Urban Strategies Employee Support Specialist

TITLE: Employee Support Specialist
REPORTS TO: Director of Social Enterprise
LOCATION: San Francisco, CA
BACKGROUND: Urban Strategies is a 501(c) 3 corporation founded in 1978. The mission of Urban Strategies is to empower residents in distressed urban core neighborhoods to lead healthy, prosperous lives in thriving, self-sustaining communities. Urban Strategies plans and implements Human Capital building strategies designed to end the physical, social and economic isolation of obsolete and distressed communities.
Job Summary:
The Employee Support Specialist will support Green Streets, a social enterprise based in San Francisco that provides recycling, hauling, composting and janitorial services at housing developments in San Francisco. The Coordinator will work with the owners and employees of Green Streets to support their on-boarding, retention, and personal and career development (currently 18 young adults). The Coordinator must possess a strong commitment to the personal development of urban youth and to the social mission of Green Streets.
Job duties include but are not limited to:
1. Employee Management and Support
Responsible for personal and career development of Green Streets staff. Provide employees directly with services, or coordinate service provision through partners
Conduct an individual and household needs assessment; regularly update self-sufficiency plans with employees that identify needs and delineate steps for achieving goals
Plan and implement programs for group and one-on-one employee support, including but not limited to job retention, financial literacy, substance abuse issues, organizational skills, workplace communication, life management skills, and counseling services
Formulate basic training/orientation for the Green Streets team; produce materials for training (i.e. overheads, participant materials, etc.) and related employee communications
Identify and develop relationships with community partners for employee support services not provided in-house
Connect employees with external partners for training and development resources that address personal, family, or community-related needs and coordinate services provision
Ensure employee confidentiality as appropriate
2. Support Day-to-Day Operations
Provide effective day-to-day support for managers and employees with a long-term focus on performance management, retention, and employee development
Provide basic coaching and expertise on employee relations for managers
Serve as first point of contact for employees with issues and concerns.
Stay up-to-date with relevant governmental, advocacy and other resources so as to provide the best information and support to employees
Intervene directly and advocate on behalf of employees with external service providers or public agencies as appropriate
Maintain documentation of each employee's development plan and other service activities in a thorough, accurate and complete manner
Provide reports, statistics, written narratives, and administrative documentation as needed
3. Collaboration with Urban Strategies Staff.
Interface with directors and management to assure consistent employee communications
Build personal development programs into Green Streets operations with the help of Urban Strategies program staff
Ensure that programmatic objectives related to personal growth are followed and tracked through central database
Actively participate in program meetings integrating cross-department goals
Maintain and promote a collaborative, teamwork environment
Perform other duties as assigned.
Position Requirements:
Bachelors degree required, Masters in social work or related field preferred. Experience supporting individuals with barriers to economic or employment success required.
Minimum of three years in service delivery and/or coaching of entry-level employees and/or low-income populations, including at least one of the following low-income populations: public housing residents, non-custodial parents, at-risk youth, ex-offenders
Demonstrated self-starter. Ability to hit the ground running upon hire and to work effectively and efficiently with minimal supervision
Excellent interpersonal skills.
Ability to establish rapport and maintain effective working relationships with employees, supervisors, and partners in group and individual settings
Ability to advocate for participant needs and negotiate appropriate and effective services
Familiarity with and ability to access public and privately provided resources, human and social services, tax credits and financial services and products, and education, training, and career resources available to low- income workers in San Francisco
Demonstrated cultural competency and sensitivity. Commitment to learning, communicating and working respectfully with people different from themselves.
General understanding of barriers to employment faced by low-income and marginalized populations, their communities and the social and economic issues that impact them
Supportive, patient, resourceful, responsible, energetic and a team player.
Ability to maintain accurate information and efficient records for reports/written analysis
Proficiency in Microsoft Office, particularly Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
Ability to conduct presentations to small and large groups of diverse populations; excellent written and oral communications; able to communicate effectively in writing
Ability to travel to all locations (currently Hayes Valley, Mission, Western Addition)
Availability to occasionally work evenings and weekends
Submit to fingerprinting and pass a criminal background check.
Deadline to Apply: September 9th, 2011
To Apply:
E-mail your resume and cover letter expressing your interest to: hr@urbanstrategiesinc.org. No telephone or email inquiries please.