Career Navigator

Location: National/Remote; Baton Rouge, Louisiana/ Newark, NJ Preferred

Application deadline: May 12, 2023

About Us

Our country's education and workforce systems are inequitable, failing to meet the needs of our most marginalized citizens. Historically, workforce education has led to low-wage jobs disconnected from ongoing higher education, which has created significant barriers for career advancement. At the same time, traditional higher education has increasingly become unaffordable for Americans from lower-income backgrounds while also lacking direct connection to the labor market. The consequences of these systemic failures are dire.

At Propel America, we believe a better system should and can exist. We believe high school graduates shouldn't have to choose between forestalling income and accruing significant debt while pursuing a traditional college degree or forestalling education and mobility for low-wage, entry-level work with few opportunities for advancement. Propel is building that better system - a Jobs-First Higher Education - that allows young adults from low-income backgrounds to access an affordable and efficient pathway to a good job that serves as a springboard to a choice-filled life.

By working backward from the needs of established employer partners, Propel America:

• Partners with employers to assess talent needs, create relevant training programs, and hire diverse, local talent for their in-demand roles.
• Recruits, guides, and supports young adults (18-24 years old), particularly those from low-income backgrounds, through a blended, technology-enabled career accelerator inclusive of a suite of products and supports (including career exploration, cohort learning, one-on-one coaching, etc) to ensure fellows have what they need to be successful in their job interview, persist in the workforce, and a plan for ongoing education and career advancement.
• Partners with training and higher education organizations to offer in-demand credentials that allow young adults to earn college credits

To learn more about Propel America, please visit https://www.propelamerica.org.

The Opportunity

Propel is looking for a Career Navigator who will lead our core body of work preparing young adults with the durable skills necessary for thriving in the world of work. The Career Navigator will work with fellows asynchronously and synchronously through in-person and virtual facilitation to get them ready to enter and thrive in new jobs. The Navigator will also own delivery of a suite of career services supports available to fellows and alumni once they are working. A detailed description of roles and responsibilities is listed below:

Own the durable skill development for cohorts of young adults as they get ready to enter the workforce

• Facilitate fellow learning and mastery of Propel competencies and “Hire Ready” durable skills through a combination of synchronous and asynchronous learning experiences;
• Track fellow progress in synchronous and asynchronous coursework towards meeting durable skill development milestones;
• Assess fellows in their durable skill competency growth over the course of their fellowship and program, inclusive of synchronous and asynchronous assessments;
• Identify, develop, and support in the delivery of individual support plans for fellows who are not meeting durable skill development milestones;
• Gather data from program stakeholders (employer partner site managers, training partner instructors and support staff, Propel program staff) ensure that fellows are “Hire Ready” and on a path towards obtaining and persisting in a job;

Facilitate synchronous professional development and cohort based programming

• Lead and facilitate Propel's durable skills curriculum and bootcamps to ensure that the programmatic implementation aligns with the organizational mission and vision;
• Deliver synchronous cohort sessions using Propel's best-in-class curriculum;
• Customize curriculum to ensure it is relevant to the specific healthcare pathway and responsive to the needs of fellows, including but not limited to: uplifting real world topics and lived experiences, collaborating with local community, training, and employer partners, and reflecting on one's cultural lens in order to recognize and redress bias;
• Customize and lead in-person “Hire Ready” Skills Labs for fellows to practice and show growth in durable skills;
• Support the ongoing evaluation and refinement of our durable skills curriculum by regularly reviewing fellow data and performance throughout the fellowship;
• Build community virtually (and in person where possible) among fellows to build networks;

Lead career services supports for fellows and alumna

• Responsible for ensuring Propel fellows get hired at the conclusion of their training;
• Manage asynchronous and synchronous resources and content for fellows who need career services support while working (ex. negotiating a raise, preparation for a performance review, job search support, interview guidance);
• Track and monitor supports distributed to working fellows and alumna;
• Analyze feedback from employer partners on fellow job performance to identify additional durable skill development needed for on the job success;
• Provide asynchronous and synchronous support and guidance as needed on durable skill development for working fellows;

Leverage technology for impact

• Input and track data from all fellow interactions and activities inclusive of 1:1 meetings, professional development cohort sessions, fellow performance assessments, fellow interactions with other program staff;
• Track weekly fellow progress towards durable skill development and “hire ready” status to determine needed supports;
• Use technology platforms (ex. Mainstay, Zoom, Campaign Monitor) to communicate with fellows.
• Develop and implement data-based short-term and long-term strategies to meet cohort and individual learner needs and goals;
• Continuously reflect on outcomes to increase impact, with an eye toward a positive fellow experience and scalability.

Preferred Qualifications

• 5+ years of professional experience as a counselor, career services staff, coach, teacher, trainer or other relevant experience;
• Experience with or passion for supporting young people across diverse backgrounds to succeed in college and careers;
• Experience with effective virtual facilitation, which includes:
  • High energy
  • Effective use of frequent and numerous engagement strategies
  • Rapid instructional and coaching decision-making
  • Effective use of multiple community & culture-building strategies
  • Ability to maximize engagement and participation of 30+ young adults;
• Proven track record of using relevant technology and/or strong interest in learning new technology including Zoom, Salesforce, Google Suite, and learning management systems (LMS);
• Exceptional facilitation, interpersonal, and communication skills for a broad range of audiences;
• Ability to read and interpret complex information, and define quantitative/qualitative problems, collect data, and draw valid conclusions;
• Ability to work flexible hours (e.g. nights and weekends) as necessary;
• Commitment to Propel America's mission, vision, and core values
• Experience or knowledge of healthcare career pathways preferred.

Compensation

The salary for this position is between $61,600-$72,200 annually. We consider candidate experience and location when determining where a candidate may fall within that range. Propel America offers a competitive total rewards package including coverage of 90% of health insurance premiums, unlimited PTO, 401k contribution up to 5% of base salary, and a flexible work environment.

Interested in applying?

Please submit your application here.The application deadline to apply for this position is May 12, 2023. After this date we do not guarantee review of submissions.

Propel America is an equal-opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

We encourage candidates from historically underrepresented backgrounds to apply.