Life Skills Educator – Center for Employment Opportunities – San Jose, CA

Center for Employment Opportunities
Life Skills Educator (LSE) – San Jose, CA

The Opportunity
We are seeking an engaging, adaptable, and inspirational Life Skills Educator (LSE) to lead large weekly group workshops for our program participants – formerly incarcerated individuals – that prepare them for success in temporary and permanent employment. The workshops are comprised of 10-20 participants and take place in our San Jose office four days a week. The Life Skills Educator will also support the San Jose Site Director and Program Manager with administrative and operational duties to ensure the smooth and seamless operation of the site.

Who We Are
The Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO) provides employment services to people with recent criminal convictions. Our programs help participants successfully transition from incarceration to stable and productive lives. Across the United States, over 6,000 people participate in CEO each year, transitioning to employment that supports themselves, their families, and their communities.

What began as a demonstration project of the Vera Institute of Justice in the 1970s to address employment barriers facing the formerly incarcerated following release in New York City has grown into the leading reentry employment organization in the country, where over 25,000 formerly incarcerated individuals have secured full-time employment since 1996. Since 2009, CEO has gained support to expand its programs through government, nonprofit, and private organizations including the Tipping Point Community, the James Irvine Foundation, and the S.H. Cowell Foundation. In 2016, CEO embarked on a 5-year strategic plan to grow to serve 9,000 participants annually.

Who You Are

• You’re deeply dedicated to social justice and perhaps are already working in the re-entry field
• You come to CEO with at least 2 years of experience teaching or leading group presentations
• You consider yourself to be a people person with the ability to lift morale and present content in a way that’s exciting and engaging to participants
• You are inspirational and passionate about helping individuals become the best version of themselves
• You’re able to learn and convey curricula quickly and accurately using your excellent communication skills and flexibility to change up your style to ensure participant understanding
• You’re comfortable with providing the feedback and support necessary to facilitate the development of participant knowledge and skills
• You’re self-motivated, diligent, resilient, and demonstrate stamina and vigor as you hold yourself accountable to deadlines and outcomes, even in the face of adversity or setbacks
• You’re highly organized with top notch time management skills and the ability to juggle multiple priorities seamlessly or ask for support with prioritization when needed
• You’re bilingual in English/Spanish (preferred not required)

The Nitty Gritty
Key responsibilities of the LSE include but are not limited to:

Life Skills Education

• Present well-prepared, organized, and clear content that follows CEO’s course syllabus to participants enthusiastically and with deep care
• Guide and coach participants in key preparatory activities tied to employment, including writing professional resumes, networking, and mock interviewing
• Help participants become job-start ready by promoting their development and effective utilization of communication and self-presentation skills
• Engage participants in ongoing discussions about their employment goals
• Offer support, encouragement. and constructive feedback to all participants
• Keep abreast of current practices and events that could impact participants; make suggestions about new material to incorporate into the curriculum
• Keep Parole Officers in the loop regarding individual participant progress

Administrative

• Monitor and record class attendance and document all participant contact and progress in our case management system (Salesforce)
• Assist participants in application process for employment documents
• Perform other tasks and responsibilities that will be assigned from time to time

Compensation and Benefits
The compensation for this position is $45,000. We also offer a comprehensive benefits package, including medical and dental coverage, paid parental leave, participation in a retirement plan, sick and vacation leave, paid holidays and more. We’re a workplace that promotes continual learning and teamwork, offering lunch and learns, team outings, holiday gatherings and more for our staff.

More About Us
We welcome diversity and highly encourage applications from people of color and people with convictions. We are an equal employment opportunity for all regardless of race, color, citizenship, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, veteran or reservist status, or any other category protected by federal, state, or local law.