Job Placement Resource Specialist

Kinexus Group; Kalamazoo (MI); On-site; USD 42,000 - 64,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary & benefits

Growth opportunities

Robust onboarding

Job summary

Kinexus Group is a cutting-edge community development organization dedicated to creating an economically thriving Michigan. The Job Placement Resource Specialist coordinates employment and social support services for Offender Success participants, helping them enter meaningful, long-term employment by analyzing labor markets and connecting with regional employers.

The role involves facilitating job readiness, job placement, career planning, and social supports, collaborating with parole agents,

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent combination of training and/or experience OR relative field work or experience in criminal justice, counseling, social work, sociology or related field
• Understand the challenges of those individuals’ seeking services who are returning into society after incarceration
• Microsoft spreadsheet knowledge
• Strong communication skills
• Disciplined analytical thinking/ decision making
• Knowledge or experience related to Criminal Justice or Corrections preferred
• Knowledge and experience related to workforce employment and training programs preferred

Responsibilities

• Work with participants as well as parole agents, community coordinator, and others to assist with successful job placement and other work-related services and supportive services for participants.
• Administer assessments, producing assignments and action plans for participants regarding long-term Economic Stability
• Utilize assessments to identify financial assistance needs, educational goals, and employment strengths to establish an action plan for working through barriers and achieving goals.
• Routinely work with businesses to verify employment, address any concerns, and determine future suitability for participants.
• Understand labor market and in-demand industries for participants being served
• Engage and connect with business alliance groups to support and understand employer needs
• Partner with Region 8 workforce boards Business Services Team for employer outreach and education
• Link participants to training opportunities with local workforce boards, community colleges, training partners and providers
• Receive referral from the parole office and conduct all required reporting on the mandated MDOC spreadsheet with each participant’s services, amount spent and overall totals
• Create and maintain files with updated case notes marking progress of participant and services utilized
• Manage and execute an individually dispersed budget containing training funds and work-related supplies for participants
• Purchase state ID’s, Driver’s Licenses, Birth Certificate and other vital documents for participants
• Purchase and track bus tokens and passes
• Manage and issue food and hygiene kits for participants.
• Issue, track and reconcile clothing vouchers issued for participants.
• Maintain ongoing communication with participants and awareness of community resources

Skills

Strong communication

Analytical thinking

Decision making

Criminal justice knowledge

Education

Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent

Tools

Microsoft Excel

Job description

OUR ORGANIZATION:

Kinexus Group, recently recognized as one of Nonprofit Times 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2026 Best Nonprofits to Work For, is a cutting-edge community development organization with growing initiatives to create an economically thriving Michigan. We are change agents who create solutions for business, workforce, and community challenges to promote economic vitality.

OUR TEAM:

Our team, providing services in all of Region 8, is committed to reducing crime and recidivism, which requires working with partners on the many layers of support, education, and services necessary to guide at-risk or previously incarcerated individuals. We focus on transitioning these individuals back into the workforce so that they can seamlessly return to independence within their communities.

WHAT WE EXPECT FROM YOU :

The Job Placement Resource Specialist is responsible for coordinating employment and social support services for Offender Success participants. Through the Offender Success Program, the Specialist will provide participants with tools and resources to enter suitable, meaningful and long-term employment. The Specialist will analyze the labor market and establish rapport with regional businesses, becoming knowledgeable about employer hiring practices. The Specialist will assist participants with career management services including job readiness, job placement, career planning and social supports.

Responsibilities and duties:

• Work with participants as well as parole agents, community coordinator, and others to assist with successful job placement and other work-related services and supportive services for participants.
• Administer assessments, producing assignments and action plans for participants regarding long-term Economic Stability
• Utilize assessments to identify financial assistance needs, educational goals, and employment strengths to establish an action plan for working through barriers and achieving goals.
• Routinely work with businesses to verify employment, address any concerns, and determine future suitability for participants.
• Understand labor market and in-demand industries for participants being served
• Engage and connect with business alliance groups to support and understand employer needs
• Partner with Region 8 workforce boards Business Services Team for employer outreach and education
• Link participants to training opportunities with local workforce boards, community colleges, training partners and providers
• Receive referral from the parole office and conduct all required reporting on the mandated MDOC spreadsheet with each participant’s services, amount spent and overall totals
• Create and maintain files with updated case notes marking progress of participant and services utilized
• Manage and execute an individually dispersed budget containing training funds and work-related supplies for participants
• Purchase state ID’s, Driver’s Licenses, Birth Certificate and other vital documents for participants
• Purchase and track bus tokens and passes
• Manage and issue food and hygiene kits for participants.
• Issue, track and reconcile clothing vouchers issued for participants.
• Maintain ongoing communication with participants and awareness of community resources

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:

• Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent combination of training and/or experience OR relative field work or experience in criminal justice, counseling, social work, sociology or related field
• Understand the challenges of those individuals’ seeking services who are returning into society after incarceration
• Microsoft spreadsheet knowledge
• Strong communication skills
• Disciplined analytical thinking/ decision making
• Knowledge or experience related to Criminal Justice or Corrections preferred
• Knowledge and experience related to workforce employment and training programs preferred

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

• Regular and ongoing travel within the Region 8 service area
• Flexible & Open
• Competitive Salary & Benefits
• Opportunities for Growth

WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT FROM US:

• A robust onboarding experience to integrate you into our team.
• Team of Teams training in support of the organizational strategies.
• Job training and development to ensure you are established and growing in your role.
• Cross Operational Meetings with your peers.
• Be a part of transformational change in Michigan.

We have unique culture that requires individuals to be BOLD, INSPIRATIONAL, ENTREPRENEURIAL and INCLUSIVE. We spend more waking hours with each other than we do with family or friends, so finding someone that adds to our culture is extremely important.

Kinexus Group is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Program. Auxiliary aids, reasonable accommodations and/or services are available upon request for individuals with disabilities. Michigan Relay Center: 711 Voice and TDD. Kinexus is a partner of American Job Centers.