Economic Mobility Specialist

Good Shepherd Services, Ltd; Watchung (NJ); On-site; USD 42,000 - 62,000; Full time

Job summary

Good Shepherd Services, Ltd. is seeking an Economic Mobility Specialist to develop post-secondary access strategies and connect students to pathways, collaborating with Brooklyn Frontiers High School as a partnership transfer high school.

The EMS leads retention activities for graduates and partners with DOE to connect seniors to future-focused opportunities, life skills, and college/career planning, while ensuring trauma-informed, strength-based engagement.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field required or preferred.
• Experience with at-risk youth and underserved communities.
• Workshop/seminar development and implementation experience preferred; college and career counseling experience required.
• Strong ability to create engaging activities for students and families connected to college.
• Ability to work weekends, including overnight when necessary.
• Travel to GSS program sites throughout Brooklyn.
• Knowledge of Microsoft Office applications.
• Excellent organizational, teamwork, verbal and written communication skills.
• Commitment to a strength-based and/or youth development perspective.

Responsibilities

• Build trust and spark curiosity by creating experiences for students about their future.
• Empower students with life skills and career readiness.
• Connect students to opportunities with careers, certifications, and pathways.
• Meet students emotionally, academically, and physically with empathy.
• Collaborate with school leaders to embed future-focused experiences into the day.
• Design and lead workshops on college, trade school, and post-secondary planning.
• Guide students through college and other program applications.
• Support families with workshops and resources demystifying post-secondary processes.
• Stay connected with alumni and provide ongoing support.
• Maintain organization and data tracking while keeping students at the center.

Skills

Engaging activities

Work weekends

Travel to program sites

Verbal and written communication

Organizational skills

Teamwork

Youth development perspective

Workshop/seminar development

Career counseling experience

Experience with at-risk youth

Microsoft Office proficiency

Education

Bachelor’s degree in a related field

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

In conjunction with Good Shepherd Services (GSS) transfer high school staff, the Economic Mobility Specialist (EMS) develops and implements successful post secondary access strategies and services, builds mastery of future focus competencies; and facilitates connection to post secondary pathways. The EMS also works in conjunction with the Transfer School staff to plan and implement retention activities for graduates.

The EMS works in collaboration with the Department of Education (DOE) to develop, implement, and connect our students, primarily graduating seniors, to a post-secondary plan. Through fostering personal and professional exploration and facilitating connections to post-secondary pathways, the EMS works in conjunction with our GSS team to instill our students with future focus skills that promote a growth mindset to prepare and empower them for life after high school. Brooklyn Frontiers High School is a partnership transfer high school committed to supporting students to obtain a high school diploma using a strength based and trauma informed approach. Our students are overaged and under credited, aged 16-21 years old, and were not successful in their previous school environments due to various factors and circumstances. Our work is grounded in building strong relationships with our students and empowering them through our everyday practice, instilling the tools
and skills they will need to achieve personal, academic and post secondary success.

Reports To:

Director, Brooklyn Frontiers High School

Hours:

35 Hours/Week; Non- Exempt

MAJOR DUTIES:

• Build trust and spark curiosity by creating experiences that help students explore who they are, what they care about, and what’s possible for their future.
• Empower students with real-world tools—from life skills to career readiness—to help them thrive beyond high school, not just survive it.
• Connect students to opportunity by developing partnerships that expose them and create access to careers, certifications, and post-secondary pathways they may not have imagined.
• Meet students where they are—emotionally, academically, and physically—bringing energy and empathy into every interaction.
• Collaborate with school leaders to embed meaningful, future-focused experiences into the school day that maximize CDOS as a credential for all students.
• Design and lead workshops that hone in on topics surrounding tools and skills needed to prepare for and engage in college, trade school and post secondary programs, and that make planning for life after high school feel relevant, exciting, and achievable.
• Guide students through the options of college, trade school, and other post secondary program applications.
• Support families by offering workshops and resources that demystify the post-secondary process and build community trust.
• Stay connected with alumni, providing access to the support they need to attain their goals and to available opportunities at BF even after graduation.
• Keep things organized and moving, documentation to maintaining and tracking data, while always keeping students at the center.
• Conduct attendance outreach to students on caseload and support them in developing and operationalizing post secondary plans

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field and prior experience working with young adults preferred
• Experience with working with at-risk youth and underserved communities.
• Prior workshop/seminar development and implementation experience preferred; prior college and career counseling experience required
• Strong ability to create engaging and relevant activities for students and their families connected to college
• Ability to work weekends, including overnight when necessary
• Ability to travel to GSS program sites throughout Brooklyn
• Knowledge of Microsoft Office applications
• Must have excellent organizational, teamwork, verbal and written communication skills
• Must have a commitment of work from a strength-based and/or youth development perspective