Workforce development Advocate - San Francisco

What We Do: New Door Ventures prepares young people (ages 17-24) from the culturally rich communities of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose for work and life. Through our three programs (Employment, Education, and Career Services), we provide dedicated support and a safe space for young people to explore career opportunities and build the skills and confidence they need to achieve economic mobility.

To serve our San Francisco Employment Program we are currently hiring a Workforce Development Advocate.

How We Show Up: Our values-Respect, Trust, Collaboration, Learning, and Innovation-guide everything we do. We are committed to fostering an inclusive and supportive community where young people feel valued, empowered, and equipped with the skills and opportunities to succeed. Our Workforce Development Advocates lead with compassion for the youth we serve and hold a strong belief in their ability to secure and sustain high quality employment as a pathway to economic mobility.

About the Job: The Workforce Advocate (WDA) provides supportive services, advocacy, and life and job skills training to participants with the goal of supporting them to attach to future employment. In addition to supportive services, collaboration with the Business Partnerships team, and community outreach, the WDA will demonstrate knowledge of youth workforce development. The goal of this position is to provide intensive individual supportive services management to participants, encourage a programmatic culture that values the development of relationships among youth, peers, and the people supporting them, and lead with initiative and a continuous improvement lens.

A current Workforce Development Advocate described their work and role as:

"What I like about working at New Door is that I get the opportunity to give back to the next generation of my city and see some of myself in the youth we serve. I benefitted a lot from mentorship and seeing that from the other side has been humbling."

This position is salaried non-exempt and is located primarily on-site at New Door's San Francisco location. New Door Ventures employs a hybrid work location policy, with a 3:2 office/remote cadence. Office space is open-plan and shared with a respectful team.

Who You Are: If you thrive in a mission-driven environment where relationships matter, diversity of thought is valued, new ideas are encouraged, teamwork is expected, and growth is supported, you'll find a lot of synergy with New Door's ethos.

What Success Looks Like: Our ideal candidate will be a superior communicator who has a high degree of knowledge about the work, is self-motivated, accountable, and demonstrates effective social-emotional intelligence. They should be comfortable working in a collaborative and innovative work environment, demonstrate superior interpersonal skills, and a commitment to advancing economic mobility for opportunity youth. They will report to the San Francisco Employment Program Manager.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Supportive Services - 50%

Provide intensive individual supportive services to program participants such as referrals to organizations that provide housing support, cash benefits, mental health services, legal services, etc.

Develop and maintain a network of these referral sources

Assess client needs and develop appropriate strategies for them to pursue meaningful goals, particularly related to employment attainment

Organize activities and maintain practices that encourage the development of positive relationships

Maintain a presence and availability among clients served by New Door

• Cross-Functional Collaboration - 25%

• Develop and maintain relationships with internal Business Partnerships team members, and external site supervisors who support our internship experiences

• Engage in solutions-focused approaches to these relationships

• Empower participants to learn the skills they need to be successful at their internship site, as well as problem-solving skills essential to continued employment

• Community Outreach and Referral Partner Relationships - 10%

• Create and maintain networks among youth in the neighborhoods New Door serves

• Support the recruitment of opportunity youth into New Door programs

• Engage with other youth-serving San Francisco organizations to secure the best possible outcomes for clients

• Promote the agency and our programs to interested parties and potential investors

Secondary Responsibilities:

• Workshop Support - 10%

• Intake Assessments - 5%

Preferred Qualifications & Skills:

• 3+ years' experience in vocational training for transition age youth, adult education, or similar settings, preferably in youth employment or workforce program settings.

• Superior youth engagement and relationship management skills

• Knowledge of local and national trends in youth employment, re-engagement, and support services, including evolving best practices in workforce and youth development practices.

• Knowledge / experience / familiarity of the communities to which New Door delivers programming.

• Experience with trauma-informed work and an awareness of not only self-care needs, but how to care for colleagues and clients

• An organized and strategic thinker who is comfortable with oversight and project management and holds high attention to detail.

• Demonstrable knowledge of conflict resolution and restorative practices.

• A self-starter with strong problem-solving skills.

• Ability to use appropriate computer and reporting systems including Windows operating system, Microsoft Office Suite, and Outlook (Apricot or Salesforce knowledge a plus).

• The equivalent of, or a Bachelor's degree (or higher) in a related area to social services