Employment Supports Lead

Hope Served; Manheim (PA); On-site; USD 40,000 - 45,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonus eligible

Job summary

Hope Served in Manheim, PA seeks an Employment Supports Lead to guide the development and implementation of an inclusive employment and workforce development program for individuals with disabilities.

The role focuses on creating pathways from training to employment, job coaching, and ongoing skill development, while building partnerships with community stakeholders to ensure a sustainable program.

Qualifications

• Experience providing direct support to individuals with disabilities.
• Experience in supported employment, job coaching, or workforce development.
• Ability to develop and implement employment programs and curricula.
• Strong understanding of person-centered planning and coaching approaches.
• Ability to collaborate with families, employers, and community partners.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development and implementation of Hope Served's employment and workforce development program.
• Establish a comprehensive employment pathway for individuals with disabilities.
• Develop individualized training and employment plans.
• Create progressive skill-development pathways from entry-level training to competitive employment.
• Develop workplace readiness, soft skills, and professional development curricula.
• Establish measurable employment outcomes and program performance indicators.
• Develop systems to track progress, skills, and advancement.
• Continuously evaluate and improve the program.

Skills

Direct support

Supported employment

Job coaching

Workforce development

Person-centered planning

Communication

Collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in related field

Job description

Employment Supports Lead

Hope Served | Manheim, PA | Full-Time | $40,000–$45,000 DOE, Bonus Eligible

Lead the Growth of a Community Where Everyone Belongs

Position Summary

The Employment Supports Lead will lead the development and implementation of Hope Served's inclusive employment and workforce development program for individuals with disabilities.

This position is responsible for creating meaningful pathways from training → employment → skill development → increased independence → community employment.

The Employment Supports Lead will provide direct support to individuals with disabilities while also building the systems, partnerships, curriculum, coaching practices, and relationships necessary to create a sustainable workforce development program.

This is a direct-service leadership position. The successful candidate must have demonstrated experience working directly with individuals with disabilities and possess a strong understanding of supported employment, person-centered planning, job coaching, and workforce development.

The Employment Supports Lead will work closely with the Culinary Program Lead to integrate employment supports directly into the Cafe and Bistro.

Key Responsibilities

Employment Program Development

• Develop and lead Hope Served's employment and workforce development program.
• Establish a comprehensive employment pathway for individuals with disabilities.
• Develop individualized training and employment plans.
• Create progressive skill-development pathways from entry-level training to competitive employment.
• Develop workplace readiness, soft-skills, customer-service, and professional development curriculum.
• Establish measurable employment outcomes and program performance indicators.
• Develop systems for tracking participant progress, skills, employment, retention, and advancement.
• Continuously evaluate and improve the employment program.

Direct Support & Job Coaching

• Provide direct support and job coaching to individuals with disabilities.
• Work alongside employees and trainees in the kitchen, Bistro, community, and other employment environments.
• Assess individual strengths, interests, abilities, support needs, and employment goals.
• Teach workplace skills using individualized, person-centered approaches.
• Break complex tasks into teachable steps.
• Develop visual supports, task analyses, checklists, and other adaptive tools.
• Provide fading supports as individuals gain independence.
• Address workplace challenges through coaching, problem-solving, and positive behavioral supports.
• Support individuals in developing confidence, independence, communication, and self-advocacy.

Workforce Development

• Build employment pathways for individuals with disabilities across culinary, hospitality, retail, food service, and other community employment opportunities.
• Identify transferable skills developed through Hope Served's social enterprises.
• Develop pre-employment and workplace-readiness programming.
• Establish career exploration and vocational assessment processes.
• Help individuals identify career interests and employment goals.
• Develop opportunities for internships, work experiences, job shadows, apprenticeships, and competitive employment.
• Support employees in progressing to greater responsibility and independence.
• Develop strategies for successful job retention and career advancement.

Employer & Community Partnerships

• Develop relationships with local employers willing to hire individuals with disabilities.
• Educate employers about inclusive employment practices.
• Conduct job development and employer outreach.
• Identify competitive employment opportunities beyond Hope Served.
• Build partnerships with vocational rehabilitation, school districts, disability-service organizations, workforce organizations, and other community partners.
• Serve as Hope Served's internal expert on supported employment and inclusive workforce practices.
• Help establish Hope Served as a community leader in disability employment.

Program Training & Staff Development

• Train Hope Served staff in disability inclusion, person-centered practices, supported employment, and effective coaching.
• Develop training materials and curriculum for employees, volunteers, and job coaches.
• Establish consistent employment-support practices across Hope Served programs.
• Coach supervisors and managers on effectively supporting employees with disabilities.
• Help create a workplace culture centered on dignity, belonging, contribution, and meaningful employment.

Documentation & Quality

• Maintain appropriate participant and employment documentation.
• Develop individualized goals and progress measures.
• Monitor employment outcomes and program effectiveness.
• Ensure practices align with applicable disability-service, employment, confidentiality, and safety requirements.
• Contribute to grant reporting, program evaluation, and outcome measurement.
• Maintain appropriate documentation of supports, training, progress, and employment outcomes.

Qualifications

Required

• Demonstrated experience providing direct support to individuals with disabilities.
• Experience in supported employment, job coaching, vocational rehabilitation, disability services, workforce development, or a closely related field.
• Experience developing or implementing workforce or employment programs.
• Strong understanding of person-centered practices.
• Ability to assess strengths, interests, abilities, and support needs.
• Experience teaching workplace or independent-living skills.
• Strong communication, coaching, and relationship-building skills.
• Experience working collaboratively with families, employers, service providers, and community partners.
• Commitment to competitive, integrated employment and meaningful community inclusion.
• Ability to work directly alongside individuals in community and workplace environments.

Highly Preferred

• ACRE Certificate or equivalent recognized supported-employment training.
• CESP certification.
• Experience with customized employment.
• Experience with Discovery and person-centered employment planning.
• Experience working with Pennsylvania's Office of Vocational Rehabilitation or similar vocational rehabilitation systems.
• Experience working with individuals with intellectual/developmental disabilities, autism, or other disabilities.
• Experience developing employer partnerships.
• Experience supervising job coaches or direct-support professionals.
• Bachelor's degree in rehabilitation, special education, social work, human services, psychology, workforce development, or related field—or equivalent professional experience.

What Success Looks Like

• Establish a clearly defined employment-support model.
• Build individualized employment pathways for program participants.
• Develop a strong workforce-development curriculum.
• Successfully support individuals with disabilities in culinary and hospitality employment.
• Establish partnerships with community employers.
• Create opportunities for individuals to move from supported training toward competitive, integrated employment.
• Develop measurable employment outcomes.
• Train Hope Served staff to become more effective and confident in supporting employees with disabilities.
• Establish Hope Served as a recognized local leader in inclusive employment and disability workforce development.

Clearance may be required.