ODSP Employment Services and Placement Specialist

About The Career Foundation: The Career Foundation is a dynamic non-profit organization that offers a wide range of employment, training, and HR services to job seekers and employers. Since its inception in 1988, The Career Foundation has steadily expanded its services. Operating out of multiple locations, we now help thousands of people each year successfully accomplish their employment goals. Our team of dedicated professionals has described The Career Foundation as caring, compassionate, innovative, and team-oriented. For more information about us and our services, please visit our website at CareerFoundation.com.

Some of the benefits available to our employees include:

• Competitive compensation
• Employee wellness initiatives
• Paid days off for religious observance purposes
• Paid days off for personal wellness purposes

Program and Role Description:

The Career Foundation’s Disability Employment Services Program is dedicated to supporting job seekers accessing the Ontario government’s Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP). Our program offers comprehensive employment services to these job seekers, including job search assistance, job matching and placement, job coaching, retention support, and more. Employers committed to inclusive hiring can also benefit from our tailored services, such as direct access to skilled job seekers with disabilities, assistance in organizing and hosting community hiring events, and guidance on effectively onboarding and coaching new hires to ensure long-term job retention.

As an ODSP Employment Services and Placement Specialist, you will be an important member of the program team responsible for supporting ODSP clients in securing and maintaining meaningful employment. Your responsibilities will include providing tailored job search assistance, job matching, job development, job carving, coaching, and retention support to your assigned caseload. Additionally, you will build and maintain effective relationships with employers to identify suitable job opportunities for program clients and will be responsible for achieving individual targets assigned to you that contribute to the team’s collective ability to meet all contractual obligations with the program’s government funder.

Position Type:

Full-time (37.5 hours per week), contract until March 31, 2026, with excellent potential to become permanent.

Base Location and Travel Requirements:

This position is based at The Career Foundation’s York office, located near Weston Rd. and Lawrence Ave. W., and requires local travel to employer locations, community partner sites, and other stakeholder locations to fulfill core responsibilities, including community outreach and employer engagement. The successful candidate should have a valid Ontario G driver’s licence and a reliable vehicle to perform essential deliverables of the role. The position also allows for periodic work-from-home days on a rotational basis, contingent on program needs, operational requirements, and performance. The hybrid schedule requires a private work-from-home space with reliable high-speed internet. A company laptop, cell phone, and other necessary equipment will be provided.

Vulnerable Sector Check:

An offer of employment for this opportunity will be contingent on the incumbent providing an acceptable Vulnerable Sector Check (VSC).

Start date:

As soon as possible

Reporting to:

Program Coordinator

Responsibilities include:

Employment Coaching, Wraparound Support, and Case Management

• Serves a caseload of clients, actively monitoring and documenting each client’s needs and progress, and makes adjustments to individualized action plans as needed to successfully achieve employment outcomes.
• Provides solution-based employment coaching and ongoing support to clients in the areas of job search, résumé development, interview preparation, job retention, and other relevant topics to help them achieve successful outcomes.
• Consistently monitors and tracks caseload success rates to achieve individual targets that contribute to the team’s overall objectives and expectations from the program’s funder.
• Assesses and facilitates wraparound and intervention resources required to help clients address and overcome barriers that may prevent them from achieving successful employment outcomes.
• Determines client eligibility for financial supports, administers eligible supports, and ensures proper documentation is on file to support expenditures.
• Provides comprehensive coordination of accommodation supports for clients, ensuring that their specific needs are met to enable full participation in services that lead to employment.
• Conducts timely follow-ups with clients throughout their job search efforts and provides repeat, one-on-one job coaching sessions and support as needed to review goals, address barriers, and ensure clients are making progress toward goals, including facilitating community-based referrals when needed.
• Conducts intakes and completes individualized needs assessments with new clients to establish their eligibility for services and pre-employment needs.
• Collects, organizes, and analyzes new client information through completed needs assessments and other mechanisms to appraise clients’ interests, aptitudes, and abilities to create individualized action plans that lead to successful outcomes.
• Enters and maintains thorough written documentation in online data reporting systems, ensuring that caseload files are up-to-date and ready for file audits.
• Guides and supports clients in completing applications for employment and training opportunities.
• Performs other relevant duties as assigned.

Job Development, Placement, and Retention Support

• Conducts outreach and cold calls to employers and develops strategic, long-term partnerships to create diverse and sustainable employment opportunities for clients in the program.
• Regularly coaches clients on job search activities, including identifying opportunities, effective cold-calling strategies to employers, and networking.
• Leverages job carving and customized employment strategies to align job roles with clients’ unique skills and abilities.
• Matches clients to suitable roles by leveraging employer relationships and advertised job openings, ensuring alignment with their qualifications and goals.
• Negotiates and manages placement and incentive agreements, while ensuring compliance with program guidelines.
• Provides on-the-job coaching and support, accompanying clients during their initial days in a new job to facilitate a smooth transition and build their confidence in the workplace.
• Develops and oversees on-the-job training plans, conducting follow-ups with clients and employers to ensure expectations are met and identifying areas for improvement.
• Develops individualized retention plans for clients, including goal setting, skill development, and workplace integration strategies to support long-term success.
• Provides comprehensive retention support through regular check-ins with clients and employers, addressing challenges promptly and collaboratively.
• Works with employers to implement inclusive onboarding processes and workplace accommodations tailored to clients’ needs.
• Provides one-on-one sessions for clients to address topics such as workplace conflict resolution, time management, and career progression.
• Utilizes digital systems and technologies provided by The Career Foundation to further support program participants in achieving successful outcomes.
• Acts as a mediator, as needed, between clients and employers to resolve workplace issues and foster productive relationships.
• Collaborates with clients to build skills that enhance job stability, such as stress management, workplace communication, and adaptability to changing job demands.
• Works collaboratively with team members to develop innovative job development strategies and retention solutions to enhance client success rates.
• Performs other relevant duties as assigned.

Qualifications/ Skills Required:

• Post-secondary degree or diploma in a field of study relevant to the responsibilities of the position (e.g., Disability Studies, Social Services, Psychology) is highly preferred, or an equivalent combination of education and experience is required.
• Minimum of 2 years’ direct experience in employment services, including job coaching, vocational counselling and job development, or other directly transferable experience, such as recruitment, is required.
• Experience serving individuals with disabilities is highly preferred. Candidates with this experience will be prioritized.
• Valid Ontario G driver’s licence and a vehicle to conduct essential work-related travel within the GTHA to meet the core deliverables of the position.
• Existing network of employers that can be relied upon to provide employment opportunities for program participants is a strong asset.
• Ability to effectively apply sales principles to generate job leads and conduct cold calls to employers.
• Exceptional relationship-building skills with a proven ability to develop rapport with people from all stakeholder groups.
• Proven track record in a results-driven environment with experience meeting assigned targets.
• Professional and courteous approach to client service, with a high level of respect for the diversity of the people served.
• High emotional intelligence, demonstrating patience, empathy, and connectivity when working with participants of various experiences, needs, and abilities.
• Excellent verbal and written English communication skills. Bilingualism is considered an asset.
• Exceptional customer service skills and the ability to uphold the organization’s service standards, policies, and core values.
• High ethics and confidentiality standards, with proven experience maintaining sensitive information and exhibiting tact, diplomacy, and good judgment.
• Excellent time management and organizational skills, with the ability to multi-task to meet deadlines and achieve targets and objectives.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, PowerPoint, Excel) and Office 365 applications, including Teams and SharePoint. Must possess the aptitude and willingness to learn and work with new online systems and technologies.
• Willingness to occasionally work outside of normal business hours when needed to meet the needs of clients and the program.
• Dedicated work ethic with demonstrated ability to remain flexible and resilient, adapting quickly to changing priorities while maintaining trust and positive working relationships.

The Career Foundation’s Commitment:

The Career Foundation is committed to diversity and inclusion and aims to create a healthy and rewarding environment for all. We welcome applications from qualified individuals who represent the diversity of the people we proudly serve, including, but not limited to, visible minorities, women, persons with disabilities, Indigenous peoples, and individuals of all genders and sexual orientation. The Career Foundation, in accordance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA), is also committed to accommodating applicants with disabilities throughout the recruitment process. We will work with candidates requesting accommodation at any stage of the hiring process.