Employment & Education Specialist

ABOUT US

With the exception of immigration detention facilities, the United States lacks a formal system to address the needs of asylum seekers and other underserved newcomers. AsylumWorks was created to bridge this gap.

Founded in 2016, AsylumWorks provides culturally and linguistically appropriate services to help newcomers meet their basic needs, participate in immigration legal proceedings, and access opportunities needed to integrate into their new communities. Direct client services are free and available to individuals and families living in Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Northern Virginia, regardless of language, country of origin, race, religion, sexual orientation, or gender expression. To scale our impact beyond the National Capital Region, AsylumWorks creates and shares expert tools and training resources to support newcomer-serving organizations nationwide.

JOB DESCRIPTION

AsylumWorks’ Employment & Education team helps clients explore education & career pathways and prepare for, find, and keep employment in the United States. Clients benefit from consultations, one-on-one coaching, online trainings, access to professional resources, and connections to a network of professionals. This program is for all clients, regardless of education or employment history.

AsylumWorks is seeking a full-time Employment & Education Specialist

to provide direct services to our clients and support program outcomes. This position will be supervised by the Director of Employment & Education Services. AsylumWorks is a hybrid workplace with an office in the Dupont Circle neighborhood of Washington, DC. This position may work from home up to three days a week following the onboarding period.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Client-Facing (70%)

• Identify, screen, and enroll eligible clients in internal employment & education coaching program
• Conduct client intake and develop comprehensive goal-setting and employment plans alongside each client
• Provide high-quality, client-led career counseling to program participants, utilizing language interpretation services when needed
• Direct clients through AsylumWorks online training series and connect clients to internal and external resources
• Document all work with clients in our database and provide updates to clients’ Health & Wellness case managers
• Maintain a caseload of approximately 15 clients at once

Community Engagement (20%)

• Form and strengthen relationships with potential partners
• Support the coordination of workshops and events for AsylumWorks clients and alumni to promote program outcomes
• Support the recruitment, training, and activities of program volunteers

Programmatic Support (10%)

• Contribute to the ongoing development and revision of internal education & employment training, resources, and communications
• Maintain an up-to-date knowledge of employment and education landscape and trends
• Support the collection of regular client feedback and coordinate with team members to ensure feedback is integrated into program models

REQUIREMENTS

• Expertise in all stages of the job search and application process;
• Experience working with individuals who have experienced significant trauma and/or displacement;
• Experience teaching, coaching, and/or mentoring others;
• Experience working with low-income, English-limited populations;
• Ability to work collaboratively in an interdisciplinary, multicultural setting;
• Able to multi-task in a high-volume, fast-paced environment;
• A demonstrated awareness of cultural humility;
• Strong interpersonal communication skills;
• Fluency in English and another language preferred;
• Up-to-date COVID-19 vaccination;
• Computer literate; and
• An inherent desire to improve, create, and problem-solve.