Employment Specialist

MERS Goodwill; Springfield (MO); On-site; USD 37,000 - 50,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical benefits

Dental & Vision

Life & AD&D Insurance

403(b) Retirement

401(a) Retirement

Paid time off

Flexible schedules

Job summary

MERS Missouri Goodwill Industries is seeking an energetic Employment Specialist for the Springfield Career Center. The role supports participants with intake, employment planning, and employer outreach to secure job opportunities.

A high school diploma is required; a bachelor’s degree and social service or sales experience are preferred. Responsibilities include developing employer contacts, coaching on job readiness, and providing post-placement retention support.

Qualifications

• High School Diploma required.
• Bachelor's degree and experience in social service and/or sales preferred.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Review referral information and conduct intake interviews to develop employment plans.
• Develop and maintain relationships with referral sources and communicate participant activities.
• Identify employer contacts using local job market information and community resources.
• Complete agency paperwork and maintain confidentiality.
• Assist participants with job readiness, resumes, applications, and interview preparation.
• Engage with employers via in-person and phone outreach to secure opportunities.
• Provide retention support after job placement and offer problem-solving to address performance issues.
• Provide training to improve work performance; arrange accommodations as needed.

Skills

Communication

Employer relations

Job coaching

Community outreach

Education

High School Diploma

Bachelor's degree (preferred)

Job description

Select how often (in days) to receive an alert:

Required Travel:50%
Position Type:Hourly Full-Time
Hourly Rate:$21.00

MERS/Missouri Goodwill Industries is looking for an energetic, self-motivated, and professionalEmployment Specialistto join ourSpringfield Career Centerteam! The ideal candidate will support our mission, "Changing Lives Through the Power of Work!" and embody our core values of diversity, integrity, passion, professionalism, respect, and responsibility.

If you're seeking an opportunity that empowers you to achieve new goals while pursuing a mission-driven career, then this is the perfect fit for you.

Qualifications

A High School Diploma is required. Bachelor's degree and experience in social service and/or sales is preferred.

Ability to work effectively with others, build and sustain relationships with local employers, and demonstrate strong written and verbal communication skills.

A driver's license and current insurance is required.

Primary Duties/Responsibilities

• Review referral information, establish professional and ethical relationships, perform timely intake interviews, and develop/maintain individual plan for employment with all participants.
• Develops and maintains positive relationships with referral sources and provides ongoing communication regarding participant activities.
• Effectively use intake and plan development information, local job market information, and knowledge of community resources to develop potential employer contacts and gain employment opportunities.
• Complete all agency paperwork in a timely manner and maintain confidentiality according to agency guidelines.
• Works with participants to develop job seeking skills such as job readiness interviewing, application completion, resume development, and job retention.
• Spends time in the community making employer contacts including cold calls (in person and over the phone), educating on MERS Goodwill programs and services, and following up on those contacts to secure employment opportunities.
• Provides retention services after a participant is placed on the job with a combination of contacts with the employer and the participant, both in person and over the phone.
• Spend a significant amount of time job coaching.
• Providing training to improve participants' work performance after the employer's training period has ended; problem-solving to create accommodations or other ways to address performance issues.
• Immediate date of hire individual and family medical benefits for full-time employees working 30 or more hours per week.
• Individual and family dental and vision benefits on the first of the month following the hire date for employees working 20 or more hours week.
• Voluntary Life and AD&D Insurance on the first of the month following the hire date for employees working 20 or more hours per week.
• 403(B) Retirement on date of hire for employees working 20 or more hours per week.
• 403(B) Retirement + Employer Match after one year of employment for employees working 20 or more hours per week.
• 401(A) Retirement on date of hire for employees working 20 or more hours per week.
• PTO Accrual up to 15 days based on hours worked.
• Paid holidays
• Flexible Schedules

MERS Missouri Goodwill is an equal-opportunity employer. MERS Goodwill does not discriminate in employment based on race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service, or any other non-merit factor.

MERS Missouri Goodwill requires various background and records checks upon employment.