Employment Development Specialist

Job Summary

The Employment Development Specialist position will be responsible for developing community employment opportunities and providing community-based job development, as well as supporting advancement opportunities for people with disabilities. The person in this position will work in consultation with the Supported Employment (SE) team during the entire employment process for an individual with a disability.

Primary Duties

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. These duties and responsibilities will be rated on the Annual Performance Review.

• Conduct intakes, inventories, and assessments with individuals to establish employment goals.
• Provide job development services to support individuals to find employment that match career fields of interest, strengths, and support needs.
• Provide post-employment services including job coaching, follow-along, and travel training to ensure employment retention, satisfaction, and growth.
• Develop positive relationships with businesses, community agencies, other departments, and outside vendors.
• Complete accurate and timely monthly billing reports, participant reports, case notes, and other supporting documentation, meeting utilization expectations.

Additional Responsibilities

• Perform task and job-site analysis on selected sites to assure appropriate job matches.
• Provide consultation, guidance, and disability awareness training (as needed) to employers and business representatives.
• Coordinate and participate in interdisciplinary team process and other meetings pertaining to participant's individual support plan; prepare annual individual support plans.
• Perform other responsibilities as assigned.

Qualifications: Education, Experience, and Certification(s)

• High School diploma or general equivalency diploma (GED) required.
• Bachelor's degree in Human Services, Education, Marketing, or related field strongly preferred. One (1) year of related experience can substitute for one year of education.
• Minimum one (1) year of related human service experience required.
• Valid driver's license and/or access to reliable transportation to perform work-related travel 50% of the time in Northern Virginia. Eligible drivers must have a good motor vehicle record (MVR).
• Availability and willingness to travel to multiple locations in the Northern Virginia area, at times with little notice required.
• Availability and willingness to work flexible hours, when needed, including weekends and evenings required.
• Job development or vocational support skills preferred.
• Marketing or sales skills preferred.
• Case management and/or documentation knowledge preferred.
• Fluency in a second language (ASL, Spanish) preferred.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Ability to relate well to people at all levels of an organization.
• Excellent verbaland writtencommunication skills.
• Detail-oriented and able to carry out work with the highest levels of accuracy.
• A desire to achieve and exceed monthly expectations.
• Goal oriented and independently motivated.
• Advanced Proficiency in Microsoft Office skills, and the ability to become familiar with corporate specificprograms and software such as ZOOM and Microsoft Teams.
• Ability to solve practical problems andadapt to new information and guidance quickly.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Excellent customer service skills (virtually and face-to-face).

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. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The individual may be required to lift and move up to 20 pounds.

Work Environment

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. The employee will be visiting a variety of employer worksites in the community, which can vary with regards to noise level and weather/temperature conditions.