Employment Specialist

Sdsoybean; Mission (SD); On-site; USD 28,000 - 40,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Veterans’ Preference

Health insurance option

Retirement benefits

Paid holidays

Job summary

Department of Social Services in Mission, SD is seeking a full-time Social Services worker to assess life circumstances and develop employment opportunities for TANF participants. The role involves counseling, job search support, and helping clients set realistic goals.

The ideal candidate will have a Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field and strong communication, empathy, and organizational skills. This position offers full-time hours, benefits, and public service commitment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in social science, behavioral science, or related fields, or equivalent experience.
• Experience or knowledge in health care administration, finance, accounting, or insurance is preferred.
• Entry level knowledge can be gained through training and/or experience to possess required skills.

Responsibilities

• Assess and analyze life circumstances to develop employment opportunities for TANF participants.
• Identify and address barriers to employment and assist in job search and retention activities.
• Provide counseling and solutions to promote employment and maintain customer determination of goals.

Skills

Communication

Empathy

Organization

Public service

Education

Bachelor's degree in social science or related field

Job description

Mission, SD | Social Services | Full-Time 40 Hours Weekly

24.77 - 24.77 US per hour

Description

Job ID: 37230
Agency: Department of Social Services / Division of Economic Assistance
Location:Mission, SDSalary:$24.77 Hourly, depending on qualifications
Pay Grade:H
Closing Date: 09.08.2026

This is a Full-Time 40 Hours Weekly position with the Department of Social Services. For more information on DSS, please visit https://dss.sd.gov .

Why the Department of Social Services?

At the Department of Social Services (DSS), family is everything. It’s the foundation of what we do every day through provision of services to strengthen and support the citizens of South Dakota. Our work is driven with our vision to buildStrong Families, South Dakota’s Foundation and Our Future. We believe families have the right to be safe and secure. We also believe in respecting individual and cultural differences by treating people with dignity, fairness, and respect. And we believe in collaborative communications, teamwork, partnerships and trust for essential family services. Sound intriguing?

As a Department of Social Services employee, you will have a chance to experience:

• Creativity– We are always looking for innovative ideas to help us achieve improved outcomes.
• Making a difference– You will have an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of fellow South Dakotans.
• Professional development–We provide valuable trainings to ensure staff is well-trained, competent, accountable and empowered and will assist you in reaching your career goals.
• Teamwork– In a team-oriented approach, you will have the ability to work cooperatively with others in a friendly work environment to achieve shared goals.

Who we want:

• a highly motivated and experienced person with a passion for serving the public and displays a high level of effort and commitment towards completing assignments and goals;
• a compassionate individual who listens attentively to others and clearly conveys information and ideas;
• a dependable and organized individual who effectively plans and organizes work activities;
• a person who is dedicated and who will represent the Department of Social Service with integrity and enthusiasm; and
• an individual who works cooperatively with others and promotes a friendly work climate in order to achieve shared goals.

What you will do:

We are currently looking to hire an individual who is excited to serve the public.

This position assesses and analyzes current life circumstances to develop and enhance employment opportunities for low income individuals participating in the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, identifies and addresses barriers to employment, assists in job search and job retention activities, provides counseling and solutions to promote employment, identifies customer interests, strengths, skills, abilities and challenges, determine appropriate training and sets realistic goals to match customers with appropriate jobs, develops curriculum for and presents workshops and public presentations

Education/Licenses:

A bachelor's degree in social science, behavioral science, or other human service-related fields, business administration, public administration, education, or public health, and/or experience in health care administration, finance, accounting, or insurance is preferred. Entry level knowledge and abilities may be acquired through any combination of training and/or experience that will enable the incumbent to possess the required knowledge, skills and abilities

The ideal candidate will:

• communicate effectively and efficiently;
• successfully plan and organize work activities, adjust to multiple demands, and prioritize tasks to complete assignments and meet schedules and deadlines;
• demonstrate compassion, respect, courtesy and tact when interacting with others;
• display confidence and innovation despite adversity;
• establish and maintain effective and collaborative working relationships with stakeholders;
• understand concepts related to client confidentiality;
• have the ability to comprehend, interpret and apply policies, procedures, laws and regulations;
• prepare clear and concise documentation, reports and correspondence that reflect relevant facts;
• assume initiative with minimal supervision.

Equally important will be a strong work ethic and the comprehension of critical thinking and problem-solving techniques. If you believe in strengthening and supporting strong families and investing in South Dakota’s future, you may have found the dream job you’ve been waiting for!

This position is eligible for Veterans’ Preference per ARSD 55:10:02:08.

NCRC:If you possess a National Career Readiness Certificate, please submit the certificate with your application. For more information on how to acquire a National Career Readiness Certificate contact a South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation Job Service Office.A certificate is not necessary to be considered.

The State of South Dakota does not sponsor work visas for new or existing employees. All persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and complete an Employment Eligibility Verification, Form I-9.The State of South Dakota as an employer will be using E-Verify to complete employment eligibility verification upon hire.

The State of South Dakota offers $0 premium employee health insurance option plus eleven paid holidays, generous vacation and sick leave accrual, dental, vision, and other insurance options, and retirement benefits.You can view our benefits information here .This position is a member of Class A retirement under SDRS.