Mobility Mentor / Financial Coach

Title: Mobility Mentor / Financial Coach

Type: Non-exempt, Hourly (37.5 hours/week)

Reports to: Financial Empowerment Program Manager

Location: Cambridge, MA

Position Summary

Just A Start is seeking a Mobility Mentor/Financial Coach to support our Financial Empowerment Collaborative team. As an economic mobility mentor, you will partner with participants to help them develop and attain their personal goals for greater economic stability. These goals help participants to achieve greater financial & housing stability, stronger family support networks, improved physical and mental well-being, and sustainable career and educational opportunities. As a financial coach, you will act as a guide and accountability partner to help program participants to set clear financial goals, to create manageable action plans, and to provide resources, education, tools, and encouragement to stay on track.

Who We Are

Just A Start believes that access to stable housing and sustainable careers are the essential building blocks of equitable communities. For more than 50 years, we have focused on meeting the fundamental needs of individuals and families who have been systemically denied opportunities to realize their full potential.

Our Programs Include

• Affordable Housing - Just A Start manages 650 affordable rental properties in Cambridge and affordable homeownership programs through the City of Cambridge’s resell pool.
• Housing Assistance and Stabilization – Just A Start provides mediation and financial assistance for renters facing eviction.
• Education and Training – Just A Start manages YouthBuild and Adult Career Training Programs to help participants find fulfilling and sustainable career opportunities.
• Financial Empowerment – Just A Start offers free financial coaching, economic mobility mentoring, financial education, and seasonal tax preparation.
  
  

Just A Start’s Financial Empowerment Collaborative houses 4 integrated programs that provide services to other Just A Start programs as well as to the Greater Boston area. Through the Financial Opportunities (FinOpp) program, we provide free financial coaching services to Just A Start program participants as well as residents of Cambridge and the Greater Boston area. The Families Moving Forward (FMF) program is a two-year program that connects Cambridge and Somerville families with a personal mentor to help them achieve their personal, financial, educational, and career goals. Our Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program, we offer free seasonal tax preparation to low and moderate-income families. Finally, our financial education program provides information and resources through workshops and resources.

Key Responsibilities

• Mentor 6 (six) Families Moving Forward participants for 2 (two) years.
• Work with participants to evaluate their strengths and needs to move towards actionable plans.
• Communicate with participants virtually, in-person, and electronically to help keep them on track towards their goals.
• Assist participants in overcoming barriers through mentoring and problem solving.
• Refer clients to other agencies for additional resources.
• Record data in Salesforce.
• Collaborate with the other mobility mentor.
• Coach Just A Start’s program participants to become more financially stable.
• Meet with Just A Start’s Adult Career Training program students to help them analyze their budgets and understand their credit profiles.
• Meet with Just A Start’s YouthBuild students to provide personalized financial education and support tailored to their situation.
• Coach Families Moving Forward (FMF) participants on their financial goals.
• Coordinate with the Financial Opportunity coach to provide coaching support as needed.
• Coordinate with the Financial Empowerment Program manager:
• With the team, you will help to coordinate and attend 4 evening meetings per year with all the Families Moving Forward (FMF) participants.
• With the team, you will help develop relationships with resources in Cambridge to make effective referrals for participants.
• Attend Advisory Team meetings with community partners.
  
  

Job Qualifications

• BS/BA required.
• A minimum of 1 to 3 years in a mentoring/coaching or social services role.
• Skilled in Microsoft Office and Salesforce.
• Strong oral and written communications skills.
• Ability to work with a diverse group and work collaboratively as a team member.
• Ability to work in a strengths-based, empowerment model.
• Bi-lingual in Spanish, Haitian Creole, Bengali, or Amharic preferred.
• Training provided:
• Successful completion of the Money Management Essentials course through the AFCPE (cost of attendance covered by Just A Start).
• Successful completion of EMPath Mobility Mentor Foundations training course.
  

Compensation And Benefits

This is a 37.5 hour per week non-exempt, hourly position with a pay range of $29.00-$33.00 per hour. In addition to competitive compensation, Just A Start offers a comprehensive benefits package, including medical insurance, dental insurance, short-term disability insurance, long-term disability insurance, life insurance, transportation benefits, 20 PTO days in the first year, 13 paid holidays, volunteer time off, employee assistance program, and a 401k savings plan with a 3% employer contribution.

About Just a Start

Just A Start is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Our staff represents a wide range of ages, races, interests, and backgrounds coming together in pursuit of common goals. We value diversity and work together to create an inclusive culture where people from all backgrounds can thrive and belong. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetics or any other characteristic protected by law.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Must possess mobility to work in a standard office setting and to use standard office equipment, including a computer; vision to read printed materials and a computer screen; and hearing and speech to communicate in person and over the telephone. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 10 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. The noise level in the work environment is quiet to moderate.