Job Developer

ABOUT THE INSTITUTE

The John Jay College Institute for Justice and Opportunity advances systemic change and removes barriers to success for individuals with criminal legal system involvement. The Institute conducts direct service, policy advocacy, technical assistance, and research to improve community reintegration, access to opportunity, and systems navigation. To learn more, visit:

JOB SUMMARY :

The Job Developer will be responsible for building and managing employerpartnerships that lead to quality employment opportunities and job placements for justice-impacted students participating in workforce development programs. Reporting to the Manager Career Pathways, this is an experienced job development role focused primarily on employer development and placement.

Approximately 65 to 70% of the role will be employer-facing and 30 to 35% participant-facing. The Job Developer will inherit and strengthen existing employer relationships while independently developing new employerpartnerships and employment opportunities aligned with students’ skills, interests, career goals, and long-term economic mobility.

The Job Developer will be accountable for generating concrete employment opportunities, interviews, placements, and repeat employer engagement, not solely conducting employer outreach or maintaining a database of contacts. The role requires strong employer cultivation and placement skills, knowledge of fair-chance hiring and criminal-record-related employment barriers, and the ability to advocate effectively for qualified candidates. The Job Developer will work closely with program staff to match students to appropriate roles, provide targeted interview and hiring support when needed, coordinate placements, and support early retention. This position is not intended to function primarily as a case management role.

The position will primarily operate during normal business hours. Occasional evening events, employer convenings, job fairs, participant events, off-site employer visits, and limited weekend activities may be required based on actual program and employer needs. Travel will primarily be within New York City and the surrounding area.

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES

• Build, maintain, and continuously expanda portfolio of employer partnersthat have a demonstrated willingness and ability to consider and hire qualified justice-impacted candidates.
• Assess and strengthen viable existing Instituteemployer relationships while independently prospecting and developing new employer partnerships.
• Generate a consistent pipelineof verified employment opportunities, including transitional jobs, internships, apprenticeships, and permanent positions, with clear hiring pathways for program participants.
• Cultivate employer relationships from initial engagement through hiring commitment, placement, retention, and repeat hiring, while advancing fair-chance hiring practices.
• Understand employer workforceneeds, hiring requirements, workplace expectations, and advancement opportunities and use that information to identify appropriate opportunities for Institute participants.
• Collaborate with program staff, including Career Coaches and Coordinators, to match students with appropriate employment opportunities.
• Coordinate employment-related aspects of the hiring process, including referrals, targeted interview preparation, employer advocacy, and onboarding support when needed.
• Facilitate placement into transitional jobs, internships, apprenticeships, and permanent employment opportunities.
• Provide post-placement supportin collaboration with program teams to promoteearly retention, troubleshoot placement concerns, and address workplace challenges.
• Support students in navigating workplace expectations, employer requirements, and career advancement opportunities whilecoordinating with programstaff when broaderparticipant support is needed.
• Develop sector-based employer pipelines in industries that offer family-sustaining wages, advancement potential, and realistic accessfor people with conviction histories, including green economy and sustainability, technology, construction and skilledtrades, healthcare where occupational restrictions permit, transportation and logistics, facilities and operations, administrative and professional services, and other sectorswith advancement potential.
• Track measurable outcomes including new employer partnerships, active job opportunities, interviews, placements, starting wages, retention, and repeat employer engagement using Salesforce or similar systems.
• Distinguish between employer contacts and active employer partnerships, with an emphasis on partnerships that produce tangible hiring opportunities and outcomes.
• Analyze employer engagement and placement data to informprogram strategy and continuous improvement.
• Develop and leveragerelationships with employers, workforce intermediaries, training
• providers, unions, industry associations, and communitypartners to expand the Institute’s
• employer network and placementcapacity.
• Document employer relationships, contacts, opportunities, outcomes, and follow-up so that the Institute maintains institutional ownership of its employer network and employment infrastructure.
• Stay informed of labor market trends, hiring practices, occupational restrictions, background-check considerations, and policies impacting justice-impacted job seekers.
• Participate in team meetings, workforce strategy discussions, and Institute-wide initiatives.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree in a relatedfield preferred. A combination of relevant education, training,
• and demonstrated professional experience will be considered.
• Minimum 3 to 5 years of successful experience in job development, employerengagement, workforce placement, business development, or a related field, with demonstrated placement results.
• Demonstrated ability to independently identifyand engage employers, build and manage employer partnerships, and convert relationships into job opportunities, interviews, placements, and repeat hiring.
• Experience in workforce development serving individuals facing significant employment barriers. Direct experience with justice-impacted individuals is strongly preferred.
• Strong knowledge of fair chance hiring and employment barriers affecting people with conviction histories, including background checks, occupational restrictions, employer concerns, and effective employer advocacy.
• Strong understanding of workforce development, career pathways, labor market trends, and strategies that support job placement and retention.
• Strong communication, relationship-building, organization, follow-through, problem-solving, and cross-functional collaboration skills.
• Experience using Salesforce or a similar data system preferred. An established New York City employer network and experience developing opportunities in industries offering family-sustaining wages and career advancement are also preferred.
• Commitment to racial equity, economic mobility, inclusive workforce practices, and expanding employment opportunities for justice-impacted people.

Candidates with lived experience of incarceration or justice involvement are strongly encouraged to apply.

Please include a cover letter and resume when applying. The cover letter should briefly describe the applicant’s experience building employer networks, examples of employers or sectors in which they have successfully developed hiring opportunities, and measurable placement outcomes from prior work.

Finalists may be asked to demonstrate how they would identify, cultivate, and convert employer relationships into actual hires for IJO participants during the first 90 days.

The Institute is committed to fostering a respectful, inclusive workplace and providing equal employment opportunities to all applicants and employees. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color,religion, sex, pregnancy, national origin, age, disability, maritalstatus, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

We value a diverseworkforce and are committed to recruiting, developing, and retaining talented individuals with a wide range of backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives.