Placement Specialist (Sector Initiatives)

Job Description

Job Description

Under the direction of the Program Manager or Program Director, the Placement Specialist – Sector Initiatives supports workforce development programs by leading and coordinating participant placement activities including internships, permanent employment, on-the-job training (OJT), and apprenticeship opportunities. The Placement Specialist works closely with Sector Initiatives program staff, Apprenticeship Manager, Business & Community Relations team, Marketing & Communications team, and external employers to ensure participants are connected to high-quality work-based learning and employment opportunities aligned with industry demand.

This role supports all Sector Initiatives sector programs and serves as a key liaison between program operations, employer partners, and communications staff. The Placement Specialist assists with placement tracking, employer outreach, hiring events, and collaborates with the San Diego Workforce Partnership communications team to support web content updates, outreach collateral, and success stories that highlight program impact.

The position requires strong relationship-building skills, attention to detail, and the ability to manage multiple priorities across programs while ensuring compliance with funding, reporting, and performance requirements.

Essential Functions:

1. Apply equity-centered, trauma-informed, and participant-centered approaches to placement support
2. Support participant placement activities including internships, unsubsidized employment, on-the-job training (OJT), and permanent job placement across Sector Initiatives programs
3. Coordinate apprenticeship-related placement activities in collaboration with the Apprenticeship Manager
4. Match participants with appropriate employment opportunities based on skills, interests, and employer requirements
5. Coordinate with program staff to ensure participants are job-ready and supported throughout placement and retention periods
6. Track and document placement outcomes, wages, retention, and required follow-up in CalJOBS, Salesforce, and other internal systems
7. Prepare placement-related reports and summaries for internal teams and funders as needed
8. Ensure timely and accurate data entry, documentation, and verification of employment outcomes in accordance with funder requirements
9. Collaborate with Sector Initiatives program teams to ensure alignment between training, participant readiness, and employer needs
10. Work closely with the Business & Community Relations team to
    1. Support the planning, coordination, and execution of hiring fairs, employer panels, and recruitment events in collaboration with the business engagement team
    2. Conduct employer outreach to identify placement, work-based learning, and hiring opportunities aligned with Sector Initiatives programs
    3. Build and maintain relationships with employers, industry partners, training providers, and community-based organizations
11. Work closely with the SDWP Communications Department to support:
    1. Website updates related to programs and employer partnerships
    2. Development of outreach collateral, flyers, and digital materials
    3. Collection and documentation of participant and employer success stories
12. Represent San Diego Workforce Partnership at employer meetings, hiring events, and community forums
13. Ensure adherence to SDWP policies, procedures, and ethical standards
14. Perform other related duties as assigned.

Employees of San Diego Workforce Partnership are expected to support the mission of San Diego Workforce Partnership and uphold its core values by striving for continuous quality improvement; being respectful and honoring psychosocial, spiritual, and cultural beliefs of each other, clients, and community members; acting ethically in all aspects in performing job duties; being team spirited; and exhibiting exemplary customer service in all interactions. San Diego Workforce Partnership employees are required to abide by the Code of Conduct, Corporate Compliance (HIPAA and Corporate Integrity), safe work practices, and privacy rules related to client, employee, and volunteer information.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Public Administration, Business, Communications, Social Work, Human Services, or a related field OR a minimum of 3–5 years of experience in workforce development, job placement, employer engagement, business services, or a related field
• Experience supporting internships, employment placements, or work-based learning programs
• Experience working with employers and external partners
• Strong organizational skills and ability to manage multiple placement activities across programs
• Computer proficiency, particularly with Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and database systems

Desired Qualifications:

• Experience working with sector-based workforce programs
• Familiarity with WIOA, OJT, apprenticeships, and work-based learning models
• Experience coordinating hiring events or recruitment activities
• Experience collaborating with communications or marketing teams
• Bilingual proficiency in Spanish or other languages commonly spoken in San Diego County

Our Values 

Compassion. Collaboration. Opportunity.

We Love to Take Care of Our Workforce Associates–

We offer a great work environment, a culture that values individuality and inclusion, collaborative and innovative teams, and a competitive pay and benefits package. Our benefits include: PTO, PTO sell-back program, generous employer-paid benefits (platinum plans), company-paid learning and professional development program, pension plan and 457 retirement plan additional employee wellness. Compensation for this position ranges from $31.36-$43.98.

In the spirit of pay transparency, we are excited to share the base salary range for this position. If you are hired at San Diego Workforce Partnership, your final base salary (within the pay range), will be determined based on factors such as education, knowledge, skills, and experience. In addition to those factors, we believe in the importance of pay equity and consider the internal equity of our current team members when determining any final offer. Please keep in mind that the range mentioned above is the full base salary range for the role. Hiring at the maximum of the range would not be typical in order to allow for future and continued salary growth. We also offer generous benefits and retirement plans.

At the Workforce Partnership, we don’t just accept difference — we celebrate it, we support it, and we thrive on it for the benefit of our employees, and the work that we do in the communities we serve. We are proud to be an equal opportunity workplace for all. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law. Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities.

San Diego Workforce Partnership is committed to a policy of Equal Employment Opportunity and will not discriminate against an applicant or employee on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, national origin, ancestry, sex, gender, age, physical or mental disability, veteran or military status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.