Employment and Career Pathways Coordinator*

Employment And Career Pathways Coordinator

The Community Development Division is looking to hire an Employment and Career Pathways Coordinator. This position has a strong employment and career development focus centered on supporting programming and services for youth, young adults, and adults across the City of Madison. The employee will support, coordinate, and monitor community-based employment and career development programs designed to help residents build skills, access meaningful employment opportunities, increase economic stability, and achieve long-term career growth. This includes programming related to workforce readiness, career exploration, job training, financial empowerment, mentoring, internships, and employment supports for individuals facing barriers to employment. This role also works closely with community partners and other interested parties to support a coordinated continuum of employment and career development services across the city. Responsibilities include building and maintaining collaborative relationships with funded agencies, monitoring contract performance and program outcomes, supporting innovative and responsive workforce strategies, and helping ensure programs remain community-centered, accessible, and aligned with resident and employer needs. The position values approaches that promote economic mobility, self-sufficiency, community connection, and equitable access to opportunity for residents across the lifespan.

Employees may be eligible for loan forgiveness through the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program. Black, Indigenous, people of color, women, trans, nonbinary, and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply. We value the unique blend of lived experiences and diverse perspectives that comes from non-traditional education pathways and the variety of transferrable skills each candidate brings to the table. We value diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. Even if every item on the job posting doesn't match your experience perfectly, we encourage you to apply and share how your skills and experience can best serve our community.

Examples Of Duties And Responsibilities

Project And Contract Management

• Negotiate, prepare, manage and monitor contracts with community-based organizations awarded funding. Review reimbursement requests for eligibility, consistency with budget and readiness for payment. Monitor project budgets and expenditures. Review status reports for timeliness, completeness, and content. Maintain good communication with agencies and provide assistance to help understand and comply with contract requirements, resolve problems, facilitate partnerships and complete contract goals and outcomes.
• Work with employment and career development service providers to support implementation of workforce development programming grounded in equity, accessibility, economic mobility, and culturally responsive practice. Monitor employment and career development agencies for alignment with City expectations related to program quality, equity, accessibility, participant outcomes, and effective service delivery for youth, young adults, and adults. Provide assistance related to employment program design, workforce readiness strategies, participant engagement and retention, career pathway development, financial empowerment services, partnerships with employers and training providers, and program evaluation.
• Support and strengthen multigenerational approaches to employment and career development programming that recognize the unique strengths, needs, and contributions of youth, young adults, adults, and older adults.

Program Management, Service Planning And Resource Development

• Review funding applications in response to requests for proposals (RFPs). Evaluate proposals for completeness, eligibility, financial feasibility, project readiness, organizational capacity, responsiveness, etc. Assist in formulating recommendations with respect to awarding funds to specific projects or activities.
• Develop and play a leadership role in community planning and engagement efforts that incorporate residents, community organizations and public and private impacted parties. Participate in efforts to engage members of the public, community partners and other interested parties to convey information about key community development initiatives and solicit input that informs actions and helps ensure equitable access to resources. Engage partners in identifying program needs, gaps, and opportunities; elevate community voice, especially that of Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) and underserved communities, in funding recommendations and program design.
• Present and deliver written or oral reports, summaries, correspondence and presentations related to pertinent community development issues.
• Identify partnership opportunities for funded agencies, and with other funders, that can help implement community development goals and objectives, improve outcomes or leverage other resources.
• Research and apply evidence-based and emerging best practices in workforce development, career pathway programming, economic mobility strategies, participant engagement and retention, financial empowerment, and culturally responsive employment services. Research evidence-based practices in other communities that might be useful in shaping or improving City practices or programs.
• Support the planning, development, and evaluation of employment and career development programs, including workforce readiness, career exploration, job training, financial empowerment, employment placement, and career advancement initiatives.

City-wide Activities

• Participate in interdisciplinary teams focused on addressing racial, economic, social or other obstacles that interfere with community building, individual, family and household stabilization, youth development, employment, or economic stability
• Provide information to the public, community organizations and others regarding CDD programs, initiatives or activities.
• Conduct and/or help conduct racial equity analyses to help improve how the City gathers community input, makes decisions and allocates its resources.

Minimum Qualifications

• One (1) year of experience (volunteer, internship, paid or combination) involving:
  • Planning, implementing, coordinating, monitoring or evaluating community development activities, workforce development initiatives, employment and career development programs, or grant-funded services serving targeted populations or program areas;
  • Working with community-based organizations, public agencies, workforce partners, employers, educational institutions, or other parties of interest to support community-based programming, employment initiatives, or economic mobility efforts.; and
  • Working with BIPOC communities and organizations and demonstrating a commitment to racial equity, inclusion, and culturally responsive practice.
• Degree in Human Services, Social Work, Sociology, Psychology, Ethnic/Gender Studies, Community Development, Public Administration, Urban and Regional Planning, Communications, Business Administration, Education, Workforce Development or a related field.

OR

• Two (2) years of experience in applying the following:
  • Workforce development principles and practices, including employment and career development programming, workforce readiness strategies, career pathway models, financial empowerment approaches, job training initiatives, and emerging best practices in supporting youth, young adults, adults, and older adults seeking employment and economic stability.
  • Community development concepts and principles, including workforce development, adult employment and job training models, economic mobility strategies, community building approaches, and individual, family, and household stabilization.
  • Workforce systems and the ability to collaborate with employers, training providers, educational institutions, and community-based organizations to support equitable employment opportunities and career pathways.
  • Racial equity, social justice, and culturally responsive practices as applied to community development, workforce development systems, and community-based service delivery.
  • Factors influencing community well-being, such as housing stability, educational attainment, economic mobility, child care access, and equitable resource distribution.
  • Public grant/loan administration, including budgeting, financial tracking, contract compliance, and program performance measurement.
  • Local, state, and federal funding processes and related regulatory frameworks.
  • Program development and evaluation methods, including identifying program needs, analyzing service gaps, applying quality-improvement approaches, and measuring outcomes in employment, career development, and community-based programs.
  • Computer software applicable to the duties of the position, including databases, spreadsheets, word processing, financial management tools, and reporting systems.

The City of Madison strives to provide exceptional customer service to all its residents and visitors. Therefore successful candidates will have demonstrated ability to effectively work with multicultural communities. For a complete list of the knowledge, skills, and abilities, please see the classification specification.

Special Requirements

• Ability to meet the transportation requirements of the position. The employee will be expected to travel to various community service agencies, businesses and/or residences throughout the City and surrounding area as part of the job duties.
• The employee will be expected to attend meetings outside the normal work schedule, including evenings and weekends.

Physical Requirements : Otherwise work is performed in a traditional office setting at a sit/stand desk using standard office equipment. *The payroll title is Community Development Specialist 1.