Employment Specialist I

SHELTER, Inc.; Concord (CA); On-site; USD 30,000 - 39,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid time off

Holiday pay

Group life insurance

Disability insurance

Tuition reimbursement

403(b) with matching

Pet Insurance

Employee Assistance Program

Discount Marketplace

Job summary

SHELTER, Inc. is seeking an Employment Specialist to guide individuals in recovery toward meaningful careers. You will support participants from resume development to job placement, helping them build stable, purposeful lives.

The role emphasizes empowerment, collaboration with local partners, and delivering job readiness workshops. The position is onsite in Concord, CA, non-exempt and full-time, with hours Monday through Friday during business hours.

Qualifications

• Associates degree plus professional or volunteer experience in engaging program participants in employment or career counseling.
• 1+ year of experience providing career advising or support services to people facing barriers to employment.
• Strong computer proficiency including Word, Outlook, and Excel; HMIS experience preferred.

Responsibilities

• Screen program participants for education and work history.
• Help participants identify career paths, strengths, and barriers to employment.
• Maintain a caseload of 20–30 participants and develop a time-specific job search plan.
• Deliver job readiness and placement services and coordinate with local education and workforce partners.
• Provide workshops on resume writing, interview skills, and job search tactics.
• Document services and ensure HMIS data is up-to-date and timely.
• Follow up with participants at 13 weeks, 26 weeks, and 1 year.

Skills

Career advising

Client counseling

Bilingual (GCDF a plus)

Education

Associates degree

Tools

HMIS

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Outlook

Excel

Job description

SHELTER, Inc. rebuilds lives one family at a time, by helping them re-establish a home and assisting with the skills and resources needed to live the life they deserve. Created in 1986, we are a community-based non-profit currently operating in Contra Costa, Solano, Sacramento, and Marin counties. In 2024 our compassionate teams helped 5,824 people including 1,938 children secure or maintain their housing.

We believe a safe home and the opportunity to thrive are rights—not privileges. Every day, our teams have the honor of walking alongside families and individuals as they rebuild their lives. If you’re looking for more than just a job—and you want to be the spark that ignites lasting change in your community—you’ll find purpose here!

Work Location: Onsite at our Concord office

Employment Details: Non-exempt/Full Time, Monday- Friday during business hours

Compensation: $21.75-28/hour

About the role: We’re seeking a passionate Employment Specialist to guide individuals in recovery towards meaningful careers. You'll provide vital support—from resume to placement—helping them build stable, purposeful lives. If you are driven to empower participants’ lives in a meaningful way, we’d love to talk to you!

What you’ll do:

Screening and Assessment

• Screen prospective program participants for educational and work history.
• Help participants identify career path, identify strengths/ capabilities and challenges/barriers to employment success.

Service Delivery and Coordination

• Maintain an active case load of 20 to 30 participantsseeking employment placement assistance, helping program participants develop a job search plan that has self-defined, time-specific goals for obtaining/retaining employment.
• Help develop and implement job readiness, placement and retention services for participants.
• Cultivateand maintain referral relationships within the local educational, job training, and workforce communities to ensure increased access to employment opportunities.
• Deliver skills workshops related to employment readiness, resume preparation, computer labs, and interview and job seeking/keeping skills.
• Expand job-related tools, tips and other resources to maximize employment opportunities.
• Process service-related expenditure requests according to established policies/procedures.
• Communicate with other teams to assure close coordination in service delivery.

Service Documentation

• Keep case files and HMIS service data up-to-date, completing data entry at the time of, or no later than within 24 business hours of every service interaction.
• Administer employment exit surveys to monitor job placement outcomes and to identify opportunities for program improvement.
• Conduct and document participant follow-up at 13-week, 26-week and 1 year.

What you’ll bring:

• Associates degree plus professional or volunteer experience that demonstrates a capacity to engage low-income supportive service program participants in employment or career counseling and assessment.
• 1+ year of experience providing career advising or support service provision to people who are experiencing substance abuse, low-income and/or homeless who have barriers to employment, i.e., diverse language backgrounds, limited job history and justice-impacted individuals.
• Strong computer proficiency, including expertise in Microsoft Word, Outlook, and Excel.
• Experience working with computer-based service documentation/data collection, HMIS preferred.
• Willingness to work flexible hours as needed
• Experience working in diverse settings with people across all socio-economic spectrums and a wide variety of personalities and roles - staff, participants, local agencies, vendors, volunteers, etc.
• Bilingual, GCDF certification is a plus.
• Maintains clear, firm, yet flexible boundaries, and a positive demeanor.
• Self-motivated and accountable in managing time and resources.
• Demonstrates professionalism and maintains high ethical standards and confidentiality. Delivers quality, organized work on time.

Position Requirements:

• Access to reliable personal transportation required, including a DMV record that permits driver to be insured under SHELTER, Inc.’s automobile coverage.
• Must successfully pass a criminal background check
• Must provide TB test clearance

What we offer:

• 18 days of Paid Time Off
• 15 paid holidays, including your birthday!
• 100% paid Group Term Life insurance, Accidental Death & Dismemberment, Long-term disability insurance
• Up to $3,000 Tuition Reimbursement a year
• 403b with SHELTER Inc., matching contribution
• Pet Insurance
• Employee Assistance Program
• Discount Marketplace
• Internal growth opportunities

SHELTER, Inc., is an equal opportunity employer. We believe diverse perspectives drive innovation and lead to better outcomes for the communities we serve. We strongly encourage applications from individuals with varied backgrounds, identities, and lived experiences.

Notice:

This description is a guide only. Upon hire, you will receive a formal job description.