What are the responsibilities and job description for the Lead Youth Career Coach (East) position at SER Metro-Detroit?
JOB TITLE: Lead Youth Career Coach (East)
DIVISION: Youth Services
DEPARTMENT: Youth Services
LOCATION: Samaritan Center - 5555 Conner St, Detroit, MI 48213 (East)
REPORTS TO: Youth Services Manager
FLSA STATUS: Exempt/Salaried
CLASSIFICATION: Full-Time Regular
APPROVED DATE: 7/1/2026
JOB SUMMARY: The Lead Youth Career Coach supervises the Case Management, and Employment Services teams, providing leadership, guidance, programming, and oversight to ensure high-quality service delivery and achievement of program outcomes. This position coordinates the staffing, logistics, and implementation of programming for WIOA Youth, YouthBuild, and other workforce development contracts, ensuring compliance with funding requirements and performance goals. The Lead Youth Career Coach oversees case management and programming designed to promote educational attainment, work readiness, leadership development, apprenticeship exposure, work-based learning, supportive services, and access to vetted employment opportunities, while monitoring participant progress and program quality to ensure successful youth outcomes.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Provides direction and supervision to the Career Coaching and Employment Services teams.
- Coordinates staffing, logistics, scheduling, and implementation of programming for WIOA Youth, YouthBuild, and other contracted workforce development programs.
- Develops, coordinates, and maintains program calendars, workshops, career exploration activities, employer presentations, leadership activities, special events, and participant engagement opportunities.
- Communicates programming schedules, activities, and events across the agency to support collaboration and participant engagement.
- Oversees program information, staff training, and technical assistance for career coaches, cemployment specialists, and partners.
- Oversees case management services, assessments, Individual Service Strategies (ISS), supportive services, and participant goal attainment.
- Ensures programming incorporates all applicable WIOA Youth Elements and YouthBuild requirements, including work readiness, leadership development, financial literacy, work-based learning, apprenticeship exposure, and follow-up services.
- Review and ensure compliance of support service and incentive requests, maintain centralized tracking, and coordinate timely submission for payment processing.
- Manage a caseload of follow-up participants to support achievement of program outcome measures.
- Develops partnerships with employers, educators, training providers, and community organizations to expand opportunities for participants.
- Oversees access to vetted employment opportunities, internships, apprenticeships, occupational training, and work-based learning experiences.
- Meets regularly with staff to discuss participant progress, performance metrics, and program concerns.
- Conducts periodic reviews of case files, case notes, Individual Service Strategies, home visits, and related documentation.
- Must be self-directed, organized, and possess the ability to work within a complex blended program model and team setting.
- Stay current in pedagogy and andragogy approaches that meet the learning styles of the population being served.
- Addressed behavioral issues as they arise.
- Attend community meetings, departmental and cross-functional case conferences.
- Participate and facilitate youth related activities.
- Provides positive leadership and direction for youth program participants.
- Contributes to the team effort by performing other duties as assigned.
SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES: Yes
JOB QUALIFICATIONS:
- Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university (with major course work in social work or a related field preferred).
- Experience working with at-risk youth and youth agencies.
- Two to four years of management experience in human services or related field preferred.
- Bilingual language skills in English/Spanish or English/Arabic preferred.
- Computer skills necessary to effectively maintain a database and generate reports.
- Interpersonal skills necessary to effectively communicate with staff, participants and partner agencies.
- Mental ability to handle pressures related to multiple individuals from diverse backgrounds and varying levels of need.
- Valid Michigan driver's license. Incumbent must also have reliable means of transportation to travel to various locations outside of the office.
- Must be willing to work a flexible schedule (evenings/weekends).
- Must complete FBI fingerprinting and a satisfactory criminal background check must be received.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS: The physical demands described are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to see, talk and hear. The employee is frequently required to stand, walk, sit for extended periods of time, and have sufficient hand, arm, and finger dexterity to operate a phone, computer keyboard, and other office equipment. Must be able to lift a minimum of 10 pounds.
WORK ENVIRONMENT: The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. This job operates in a normal office environment with little discomfort due to noise, dirt, dust and the like. This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, filing cabinets and fax machines.
Equal Opportunity Employer
This job description is intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by a person assigned to this job. It is not to be construed as an exhaustive list of all job duties and responsibilities that may be performed by a person so classified. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change or new ones may be assigned at any time with or without notice.