The mission of the International Institute of New England (IINE) is to create opportunities for refugees and immigrants to succeed through resettlement, education, career advancement and pathways to citizenship. One of the oldest and largest human services organizations for New Americans in the region, IINE serves more than 9,000 people each year in Boston and Lowell, Massachusetts, and Manchester, New Hampshire. Our programs include case management, youth and family services, English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), employment and skills training, and immigration legal services.

A dynamic, forward-looking, and rapidly growing non-profit organization, we seek well-qualified, solutions-focused candidates who are experts in their respective fields. Successful candidates will join a committed team of professional staff and volunteers who are devoted to welcoming and serving new Americans.

Overview

The role of the Career Navigator is to provide intensive employment and case management to refugees and immigrants to help them achieve their career goals and identify sustainable career pathways. The Career Navigator assists clients with workforce orientations, soft skills development, coaching and job placement. The position will develop curriculum, instruct courses, and ensure clients successfully complete their participation in skills training programming. The Career Navigator will conduct outreach initiatives to produce participant leads and will support employer placement relationships.

Position: Career Navigator

• Department: Skills Training
• Reports to: Associate Director, Workforce Development
• Supervises: N/A
• Status: Non-Exempt, Full-Time
• Location: Lowell, MA
• Position Format: Hybrid
• Pay: $25.25/hour

Benefits:

Full-time employees will be eligible for all benefits including Personal Time Off (PTO), sick days, and twelve paid holidays. You may participate in all benefit programs that IINE establishes and makes available to eligible employees, under (and subject to all provisions of) the plan documents that govern those programs. Currently, IINE offers medical, dental and vision. Company-paid life insurance, company-paid short-term disability (STD), long term disability (LTD), accidental death and dismemberment and disability coverage, Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA), other benefits including 403(b) with company match plan(s) pursuant to the terms and conditions of company policy and the 403(b)-plan document. Other perks such as discounts through our vision plan, fitness reimbursement and more.

Responsibilities

• Provide recruitment, assessment, teaching, and placement services to clients in IINE- skills training programs.
• Recruit program participants through presentations at career centers, community-based organizations, and training vendor fairs.
• Work with clients to develop individualized plans for both short-term and long-term career development using clients’ previously acquired knowledge, skills, and experience. Facilitate access to education, training, test preparation courses, and credential reviews as needed.
• Assess applicants’ eligibility for training programs by verifying work authorization documents, calculating annual income, and administering written and oral English tests.
• Develop and revise curricula for in-house training programs, create lesson plans, and assess lesson plan success.
• Teach in-house training program classes, prepare classroom materials, and evaluate student progress. For each instructional cycle, maintain 90% or higher participant program completion.
• Provide job readiness counseling, job coaching for clients upon their completion of training program courses.
• Place all program graduates with area employers according to contract requirements.
• Provide post-placement support services to ensure job retention and record any changes in employment status.
• Coordinate with community partners in external referrals to ensure a smooth transition into supplemental services.
• Work closely with the Associate Director of Workforce Initiatives to develop and maintain employer partnerships with industry partners through outreach initiatives via telephone, email, and in person to identify and grow suitable employment opportunities for clients.
• Coordinate employer job shadowing opportunities.
• Maintain weekly case records in accordance with Institute guidelines and funding requirements on all services provided.
• Provide ongoing support and supervision to workforce development interns and volunteers.
• Attend staff meetings.
• Perform all other duties assigned by supervisor.

Required Skills/Abilities

• Best Plus and TABE language assessment certification and testing experience preferred.
• Strong counseling skills required.
• Strong computer skills required.
• Excellent organizational, verbal, written, and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to prioritize duties in a fast-paced environment.
• Proficiency in additional languages a plus.
• Extremely well organized, detail oriented, flexible, and able to manage multiple tasks simultaneously.
• Ability to work under pressure and remain calm and composed under stressful situations.
• Ability to work collaboratively with staff, clients, service providers and others.
• Ability to evaluate/interpret information and make good and independent judgements or decisions.
• Candidate must have dedication to the human rights of refugees, immigrants, and asylees.
• Access to reliable transportation.

Education & Experience

• Bachelor’s Degree in Human Services, Counseling, Education, or related field preferred
• Minimum of 2 years of related experience in job development and/or employer engagement preferred.
• Minimum of 1 year of adult teaching or tutoring experience, preferably with immigrant populations preferred.
• Experience in curricula design preferred.

Work Environment Conditions

• Occasional travel to IINE Offices
• Occasional travel to client homes and surrounding towns
• Seldomly night and weekends events and work
• Exposure to bright, overhead office lighting, use of office technology such as laptops, printers, mail machines, and other in-office equipment.

Physical Demands

• Occasional lifting, pushing, and pulling materials (boxes, equipment) of 50 pounds or more.
• Continuous sitting (or standing) at a desk for long periods of time.
• Occasional driving to and from IINE offices as needed.

Covid-19 Policy

IINE does not require applicants for most positions to show proof of Covid-19. Some federal contracts, however, require IINE staff to show proof of Covid-19 vaccination, and some immigration status adjustments, such as a Green Card, require proof of Covid-19 vaccination as well. Consequently, for some positions, IINE staff may be required to show proof of vaccination, and in others, IINE staff will be supporting clients who are required by law to have proof of vaccination in order to adjust their status in the United States.

US Work Eligibility Notice

This position requires lawful authorization to work in the United States, and IINE is unable to provide visa sponsorship in connection with this.