Job Coach/Employment Specialists - Altoona, PA

Job Coach/Employment Specialist

Altoona, PA Area

Position Type & Compensation:

Type: Full-Time, Hourly (Grant-Funded Position through September 30, 2027)

Pay Rate: $20.00 / hour

Location:

Sheetz Distribution Center (Claysburg / Blair County, PA), Community-based settings

Achieva, an organization that advocates for, empowers, and supports people with disabilities and their families throughout their lives, seeks a dynamic, innovative professional to serve as a Job Coach/Employment Specialist. This position will report to the Associate Director of Business Services.

Achieva’s Employment Supports department matches workers with disabilities to gainful employment opportunities that correspond with their skills and interests; establishes relationships with businesses to assist them in becoming more inclusive as an employer of people with disabilities; and actively seeks to grow the footprint and impact of the services offered.

At Achieva, we view employment as a cornerstone of living a life of personal significance. As such, supporting the employment of people with disabilities is key to our mission, and our single focus toward that goal is the achievement of competitive-integrated employment (CIE), which means paying workers with disabilities competitive wages, assisting them to find and keep typical jobs in the community where they are integrated with coworkers with and without disabilities, and supporting them to maximize their fullest potential. We do not support the payment of subminimum wages to people with disabilities or the use of congregate facilities to prepare someone for CIE.

Position Overview:  

The Job Coach/Employment Specialist is employed by Achieva and works closely with the Sheetz Distribution Center and the community to provide targeted employment support and services for people with disabilities. In this role, you will promote inclusion and assist individuals in becoming independent, productive employees. Your time will be split between on-site support at the Sheetz Distribution Center and community-based support to facilitate person-centered planning. This position reports directly to Achieva’s Associate Director of Business Services and works closely with the Inclusion Liaison at Sheetz.

Key Responsibilities:

• Facilitate work assessments and job trials to evaluate job seekers' interests and abilities.
• Provide job shadowing opportunities to help job seekers explore potential career paths.
• Assist participants with job discovery, application submission, and onboarding.
• Deliver direct job coaching and ongoing employment support.
• Promote sustainable, competitive-integrated employment by building and maintaining strong relationships with the host employer.
• Facilitate participant team meetings and coordinate with various provider agencies and community resources.
• Represent the organization at local employment symposiums and job fairs.
• Promote inclusion and expand awareness of employment supports and services.
• Responsibilities and activities may adjust over time based on program needs.

Qualifications & Requirements:

Education & Experience:

• High school diploma (or equivalent) and at least one (1) year of related experience supporting individuals with disabilities on a 1-on-1 basis toward competitive employment.

Skills:  

• Strong business insight to understand employer needs, experience assessing job performance, excellent interpersonal communication, and strong computer literacy.

Certifications:  

• Must hold or obtain one of the following within six (6) months of hire (training and certification costs fully covered by Achieva):
• Certified Employment Support Professional (CESP) credential from AP.
• ACRE Basic or Professional Employment Services Certificate of Achievement.

Additional Requirements:

• Schedule flexibility, including occasional evenings, weekends, or holidays as needed.
• Valid Pennsylvania Driver’s License and an insured, reliable vehicle for daily work travel.
• Satisfactory completion of Act 33, Act 34, and FBI background clearances.

Benefits:

• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance with low employee monthly contributions and low deductibles.
• Company-paid Term Life, Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D), and Long-Term Disability insurance.
• 403(b) Retirement Plan (with employer contributions after 1 year of service, regardless of employee contribution).
• Generous Paid Time Off (PTO) and paid holiday schedule.
• Healthcare and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA).
• Voluntary Life and Supplemental Long-Term Disability options.
• Monthly phone stipend and mileage reimbursement.
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP).

Achieva is an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer (EOE). All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, veteran status, or genetic information. Achieva is committed to providing access, equal opportunity and reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities in employment, its services, programs, and activities. To request a reasonable accommodation, contact our Human Resources Department at View phone number on click.appcast.io, or email View email address on click.appcast.io .