Engagement Specialist - Detroit

Position Summary

Urban Alliance Detroit seeks a passionate and skilled Engagement Specialist to connect Michigan Reconnect students aged 21-24 and alumni with high-quality career opportunities and strengthen relationships with local employers and community stakeholders. The Engagement Specialist position is a grant-funded role under the Michigan Sixty by 30 Initiative, running from March 2025 to September 2026. This role will focus on preparing students for professional success, building employer partnerships, and expanding community engagement efforts. The Specialist will provide career advising, develop employer relationships, and support cross-team initiatives while aligning with Michigan's Sixty by 30 initiative and Urban Alliance Detroit’s mission to empower underserved young adults.

About Urban Alliance

Urban Alliance provides economically-disadvantaged young people with the exposure, opportunity, support, and training needed to prepare them for lifelong economic self-sufficiency. Urban Alliance’s core program matches underserved high school seniors with paid, professional internships, job skills training, one-on-one mentoring, and ongoing post-program support to expand their ideas of what is possible for their futures. Since its founding in Washington, DC in 1996, Urban Alliance has expanded its work in DC to encompass parts of Northern Virginia and Montgomery County, MD; and replicated its program model in Baltimore, Chicago, and Detroit. To date, Urban Alliance has placed more than 6,000 students in paid internships and served more than 23,000 youth through job skills training.

Key Responsibilities

Student Engagement:

• Advise and coach diverse Michigan Reconnect students and alumni through individual appointments and drop-in meetings.
• Utilize career assessments to guide students in their career development, internship placement, and job search processes.
• Deliver workshops on resume writing, interview preparation, networking strategies, and job search techniques.
• Regularly monitor and document student progress, offering individualized support to overcome barriers and achieve career milestones.
• Maintain accurate student records and track placement outcomes using a CRM system.

Employer Outreach:

• Outreach to employers to develop new internship and job opportunities for Michigan Reconnect students and UA alumni.
• Build and sustain partnerships with local employers to identify hiring needs and create talent pipelines.
• Develop and implement sector-specific employer engagement campaigns with input and guidance from the team.
• Actively promote Urban Alliance Detroit’s workforce development programs to prospective employer partners.
• Collaborate with employers to design and implement tailored training programs aligned with industry needs.
• Coordinate the job posting and application process for students, ensuring smooth communication between employers and participants.
• Conduct employer site visits to build rapport and ensure program alignment with workplace standards.

Community Engagement:

• Develop and execute statewide and multi-regional employer engagement campaigns to increase awareness and participation in the program.
• Plan and execute career fairs, networking events, and panel discussions to connect students and alumni with industry professionals.
• Research and engage with conferences, events, organizations, and employers focused on youth and young adult career development.
• Develop career resource content for the Alumni and Young Adult Initiatives digital platforms.
• Organize and contribute to a written communication and engagement strategy, including social media, newsletters, direct-email campaigns, program reports, and informational collateral.
• Conduct site visits with program partners to document practices, provide support, and identify areas for improvement.

Program Coordination:

• Assist in developing and implementing career readiness curriculum and supporting materials.
• Collaborate with instructors and staff to integrate career preparation into the overall student experience.
• Plan and manage employer and community-focused events, such as company presentations, job shadowing, and internship placements.
• Track program metrics and generate reports to assess and enhance the effectiveness of student, employer, and community engagement efforts.
• Collaborate with the External Partnerships team to support cross-team initiatives and organizational goals.

Qualifications

• 2-4 years of experience in fundraising and relationship management.
• Bachelor’s degree in education, business administration, or a related field.
• Proven experience in workforce development, career services, employer relations, or community engagement.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to engage effectively with diverse audiences, including students, employers, and community stakeholders.
• Exceptional organizational and multitasking abilities to manage multiple projects and deadlines.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and CRM tools for data management and reporting.

Desired Skills

• Experience working with underrepresented populations in career development settings.
• Knowledge of local labor market trends and the needs of Southeast Michigan employers.
• Familiarity with workforce development practices, policies, and metrics.
• Ability to lead engaging workshops and presentations.

Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Urban Alliance is a racial and social justice organization committed to creating a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace. Urban Alliance is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status. Applicants from all underrepresented groups, including people of color, members of the LGBTQ+ community, and DACA recipients are encouraged to apply.

Compensation and Benefit Package:

At Urban Alliance one of our core values is taking care of each other, and this includes offering competitive benefits, paid time off, and options for remote work. The total compensation package for this position is between $55,000 – $60,000 based on experience. In addition to having paid time off between December 25th and January 1st, we provide 18 days of paid time off plus 10 paid federal holidays, as well as birthday and diversity paid holidays. Additional days are provided to staff after three years. Depending on the calendar, additional paid closure days and early closure days are established each year. Our benefits include a comprehensive health plan with 90% individual healthcare coverage for employees, 403(B) retirement plans with a 3% match, whole life insurance and pre-tax commuter benefits. In addition, this position can be either remote or based in one of our four locations. If it is at one of our four locations we offer hybrid work schedules. Work hours are 35 hours per week and determined based on program needs to allow for both flexibility and work-life balance.