Senior Advisor, Fair Chance Hiring
Any CEO Office Location
Hybrid
Anticipated deadline to submit application: May 31, 2024 before 5pm EST. Position may close early if application limit is met. Apply promptly for full consideration.

The Opportunity

The Inclusive Hiring team is catalyzing the fair chance movement by partnering with employers to eliminate barriers in their hiring process and create doors of opportunity for talent with records. As the movement has demonstrated success with mobilizing employer interest in fair chance hiring, the team is working to build on that momentum by translating that interest into tangible action and impact. To support this effort, the team is seeking a Sr. Advisor, Fair Chance Hiring to act as a lead advisor for employer partners by analyzing their current hiring behaviors and offering strategic guidance on integrating fair chance strategies and practices. This role will serve as a primary point of contact for existing employer clients, identify new prospective clients, and support the team’s innovation efforts to develop scalable fair chance hiring solutions. Reporting to the Director of Inclusive Hiring, the Sr. Advisor will play a key role in executing the team’s strategy and vision to establish fair chance hiring as the benchmark for talent acquisition and retention, propelling businesses to unprecedented success while fostering a more just and inclusive workforce for all. 

As part of our mission, we strongly encourage individuals who have lived experience of incarceration or involvement in the justice system to apply for this role.

Who We Are

The Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO) provides employment services to people recently released from incarceration. Across the United States, 8,000-9,000 people participate in CEO each year, transitioning to employment that supports themselves, their families, and their communities.

What began as a demonstration project of the Vera Institute of Justice in the 1970s to address employment barriers facing the formerly incarcerated following release in New York City has grown into the leading reentry employment organization in the country, where over 30,000 formerly incarcerated individuals have secured full-time employment since 1996.

Who You Are

• You have extensive knowledge of fair chance hiring & DEI methodologies and practices throughout the hiring lifecycle, including sourcing, recruiting, interviewing, screening, hiring and retaining diverse talent.
• You have 7 years of relevant experience as a consultant or advisor, guiding employers in incorporating these best practices into their hiring strategies and policies.
• You have a passion for supporting justice-impacted individuals in securing meaningful career opportunities that provide livable wages and upward mobility.
• You have excellent communication skills, with an ability to persuasively convey the business case for fair chance hiring, while customizing your consulting approach to align with partner objectives and interests. 
• You bring knowledge of employment-related compliance and risk management strategies 
  • Specialized knowledge in fair chance related legislation (e.g. ban the box policies, Fair Chance Acts, the Fair Credit Reporting Act, TitleVII of the Civil Rights Act, negligent hiring lawsuits, etc.).
• You have familiarity with the research surrounding fair chance hiring, recidivism, background checks and employment-related risk and an understanding of the consensus and gap areas within the research field.
• You have experience with partnering with community-based organizations (CBOs) to develop pipelines of diverse talent.
• You have experience in nonprofit or employer business development with a proven track record of success.
• You are solutions-oriented and can speak to innovative tools, strategies and solutions that you’ve developed and executed to tackle pivotal challenges.
• You are results-oriented, with a portfolio of projects or programs that you’ve overseen that have consistently achieved or exceeded the desired outcomes. 
• You are reliable and have excellent time management and organizational skills, allowing you to manage multiple projects and consistently execute deliverables on time.
• You are a team player and eager to join a community that values the unique skills, backgrounds, and perspectives of each individual that is involved with this work.

What You’ll Be Responsible For

Key responsibilities of the Senior Advisor, Fair Chance Hiring include but are not limited to:

Employer Advisory Services

• Provide expert advisory services to employers to identify current and future opportunities to implement fair chance hiring practices that support their overall business model, strategy and goals
• Independently conduct thorough evaluations of existing hiring practices through stakeholder interviews, shadowing sessions and tours of employer facilities, policy documentation reviews, and data analysis of hiring outcomes
• Advise external clients who may need to help build internal buy-in and pitch to executive level leaders
• Design and present executive-ready reports to communicate the findings from the evaluation and provide meaningful recommendations for improvement, ranked by potential impact and feasibility for the employer
• Provide technical support and guidance for employer partners as they implement the recommendations, beginning with small-scale pilot testing to refine strategies before rolling out the changes company-wide
• Develop impact tracking measures to continuously evaluate, improve, and communicate the outcomes of advisory services provided to employer partners

Business and Pipeline Development 

• Prepare and deliver persuasive business development pitches to secure new partnerships; Identify stakeholder interests, barriers and concerns amongst prospective partners and deliver presentations catered to address them
• Conduct research and analysis to identify prospective employer partners that align with the team’s strategy and values
• Secure funding to accelerate inclusive hiring efforts by identifying potential funding partners and drafting submissions for philanthropic and government requests for proposals (RFPs) 
• Present at HR conferences and other speaking engagements to build our reputation as experts in fair chance hiring and raise awareness of our advisory services

Innovation Of Scalable Solutions

• Drive employer adoption and implementation of solutions that scale fair chance hiring and address the biggest barriers for justice-impacted job seekers
• Leverage insights of shared employer and talent obstacles within the hiring ecosystem to uncover opportunities for creating innovative solutions 
• Evaluate new solutions by measuring the potential impact (positive and negative) of each idea, conducting landscape research to avoid duplication of efforts, and identify which ones align the most with the values and strategy of CEO and the Inclusive Hiring team
• Design proof of concepts and gather feedback from employer partners and job seekers to ensure the proposed solutions are effectively addressing their needs and challenges
• Oversee the development of innovative solutions in collaboration with other experts in the field

Compensation and Benefits

The salary range for this position is $75,900-101,500/annually. CEO's compensation philosophy considers a variety of factors including experience, internal equity, and the labor market associated with the city in which the position is located. This position can be located in any of the cities in which CEO operates. The labor markets associated with the cities in which CEO is based are variable, and the salary range included here reflects this. Our salary offer will fall within this range and will be reflective of the labor market of the city in which the position is based, as well the other factors named above. 

We recognize that salary is a part of the overall compensation package and also provide a comprehensive benefits package, including medical and dental coverage, as well as professional development opportunities to our staff.

We also offer paid parental leave, participation in a retirement plan, sick and vacation leave, paid holidays and more. We are a workplace that promotes continual learning and teamwork, offering lunch and learns, team outings, holiday gatherings and more for our staff.

More About Us

The Center for Employment Opportunities believes that everyone deserves the chance to shape a stronger future for themselves, their families, and their communities. Our commitment to being an anti-racist organization that is inclusive across all identities and experiences drives us forward every day. We exist to create greater opportunities for people who face multiple barriers to personal and professional success, and we’re passionate about being agents of change who promote diversity, equity, inclusion, and access to opportunities for all.

People who are justice involved, people of color, people who identify as LGBTQ , and people with disabilities are highly encouraged to apply for vacant positions at all levels. CEO’s commitment to DEI aligns with the CROWN Act, creating an open space where our employees can present as their true authentic selves. We are an equal employment opportunity for all regardless of race, color, citizenship, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, veteran or reservist status, or any other category protected by federal, state, or local law.

Please note that due to the volume of resumes received, we are unable to contact each applicant regarding the status of each position or reply to candidates' inquiries via phone or email.

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