Life Skills Educator

Center For Employment Opportunities, Inc.; Buffalo (NY); On-site; USD 43,000 - 53,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical and dental coverage

Professional development opportunities

Paid time off

Job summary

Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO) in Buffalo, NY is hiring a Life Skills Educator for in-person work four days a week at our local office. The role requires coordinating large group workshops for program participants, with possible intake and outreach duties as needed.

The ideal candidate has 2+ years of teaching or group presentation experience and a strong commitment to re-entry goals. We encourage applicants with lived experience of incarceration or involvement in the justice system.

Qualifications

• 2+ years of experience teaching or leading group presentations.
• Commitment to CEO’s mission and interest in fast-growing nonprofit environment.
• Passion for helping individuals become the best version of themselves.
• Interest in re-entry or criminal justice reform.
• Ability to engage participants with engaging content.
• Valid Driver’s License (must-have).

Responsibilities

• Transport participants to classroom training center for apprenticeship training as needed/up to 5 hours per week.
• Lead Work Readiness Education and Orientation Facilitation following CEO’s syllabus.
• Prepare participants for program model with documentation and safety practices.
• Coach participants in resumes, networking, and mock interviews.
• Support site operations and administrative duties as needed.
• Record attendance and progress in the case management system.
• Escort participants to agencies to apply for documents.
• Outreach and intake functions as assigned by site needs.

Skills

Group presentations

Communication skills

Criminal justice reform

Job description

Life Skills Educator

Buffalo, New York

In- Person

Anticipated deadline to submit application: Monday October 26, 2026 at 12:00pm (EST) Position may close early if application limit is met. Apply promptly for full consideration.

The Opportunity

The Life Skills Educator (LSE) leads large group workshops for our program participants that prepare them for success in temporary and permanent employment. The workshops are comprised of 10-20 participants and take place in our local office four days a week.

Depending on site needs, the LSE may also be assigned Intake and/or Outreach functions, described below.

This is an in-person role with the expectation that staff report to a CEO site, as the majority of participant interactions are conducted in person.

As part of our mission, we strongly encourage individuals who have lived experience of incarceration or involvement in the justice system to apply for this role.

Who We Are

The Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO) provides employment services to people recently released from incarceration. Across the United States, 8,000-9,000 people participate in CEO each year, transitioning to employment that supports themselves, their families, and their communities.

What began a demonstration project of the Vera Institute of Justice in the 1970s to address employment barriers facing the formerly incarcerated following release in New York City has grown into the leading reentry employment organization in the country, where over 30,000 formerly incarcerated individuals have secured full-time employment since 1996.

Who You Are

• You come to CEO with 2+ years of experience teaching or leading group presentations
• You demonstrate a commitment to CEO’s mission and interest in working in a fast-growing and results-oriented nonprofit environment
• You are passionate about helping individuals become the best version of themselves
• You have a deep interest in re-entry or criminal justice reform
• You have the ability to lift morale and present content in a way that’s exciting and engaging to participants
• You have the ability to take into account and analyze various points of view and data to form a perspective appropriate to a particular context
• You have the ability to learn and convey curricula quickly and accurately using excellent communication skills and the flexibility to change up your style to ensure participant understanding
• You are comfortable with providing the feedback and support necessary to facilitate the development of participant knowledge and skills
• You are self-motivated, diligent, resilient, and demonstrate stamina and vigor as you hold yourself accountable to deadlines and outcomes, even in the face of adversity or setbacks
• You are highly organized with top-notch time management skills and the ability to juggle multiple priorities seamlessly or ask for support with prioritization when needed
• You are comfortable learning new technologies that an organization adopts/implements
• You have a Valid Driver’s License

What You’ll Be Responsible For

Transport participants to classroom training center for apprenticeship training as needed/up to 5 hours per week.

Work Readiness Education and Orientation Facilitation

• Present well-prepared, organized, engaging, and clear content that follows CEO’s course syllabus to participants
• Prepare participants for CEO’s program model by ensuring they have sufficient documentation and are aware of all policies and safety practices
• Guide and coach participants in key preparatory activities tied to employment, including writing professional resumes, networking, and mock interviewing
• Help participants become job-start ready by promoting their development and effective utilization of communication and self-presentation skills
• Engage participants in ongoing discussions about their employment goals, offering support, encouragement, and constructive feedback
• Keep abreast of current practices and events that could impact participants; making suggestions about new material to incorporate into the curriculum
• Keep parole officers in the loop regarding participant progress
• Use motivational interviewing techniques as appropriate to guide participants to goal achievement
• Monitor and record class attendance
• Consistently and accurately document all participant contact and progress in case management system
• Escort participants to nearby agencies to apply for documents when needed
• Support Site Lead with administrative and operational duties to ensure the smooth and seamless operation of the site
• Perform other tasks and responsibilities that will be assigned from time to time

Site-Assigned Responsibilities

Based on site needs, a LSE may be assigned one or both of the following functions in addition to the core responsibilities above within their full-time capacity.

Outreach and Relationship Building

• Cultivate relationships with probation/parole officers and community organizations to drive participant referrals.
• Work off-site at supervision offices to deliver presentations about our service offerings, facilitate referrals, and share participant progress updates.
• Connect participants to external resources as needed.
• Document all outreach activities, contacts, and outcomes in Salesforce

Outreach Function

• Must be able to travel throughout the city in which the site is located
• Comfortable conducting outreach and skilled in relationship building; able to understand the priorities of an individual or group and craft persuasive written or verbal communication given those priorities

Intake and Onboarding

• Welcome walk-ins, explain document requirements, collect intake materials, and deliver brief CEO program overviews.
• Review all intake documents—including I-9s—for CEO and federal compliance, returning documents accurately to participants.
• Input participant details promptly and accurately into Salesforce.
• Retrieve parole documentation and liaise seamlessly with participants, referral sources, and internal departments.
• Manage and respond to requests for letters of reasonable assurance, agency inquiries (e.g., OCSE, SSA), and employment verifications.
• Return documents with 100% accuracy to the correct participants

Intake Function

• Strong attention to detail; adheres to CEO structures and processes and ensures work product is consistent, accurate, and thoroughly documented
• Demonstrates respect, fairness, patience, and efficiency with participants, referral partners, and outside agencies

Compensation and Benefits

The salary range for this position is $47,800. In an effort to be both equitable and transparent, CEO’s compensation philosophy considers a variety of factors, including, but not limited to, experience, internal equity, and home office location in making a final determination on our salary offer.

We recognize that salary is a part of the overall compensation package and also provide a comprehensive benefits package, including medical and dental coverage, as well as professional development opportunities and training, including regular training opportunities in Motivational Interviewing (MI). MI is one evidence-based skill that reentry and human service professionals can utilize when supporting participants to achieve their goals.

We also offer paid parental leave, participation in a retirement plan, sick and vacation leave, paid holidays and more. We are a workplace that promotes continual learning and teamwork, offering lunch and learns, team outings, holiday gatherings and more for our staff.

More About Us

Center for Employment Opportunities believes that everyone deserves the chance to shape a stronger future for themselves, their families, and their communities. People who are justice involved are highly encouraged to apply for vacant positions at all levels. CEO is committed to the CROWN Act, and creating an open space where our employees can present as their true authentic selves.

All qualified applicants will be considered for employment without unlawful discrimination based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, gender, gender identity, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, military status, prior record of arrest or conviction, citizenship status, current employment status, caregiver status, or any other category protected by federal, state, or local law. We value diverse experiences, including with regard to educational background and justice system contact.

Please note that due to the volume of resumes received, we are unable to contact each applicant regarding the status of each position or reply to candidates’ inquiries via phone or email.