion.
- Assist in the implementation of designed improvement strategies intended to address access, enrollment, retention, completion, and overall student success.
- Participate in department related activities and meetings.
- Communicate operational and fiscal needs to the Program Manager or Director.
- Prepare and submit purchasing and travel reimbursement requests, with supporting applicable documentation, per college and any other applicable grant funder policies.
- Work with students to address their barriers by assisting them in the process of requesting supportive service funds.
- Distribute supportive service funds to student on a weekly or as needed basis.
- Make supportive services recommendations to Program Manager based on review of documentation and the needs of each student.
- Work with partner organizations to braid funds for supportive services for shared students.
'/%3e%3cpath%20d='M101.744%2012.4726L102.894%2016.1947L99.0021%2013.2201L101.744%2012.4726ZM105.3%208.40937H100.488L99.0026%203.59473L97.5116%208.41047L92.7%208.40385L96.5965%2011.3834L95.1055%2016.1942L99.0021%2013.2196L101.408%2011.3834L105.3%208.40992V8.40937Z'%20fill='white'/%3e%3cdefs%3e%3clinearGradient%20id='paint0_linear_5593_1381'%20x1='90'%20y1='9.44471'%20x2='99'%20y2='9.44471'%20gradientUnits='userSpaceOnUse'%3e%3cstop%20stop-color='%2300AD70'/%3e%3cstop%20offset='0.998594'%20stop-color='%2300B67A'/%3e%3cstop%20offset='1'%20stop-color='%23DCDCE6'/%3e%3c/linearGradient%3e%3c/defs%3e%3c/svg%3e){kind=small}
