Placement Specialist / Coach, Indigenous Community Relations

About The Career Foundation: The Career Foundation is a dynamic non-profit organization and registered charity that offers a wide range of employment, training, and workforce development services to job seekers and employers. Since its inception in 1988, The Career Foundation has steadily expanded its services. Operating out of seven locations in the Greater Toronto Hamilton Area, as well as offices in British Columbia, Alberta, and Nova Scotia, we now help thousands of people each year successfully achieve 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.

Program and Role Description: The Career Foundation’s Youth Thrive program operates both regionally and nationally, offering youth a variety of activities such as professional skills workshops, a virtual retreat, and volunteer placements. These opportunities help youth participants gain valuable skills and experiences, engage in important community projects, and promote civic engagement and social inclusion. Our national Youth Thrive program is available to youth aged 16 to 30 living in Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta, or Nova Scotia, while our regional Youth Thrive program serves eligible youth living in Ontario. Both programs particularly focus on youth who identify as Indigenous or are underserved from equity-deserving groups.

In the position of Placement Specialist/Coach, Indigenous Community Relations with our national Youth Thrive program based in Toronto, you will be responsible for establishing and maintaining relationships with Indigenous non-profit organizations in multiple sectors and developing meaningful volunteer opportunities for Indigenous and underserved youth. You will work directly with Indigenous and underserved youth to help them understand the expectations and requirements of Indigenous non-profit organizations and what it takes to be successful in their volunteer roles. You will have an assigned caseload of Indigenous youth and mentors with placement targets to achieve that contribute to the team’s collective ability to meet all contractual obligations with the program’s funder.

Position Type:
Full-time (37.5 hours per week) one-year contract with excellent potential to lead to permanent.

Starting Salary:
The starting annual salary for this position is $57,000.00 (or $58k if the successful candidate holds a master’s degree, full bilingualism in French, or full proficiency in Sign Language).

Base Location and Travel Requirements:
This opportunity is based at our North York office, located near Lawrence Ave. W. & Allen Rd. The position requires regular on-site work from the office, as well as frequent local travel to employer sites, community partner locations, and other stakeholder sites to meet the core outreach and placement deliverables of the position, including to remote areas that are not accessible by transit. The successful candidate should possess a valid Ontario G driver’s licence and a reliable vehicle to effectively meet these core deliverables. The position also operates under a hybrid-remote schedule, permitting one work-from-home day per week, 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 equipment will be provided.

Please note that the work schedule for this position requires flexibility and availability to work some evening hours and occasional weekends to meet the needs of the program.

Vacancy Status:
This posting is for an existing vacancy.

Start:
As soon as possible

Reporting to:
Program Coordinator

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

Use of Artificial Intelligence:
Artificial intelligence (AI) is not currently used to screen, assess, or select applicants at any stage of the hiring process.

Responsibilities include:

Indigenous Community Partner Outreach, Relationship Building, and Volunteer Development

• Contacts non-profit organizations, with an emphasis on Indigenous organizations, to promote The Career Foundation’s national Youth Thrive program and develops new relationships with organizations in various industries each week.
• Places youth clients, with an emphasis on Indigenous youth, into volunteer opportunities by matching them with advertised and non-advertised civic engagement-oriented roles, including opportunities developed through establishing effective relationships with non-profit partners.
• Supports Indigenous non-profits in identifying volunteer opportunities and projects that youth can engage in to help the organization address public concerns and promote meaningful change within the community, in alignment with its mission and values.
• Conducts on-site visits at non-profit partner facilities to ensure they provide suitable and safe workplace environments.
• Negotiates and administers placement training plans with non-profits and appropriately matches youths’ skills with volunteer requirements.
• Consistently monitors and tracks personal success rates to achieve individual targets that contribute to the team’s overall objectives.
• Conducts outreach and engages Indigenous mentors who can guide youth and ensure successful placements.
• Arranges guest speakers to educate youth clients on civic engagement, the non-profit sector, volunteer opportunities, volunteer expectations, and other information supporting their successful outcomes.
• Maintains accurate and up-to-date documentation on all volunteer development activities, including interviews, volunteer vacancies, placements arranged, and other support activities.
• Works in collaboration with fellow team members to plan, execute, and continuously monitor effective outreach plans to recruit youth, mentors, and non-profits, and maintain up-to-date records of outreach efforts.
• Plans and participates in community events, hiring fairs, and related activities to promote The Career Foundation’s services.
• Enters and maintains thorough written documentation in online data reporting systems, ensuring that caseload files are up-to-date and ready for file audits.
• Performs other relevant duties as assigned.

Youth Placement and Retention Coaching

• Provides coaching and support to help Indigenous youth overcome barriers to completing volunteer projects.
• Guides youths’ volunteer search and coaches them at each step to ensure their placement success.
• Serves as a resource to youth and non-profit partners to mediate issues if they arise and provide other supports that lead to retention and successful volunteer completion.
• Delivers group workshops or coaching to help with youths’ skills development.
• Provides individual coaching to youth participants, helping them apply skills learned through workshops, and conducts project-specific interview preparation with each participant.
• Coaches youth during their volunteer placements to overcome learning and integration obstacles.
• Works with mentors to support youth in maximizing these civic engagement opportunities.
• Monitors youth to ensure the success of their volunteer projects and ensures they receive the support they need.
• Utilizes digital systems and technologies provided by The Career Foundation to further support youth participants with achieving successful outcomes.
• Performs other relevant duties as assigned.

Qualifications/ Skills Required:

• Have a connection to an Indigenous community, identify as an Indigenous person, and/or have a history of lived experience.
• A proven understanding of Indigenous cultural, educational, political, and economic contexts.
• Must have knowledge of reconciliation processes and practices.
• Previous experience working or volunteering with Indigenous youth is an asset.
• Post-secondary degree or diploma in marketing, business, or human/social services is highly preferred, or an equivalent combination of education and experience is required.
• Minimum of 2 years of direct experience in community outreach, marketing, sales, recruitment, or other experience directly transferable to the responsibilities of the position is required.
• Ontario G driver’s licence and a reliable vehicle to conduct essential work-related travel to effectively meet the core requirements of the position, including to remote areas.
• Excellent verbal and written English communication skills. Bilingualism is considered an asset.
• Proven track record in a results-driven environment with experience meeting assigned targets.
• Exceptional relationship-building skills with a proven ability to develop rapport with people from all stakeholder groups.
• High emotional intelligence, demonstrating patience, empathy, and connectivity when working with youth of various experiences, needs, and abilities.
• Knowledge of current labour market trends, job search techniques, and youth employment research methods is considered an asset.
• Professional and courteous approach to client service, with a high level of respect for the diversity of the people served.
• 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 multitask to meet deadlines and achieve targets and objectives.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and Office 365 applications, including MS Teams and SharePoint. Must possess the aptitude and willingness to learn and work with new online systems and technologies.
• Willingness and flexibility to work occasional evening and weekend hours to meet the requirements of 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.