POSITION OVERVIEW:
The Boston Public Health Commission works to protect, promote, and preserve the health and wellbeing of all Boston residents, particularly the most vulnerable. Since 1984, Commission’s Homeless Services Bureau, has been a leader in serving the city’s most vulnerable homeless individuals through emergency shelter, workforce supports, and housing services. Utilizing a Housing First framework and working to ensure that homelessness in the city of Boston is rare, brief, and one-time, the Commission works to quickly house individuals experiencing homelessness and then provides in-home, community-based stabilization to ensure that individuals do not return to homelessness.
The Career Center Manager is responsible for the development and supervision of the Bureau’s vocational rehabilitation and workforce development activities via the Career Center and Serving Ourselves programs. Serving Ourselves (SOS) provides paid job training, life skills development and comprehensive social services to homeless adults in the City of Boston. These efforts are supported through the programming of the Career Center where participants receive case management services to support their income maximization and educational/professional goals and assure that participants have identified pathways out of shelter. Additionally, the Career Center provides individual training, group classroom instruction, and referrals to community-based education and employment resources to increase job readiness.
DUTIES:
- Manages the development and implementation of training efforts for the SOS Career Center. This includes curricula design and evaluation of individual and group educational and life skill trainings, and basic job readiness skills trainings such as resume writing, interviewing, and career counseling.
- Provides direct supervision to Case Managers, Employment Coordinator, Career Center staff and volunteers, and other staff as assigned including recruitment, training, and evaluation of work performance.
- Oversees provision of case management and supportive services to program participants, including but not limited to the development and management of Individual Service Plans.
- Collaborates with shelter leadership to supervise and manage the work product and activities of the Work Rehabilitation Coordinators/Assistant Coordinators.
- Works in multi-disciplinary team approach with work rehabilitation supervisors and other managers to create a supportive work/training environment for client workers. Manages the tracking and issuing of Corrective Action for all SOS client workers.
- Promotes the principles of Housing First throughout the Career Center, ensures clients served by SOS have a housing plan and provide supportive services to those already housed.
- Organizes and facilitates weekly meetings for all case managers, career center staff and work rehabilitation supervisors to discuss status of program participants.
- Works closely with Program Administrator regarding all aspects of SOS program operations, including but not limited to program design and development, personnel management, and other confidential matters.
- Ensures compliance with funding requirements and monitors achievement of program goals.
- Responsible for management of data collection systems, including but not limited to ETO
- Develops job placement opportunities with community employers through existing and new partnerships with other non-profit, private sector and municipal agencies.
- Serves as representative and liaison to Access to Employment Network and other collaborations including representing the Bureau on City wide leadership team.
- Proactively seeks new grant and funding opportunities to expand the Career Center.
- Uses independent judgment and discretion to make decisions affecting the department and staff as it relates to unit operations/services and BPHC policy. Makes and recommends management and personnel decisions for, including but not limited to promotion, transfer and assignment of staff, and imposition of discipline.
- Perform other duties as required
Qualifications
- Master’s degree OR Bachelor’s degree plus a minimum of 2 years related work experience OR 6 years related work experience.
- Supervisory experience required.
- Solid understanding and knowledge of vocational rehabilitation initiatives.
- Knowledge of workforce development, job readiness and labor market practices.
- Experience and background in adult education and training preferred.
- Previous experience working with homeless, diverse ethnic racial and low-income populations with understanding of mental health, substance use disorder and recovery issues helpful.
