Career Development Specialist

Position Title: Career Development Specialist

Program/Department: Community Work Services

Location | Travel Requirements: Onsite 174 Portland St. Boston, MA | Local travel required; occasional out-of-area or overnight travel

Supervisor: Program Coordinator

Classification: Full-Time | Exempt

Compensation: $50,000-$55,000 Annually

About The Fedcap Group

For more than 90 years, Fedcap has been turning possibility into reality. As a global nonprofit serving more than 335,000 people each year across the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia, we open doors to economic mobility through innovative, evidence-based solutions in education, workforce development, health, and economic development. Join us and experience The Power of Possible, where your work creates real opportunities for people facing barriers to economic well-being and helps build stronger communities every day.

Community Work Services (CWS) is part of The Fedcap Group, providing services that help individuals develop skills, access employment opportunities, and achieve greater economic independence. Join us and experience The Power of Possible, where your work creates real opportunities for people facing barriers to economic well-being and helps build stronger communities every day.

Position Summary

Community Work Services is seeking a Career Development Specialist to develop employment opportunities, secure meaningful job placements, and help participants remain employed. This hands-on position emphasizes employer engagement, job development, job placement, and retention while providing individualized career coaching and case management.

Working closely with participants, employers, referral agencies, and program staff, the specialist builds a pipeline of viable job opportunities and matches individuals with roles that align with their skills, goals, and support needs. Retention is an essential part of successful placement, with a focus on achieving 180 days of sustained employment. The specialist stays engaged after hire, identifies challenges early, and works with participants and employers on practical solutions that support continued employment for up to one year after placement.

Key Responsibilities

Job Development, Employer Engagement, Placement and Retention

- Develop and maintain productive relationships with local employers across industries, conducting consistent outreach to generate job leads and employment opportunities for program participants.
- Build connections with employers, workforce boards, chambers of commerce, business associations, and community partners to expand the network of hiring opportunities.
- Identify and verify available positions, employer requirements, schedules, workplace expectations, and hiring needs to determine the quality and suitability of job opportunities.
- Match qualified participants with openings based on their skills, experience, interests, readiness, and career goals; coordinate referrals, interviews, employer follow-up, and placement activities.
- Drive successful job placements with a focus on achieving 180-day employment retention, proactively identifying and addressing barriers that could impact participants' ability to remain employed.
- Work with employer partners to support inclusive hiring, effective onboarding, and appropriate workplace supports that increase the likelihood of a successful placement.
- Participate in hiring events, job fairs, and employer information sessions, using local labor-market trends to identify promising industries and employers.

Employment Retention and Job Sustainability

- Develop an individualized retention approach at placement that anticipates potential challenges, such as transportation, schedules, workplace expectations, communication, and available support resources.
- Maintain proactive contact with employed participants and, when appropriate, employer partners to assess job satisfaction, workplace adjustment, performance concerns, and emerging retention risks for up to one year after placement.
- Work directly with participants, employers, and program staff to problem-solve barriers before they lead to job loss, including attendance concerns, workplace conflicts, changing personal circumstances, and unmet support needs.
- Monitor and verify 180-day employment retention and other required retention milestones, document solutions and outcomes, and use feedback from participants and employers to improve future job matches and placement success.

Career Coaching, Case Management and Participant Support

- Manage an assigned caseload, assess employment readiness and barriers, and maintain individualized employment plans with clear goals, timelines, and follow-up.
- Provide career coaching and job-readiness support, including resumes, applications, interview preparation, mock interviews, and workplace expectations.
- Connect participants with training, education, counseling, housing, medical care, and other community resources that support their employment goals and ability to remain employed.
- Coordinate with referring agencies and participate in case conferences to review progress, resolve barriers, and align support services with employment plans.
- Assess requests for supportive funds or gift certificates, explore other available resources, and assist with appropriate requests and referrals.
- Coordinate orientation and pre-screening activities, verify employment and education histories, and participate in or lead Job Club sessions as needed.
- Support participant recruitment and collaborate with program staff and community partners on onsite and offsite information sessions.

Program Coordination, Documentation and Performance Tracking

- Maintain timely, accurate participant records, case notes, employment verification, and supporting documentation in designated systems.
- Track employer outreach, referrals, interviews, placements, and retention milestones, including 30, 90 and 180 days; review progress toward goals with the Program Coordinator.
- Track enrollment, services, and outcomes by funding source; prepare required reports and resolve data gaps to support funder compliance, performance reviews, and audits.

Qualifications

- Bachelor's degree in vocational rehabilitation, counseling, social work, or a related field.
- At least one year of experience in a human-services or community-based setting.
- Demonstrated ability to build employer relationships, generate job leads, and connect participants with suitable employment opportunities.
- Experience supporting participants with career planning, job readiness, placement, retention, or case management.
- Ability to identify potential barriers to keeping a job and work collaboratively with participants and employers to develop practical retention solutions.
- Knowledge of local labor-market needs, employer outreach, and job-matching practices preferred.
- Experience with curriculum development and teaching is strongly preferred.
- Strong communication, relationship-building, coaching, and organizational skills, with attention to detail and the ability to manage competing priorities.
- Sound judgment, problem-solving skills, and the ability to maintain accurate and confidential records.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office or comparable business software.
- Sensitivity when working with individuals with disabilities and other barriers to employment.
- Valid and current Massachusetts Class D driver's license.
- Bilingual English and Spanish skills are a plus.

Benefits

We offer competitive compensation and a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental and vision coverage, life/AD&D and long-term disability insurance, flexible spending accounts (FSA), commuter benefits, a 403(b) retirement plan, wellness programs, and paid time off. Benefits may vary by location and business unit.

Equal Opportunity Employer

The Fedcap Group is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to fostering a respectful workplace. We provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants and prohibit discrimination and harassment of any kind based on race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, provincial, or local law.