Employment Specialist/Participant Coach - Youth Employment Services

Opportunities for a Better Tomorrow, Inc.; New York (NY); On-site; USD 60,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

Opportunities for a Better Tomorrow, Inc. is a New York City–based nonprofit focused on breaking cycles of poverty through education, job training, and employment support.

The Youth Employment Program offers work readiness training, occupational skills, and post-placement services for youths aged 16–24, with extensive case management and coaching throughout the participant journey. The Employment Specialist/Participant Coach role involves enrollment, assessments, service planning, and ongoing

Qualifications

• Experience with NYC DYCD contracts or similar government-funded initiatives.
• Minimum of 3 years of experience in case management, employment services, workforce development, or academic advising.
• Experience supporting adolescents or young adults in education persistence, career pathways, or job placement.
• Excellent communication and coaching skills with the ability to guide participants through challenges.
• Ability to build trusting relationships with participants and hold them accountable to goals.

Responsibilities

• Manage a caseload of approximately 25 participants with individualized coaching.
• Conduct intake and assessments to determine needs, interests, and eligibility.
• Develop individualized service and employment plans with milestones and outcomes.
• Provide ongoing one-on-one coaching and regular progress check-ins.
• Support participants in persisting in education, attaining credentials, and transitioning to work.
• Facilitate referrals to education programs, workforce training, mental health, housing, and community services.
• Monitor progress and adjust service plans to improve outcomes.
• Assist with resume development, job search strategies, interview prep, and workplace professionalism.
• Support job placement and post-placement retention, including transitions to further education.
• Complete program exit procedures and connect participants to positive post-program outcomes.
• Provide 90 days and 1 year follow-up as mandated by funders.

Skills

Case management

Career coaching

Workforce development

Academic advising

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree or equivalent training

Tools

Salesforce

Job description

Opportunities for a Better Tomorrow (OBT) exists to break the cycle of poverty and inequity through education, job training, and employment. Our vision is to strengthen the workforce by serving as a bridge to economic and educational opportunity for individuals in underserved communities. Through our skills-based training, educational services, and direct job placement efforts, we build upward economic mobility for out-of-school and unemployed youth and adults and provide the skills necessary to gain a competitive edge in the job market. Finally, OBT maintains a commitment to fostering and maintaining a work environment where diversity, equity, and inclusion are woven into our organizational DNA.

Position Summary

The Youth Employment Program is a career pathways program for youth and young adults ages 16-24 that provides work readiness support, occupational skills training, and employment services, along with supportive services such as High School Equivalency (HSE) classes, paid internships, comprehensive case management, and access to post-secondary education and sector-based credential training.

TheEmployment Specialist/Participant Coachwill complete contractually required enrollment steps, a comprehensive assessment and corresponding service planning. This work will be done in collaboration with each youth participant to elevate their experiences, their strengths, their interests, and their voice. While in the program, each participant will meet with this employeeregularly to workon barriers to program persistence and success, including the provision and follow through with referrals to other service providers. This employeewill also complete all necessary data entry related to this work and support the larger team with other program activities, such as outreach and recruitment, workshops, post-exit placements, etc. Once the participant completes the program, theemployeewill complete the exit process in the funder- mandated system.

Essential Job Functions and Responsibilities:

• Manage a caseload of approximately25 participants, providing individualized coaching and support to help participants achieve theiracademic, career, and employment goals.

• Conduct comprehensiveintake and assessments to determine participant needs, strengths, career interests, and program eligibility.

• Develop individualized service and employment plans in collaboration with participants that outline academic milestones, career pathways, and employment objectives.

• Provideongoing one-on-one coaching and case management, meeting regularly with participants to address barriers to academic persistence, training completion, and employment success.

• Support participants in achieving academic goals, including persistence in educational programs, credential attainment, and transition to employment or advanced training opportunities.

• Facilitate referrals to internal and external support services such as education programs, workforce training, mental health resources, housing services, and other community-basedsupport.

• Monitor participant progress towardeducation, training, and employment outcomes, documenting milestones and adjusting service plans as needed.

• Assistparticipants withcareer readiness, including resume development, job search strategies, interview preparation, and workplace professionalism.

• Support participantjob placement and post-placement retention, helping participants transition successfully into employment or further education.

• Completeprogramexit proceduresand ensure participants are connected to positive post-program outcomes such as employment, education, or advanced training.

• Provide90 daysof follow-up supportin accordance withthefunder’s mandate, andone year of follow-up supportin line withOBT standards.

• Maintainaccurate,timelydata entry and case notesin funder-mandated databases and the agency’s Salesforce system.

• Promote aculture of professionalism and accountability, helping participants develop workplace readiness and professional behaviors.

• Collaborate with program staff, instructors, and external partners to ensure coordinated service delivery and strong participant outcomes.

• Assist in identifying program improvement opportunities and developing services that strengthen participant success.

• Perform all otherduties asassigned by the supervisor.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Experience working directly with individuals fromdiverse racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds.

• Demonstrated commitment to supportingyoung adults in achieving education, career, and employment success.

• Strong background incase management, career coaching, workforce development, or academic advising.

• Knowledge of workforce development systems, education pathways, and community-based social service resources.

• Ability tobuild trusting relationshipswith participants while motivating and holding them accountable to their goals.

• Strongorganizational and time management skills, with the ability to manage a caseload and multiple priorities simultaneously.

• Experience working withNew York City Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD) contracts or similar government-funded initiatives required.

• Excellentcommunication and coaching skills, including the ability to guide participants through challenges and barriers.

• Experience withdata tracking, documentation, and performance metrics.

• Ability to work collaboratively with internal teams and external partners to achieve program outcomes.

Education and Experience/Training

• Bachelor’s degreerequired; a master’s degree oradditionalprofessional training in workforce development, counseling, social work, education, or a related field preferred.

• Minimum of 3 years of experiencein case management, employment services, workforce development, academic advising, or a comparable role supporting adolescents or young adults.

• Experience supporting individuals ineducation persistence, career pathway development, or job placementpreferred.

• Experience working on a NYC DYCD contracta plus.

  Salary Range:$60,000–$65,000 annually