Outreach & Community Partnership Specialist

About Us:  

JVS is a non-profit, non-sectarian agency. Our mission is to empower individuals from diverse communities to find employment and build careers and to partner with employers to hire, develop and retain productive workforces.

JVS provides a broad range of services including adult education, skills training, job readiness training, job placement and support, and access to post-secondary education. JVS assists employers in their search for well-qualified job applicants and their initiatives to upgrade the skills of their incumbent workforce.

About the Opportunity:  

Under the direction of the Lead Career Coach, the Outreach and Community Partnership Specialist (OCPS) is responsible for cultivating and maintaining relationships with community partners and engaging with members of our target communities with a dual goal of recruiting for JVS programs and creating strategic partnerships with organizations that provide social services needed by our participants. This position focuses primarily on outreach and partnership development, including representing JVS at job and skills training fairs, other tabling opportunities, and community events. The role also includes barrier removal support, helping individuals navigate challenges such as food insecurity, housing instability, childcare access, and utility costs. In addition to partnerships, the OCPS will build knowledge and resources to connect coaches and clients to the services they need to remove barriers to successful program participation and completion. The Outreach and Community Partnership Specialist manages a portfolio of partnerships and works to increase the organizations’ involvement with JVS in the form of referrals to JVS programs. They also work directly with JVS coaches and clients to connect them with the barrier removal services that they seek.

Essential Functions, Skills and Knowledge 

·       Build and maintain strong relationships with community-based organizations (CBOs), local government organizations, and other partners to support outreach and recruitment efforts.

·       Serve as the primary point of contact for outreach partners through regular communication (e.g., meetings, calls, emails) and active participation in community events.

·       Represent JVS at job fairs, skills training fairs, and other public events by staffing tables, distributing program materials and swag, assisting potential clients with the Universal Intake Form, and answering questions about JVS services, including regular evening and weekend events.

·       Deliver presentations at CBOs, schools, and community gatherings to promote JVS programs and build awareness of available services.

·       Collaborate with coaches and program teams to identify outreach needs and develop strategies for engaging new partners and communities.

·       Stay up to date on JVS programs, and seek out feedback from program teams to aid in developing new partnerships and improving referral systems

·       Maintain reciprocal referral relationships with community partners who provide needed services and serve populations aligned with JVS’s recruitment needs.

·       Connect coaches and clients to resources and partner organizations, occasionally working 1:1 with clients to help with barrier removal.

·       Promote the mission and values of JVS in all external interactions and represent the agency with professionalism and enthusiasm.

·       Work effectively with other programs and administrative staff to coordinate outreach efforts and share insights.

·       Troubleshoot unsuccessful referrals and make system adjustments when possible.

·       Seek out and develop new partners for emerging service needs.

·       Ensure all key data is entered into relevant data tracking systems is accurate and complete. 

·       Generate strategy and solutions in response to unforeseen and planned changes, setbacks, and challenges.   

·       All partner organizations, including their contacts, and all interactions with them are entered into Salesforce within 48 hours.

·       Using provided rubric, all partner organizations are leveled and ideas of how to move partners up a level are shared with Lead Career Coach.

·       Communicate regularly with coaches about open barrier removal cases, and track all interactions in Salesforce.

·       Communicate effectively verbally and in writing with compassion and professionalism. 

·       Participate in meetings, in-service training, team-based projects, committees. 

·       Communicate regularly with Supervisor to ensure smooth delivery of services. 

·       Exercise discretion in handling confidential information. 

·       Perform other duties as assigned or requested. 

Education and Experience Required 

·       Bachelor’s Degree in Communications, Business/Marketing, Human Resources, Human services, social work, Education, or related field, or equivalent (4 years) experience 

·       1-3+ years of community engagement experience, ideally in the Greater Boston area

·       Bilingual, bicultural preferred

·     Flexible evening and weekend availability (1-3 evenings or weekend days/week) required

·       Working knowledge of adult education, social service and/or workforce development organizations in the Greater Boston area preferred

·       Excellent relationship building skills, including the ability to interact with a diverse range of colleagues

·       Excellent customer service skills and ability to interact with and assist a multi-cultural customer base, including those with low levels of English proficiency and limited educational backgrounds 

·       Demonstrated success in partnership building

·       Demonstrated success in performance tracking, maintaining a contact database, or similar

·       Proficiency in Microsoft 365 suite

·       Ability to work independently and as part of a team 

Competencies  

·       Accountability and Results Focused 

·       Adapting to Change

·       Building Relationship, Collaboration and Teamwork

·       Cultural Competency and Respect

·       Communication Skills

·       Initiative

·       Planning and Organizing

·       Promotes External Relations

·       Provides Exceptional Customer Service

Position Type and Expected Hours of Work 

Regular local travel (1-3 days/week) is expected. Flexible evening and weekend availability required. Remote work eligible on days with no in-person events. 

Work Environment 

This job operates in an office and professional environment. This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers and filing cabinets. This job will regularly be required to travel to partner organizations and community events in the Greater Boston Area

Physical Demands 

·       Sitting

·       Standing

·       Speaking

·       Attendance 

·       Carrying up to 15 pounds

Other Duties 

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice. 

JVS is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. Qualified minorities, women, veterans, sexual orientation, and people with disabilities are encouraged to apply. 

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform 

Please be sure to include a cover letter with your submission.