WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT ADVOCATE: SAN FRANCISCO

New Door Ventures is an early intervention employment and education program for high-potential transition-age youth (TAY) ages 16-24 who reside in Bay Area communities facing elevated levels of youth disconnection, socioeconomic challenges, and community stress.

Founded in 1981, New Door Ventures was born out of the belief that by providing resources for youth to build foundational education and job skills, personal support, mentorship, and pathways to higher education and career opportunities, these young people can experience greater success in adulthood. Our strategies provide educational and economic mobility for TAY facing significant barriers to obtaining and retaining unsubsidized employment, empowering youth make successful transitions to adulthoods marked by economic independence and engagement with their community.

Since 2005, we have served more than 5,000, and directly employed over 2,700, TAY through our workforce readiness programs with demonstrable long-term impact. According to California’s Employment Development Department (EDD), 74% of our program graduates are employed 3 years after program exit — significantly higher than youth who began but did not complete the program (52%) and all California youth ages 16-24 (40%). EDD wage data also demonstrates that youth who completed our program have higher average annual earnings of 40% one year after program completion and 100% two years after program completion than the year prior to entering the program.

To serve our San Francisco Employment Program we are currently hiring a

Workforce Development Advocate.

About the Opportunity:
Workforce Development Advocates provide supportive services, advocacy, and life and job skills training to youth with the goal of supporting youth to attach to future employment. New Door’s Workforce Development Advocates work on behalf of youth to provide workforce development services in addition to supporting/supervising participants in their job-training internships. In those internships, the Workforce Development Advocate serves as a link between our site partner and program participants to ensure they have all they need to be successful at their assigned job. At the end of their internship at New Door, our goal is to place young people into paid employment.

Additionally, Workforce Development Advocates will partner with New Door’s Transition Services team to connect those who are interested in sector and/or career-based employment. Our research-based program aligns with known predictive milestones for economic mobility: create enabling conditions (e.g., establish safe and trusting relationships), build assets (e.g., resume and interview skills), and promote agency (e.g., goal setting). Workforce Development Advocates work closely with Instructors and other team members to provide a wholly integrated experience for program participants.

This role is non-exempt and is located primarily on-site at New Door’s Headquarters in San Francisco. Currently, New Door Ventures employs a hybrid work location policy, with a 3:2 office/remote cadence. In-office days are Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday org-wide. New Door’s HQ is a welcoming space and is equipped to keep staff and clients protected from transmission of infectious disease. Office space is open-plan and shared with a collaborative, respectful team. Some in-city travel (for the purposes of case management and supervision) is expected. The Workforce Development Advocate will report to the San Francisco Employment Program Manager.

What Success Looks Like:

• Passionately works as an advocate and support towards the growth and success of young people in reaching their employment and life goals
• Confidently interacts with youth and staff at all levels of the organization. This includes our alumni and (occasionally) our board of directors
• Engages in collaborative partnership with Workforce Development Instructors to link classroom learning to internship work experience
• Leads with initiative and a continuous improvement lens
• Communicates well with youth and has a healthy understanding of, and respect for, emotional and other boundary-setting The Workforce Development Advocate has a high degree of social/emotional intelligence
• They enjoy working to meet goals, both individually and as part of a team, and are focused on the success of our youth throughout the program
• Can self-manage and motivate, and experience in trauma-informed work has led them to be aware of self-care needs and how to care for their colleagues
• Works well with external partners, are nimble, and have a strong personal alignment with New Door’s Values

Primary Responsibilities:

• Supportive Services: Meetings are in-person or digital (as needed) - 50%
• Provide intensive individual supportive services management to participants with needs, such as referrals to organizations that provide housing support, cash benefits, mental health services, legal support, etc.
• Develop and maintain a network of referral sources to assist youth in need of intensive social support services
• Assess client needs for long-term sustainable growth and develop youth-centered strategies to pursue meaningful goals, particularly related to employment
• Connect participants with other resources to support them in the job market as well as youth pursuing vocational and career development interests
• Organize activities and maintain practices that encourage the development of positive relationships with youth
• Maintain a presence and availability among the youth served by New Door
• Provide support to those in internships and those pursuing employment
• Encourage a programmatic culture that values the development of relationships among youth, peers, staff, supervisors, and volunteers
• Monitor youth program performance and consistently evaluate efforts. Use New Door’s online case management system (Apricot) effectively to record client work
• Collaboration and Site Supervision with Business Partnerships Team – 25%
• Ensure each participant on your case load is supported and advocated for during their internship experience
• Consistent communication with site partner and Business Partnerships team in a collaborative and solutions-focused approach
• Empower participants to learn the skills they need to be actively engaged at their internship site and help problem-solve and develop the soft skills to remain employed
• Community Outreach and Relationship Management with Referral Partners – 10%
• Develop networks among youth in the neighborhoods served by New Door
• Recruit youth participants for youth programs, including employment programs
• Collaborate with San Francisco youth development organizations to better support youth clients
• Promote the program and the agency among interested parties and potential investors

Secondary Responsibilities:

• Workshop Support – 10%
• Support the Workforce Development Instructor as they lead formal training workshops and skill-development opportunities to assist employed and pre-employed youth in the areas of job readiness, workplace behavior, and independent living skills
• This looks like helping with PowerPoint slides, charting, promoting a positive learning environment, engaging in group discussions, etc.
• Intake Assessments – 5%
• Support Program Operations Coordinator in scheduling and facilitating intake assessments with prospective participants

Preferred Qualifications & Skills:

• The equivalent of, or a Bachelor’s degree (or higher) in a related field
• 1-3 years of experience in vocational training for transition-age youth, adult education, or similar settings including direct service to transition-age youth, disconnected youth populations, preferably in a youth employment program
• Demonstrated success as Workforce Development Advocate or a similar role
• Superior youth engagement and relationship management skills
• Demonstrated excellence in youth development principles and practices
• Strong written and oral communication skills
• Attention to detail, strong organizational, time management, and problem-solving skills
• Ability to work independently, be nimble and dependable, and demonstrate initiative
• Knowledge of San Francisco transition-age youth needs and resources, especially for historically oppressed people including those experiencing poverty, BIPOC, and LGBTQ individuals
• Ability to use appropriate computer and reporting systems including Windows operating system, Microsoft Office Suite, Zoom (Apricot or Salesforce knowledge a plus)
• Desired, but not required: Bilingual language capabilities, preferably Spanish

Compensation

New Door Ventures Compensation Philosophy: we value our staff and strive to provide competitive compensation packages to attract and retain top talent in our sector. To that end, we employ a salary floor of $63,000.00/annually for full-time, youth-serving professional staff.

This Workforce Development Advocate position will earn between $63,000.00 and $65,000.00 depending on experience. Experience compared with requirements for the job, specialized skills and abilities relevant to the position, and competency level from novice to mastery are all considered in benchmarking individual pay.

In addition to cash compensation, New Door offers a generous benefit package including medical, dental, and vision insurance, matched 403(b) retirement savings plan, tuition reimbursement, commuter benefits, 13 vacation days per year, 10 sick days, 13.5 company holidays per year, and a paid year-end org-wide closure.

Organizational Benefits

New Door Ventures challenges staff professionally and provides ample professional development opportunities and on-the-job growth. New Door culture is stimulating and motivating, populated with dedicated, intelligent staff and a strong, established leadership team.

New Door Ventures is a safe space for all, regardless of race, gender, sexuality, country of origin, religion, or ability. Candidates from diverse backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply. New Door Ventures is a 501(c)3 community-serving nonprofit and an Equal Opportunity Employer that strives to have a diverse team representative of the young people it serves.

How to Apply: Please send your resume and a thoughtful cover letter letting us know why you think you’d be a great addition to our team. Please include Workforce Development Advocate San Francisco in the subject line and email the resume and cover letter to: staffing@newdoor.org

**Submissions sent without a cover letter will not be considered**

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $63,000.00 - $65,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Dental insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Flexible schedule
• Flexible spending account
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Retirement plan
• Vision insurance

Schedule:

• 8 hour shift
• Monday to Friday

Ability to Relocate:

• San Francisco, CA 94110: Relocate before starting work (Required)

Work Location: In person