Employment and Community Engagement Specialist

About the role

The Employment and Community Engagement Specialist plays a crucial role in enhancing engagement among visually impaired participants through various Envision Dallas programs. This role collaborates with the Senior Manager of Programs Services and Outreach and internal departments to improve program experiences and align with Envision’s mission and core values.

Responsibilities

• Organize & implement general operations of VR employment services and community programs.
• Implement policies and procedures for program aspects of VR employment services.
• Increase engagement of participants within all facets of VR Employment Services.
• Stay current with TWC VR Employment, Work Readiness, and Work Experience Services.
• Aid in obtaining and maintaining TWC contract for VR Employment, Work Readiness, and Work Experience Services.
• Create, initiate, and curate programming content and training resources for Employment, Work Readiness, and Work Experience Services.
• Identify clients' strengths and advise them on securing employment or excelling in their chosen career path.
• Provide information on suitable career paths based on clients' skills, qualifications, interests, and experience.
• Develop and implement effective job skills training strategies to help clients overcome employment-related challenges.
• Conduct tests to assess clients' job skills and abilities and provide feedback on test results.
• Review clients' resumes and suggest improvements as needed.
• Liaise with employers to identify job opportunities for clients with disabilities.
• Provide resources and referrals, and/or assist with teaching clients how to use job-related tools, instruments, and equipment correctly.
• Maintain accurate records of clients' progress as mandated by TWC VR Standard for Providers.
• Serve as a point of contact for local Texas students and residents to participate in and attend Envision events.
• Manage tools for outcome measures and evaluation processes to capture data for employment services improvement.
• Collaborate with Director of Envision Arts and Senior Director of Marketing and Communications to increase engagement for community programs.
• Develop and maintain professional relationships with vision professionals, community groups, and vision resources in the community and state.
• Assist in fostering collaborative relationships with stakeholders, including school districts, teachers, vocational rehab agencies, community organizations, universities, disability service offices, Delta Gamma, healthcare professionals, and volunteers in general.
• Engage, organize, sign up, and provide orientation to volunteers to better support BVI participants and families in community programs.
• Provide coverage to EVRC’s front desk as needed.

Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in business, marketing, social work, psychology, or a relevant field.
• Excellent communication skills.
• Excellent time management and organizational skills.
• Problem-solving skills.
• Proficient in writing and documentation.
• Flexible when it comes to working hours.
• The ideal candidate is outgoing, driven, and enjoys helping individuals with disabilities.
• Experience: Minimum of 3 years’ related experience. Experience with a non-profit preferred. Experience with working individuals who have disabilities is required.
• Knowledge/Skills: Desire to learn and understand the needs of individuals of all ages who are blind or visually impaired. Demonstrated ability to train and/or teach skills and concepts to participants/team members. Demonstrated ability to support and motivate individuals in areas of advocacy and independence. Experience cultivating online communities using social media technologies and practices is a plus. Strong knowledge (as a user, not a developer) of accessibility solutions and systems for accessing specialized and mainstream/internet-based products and services preferred. Effective working knowledge of business production software, including MS Office, MS Teams, Mail Chimp, etc. Effective oral & written communication skills. Self-starter with demonstrated success in multi-tasking and collaborative environment. Experience in managing multiple projects and deadlines, with a definitive goal. Ability to critically evaluate situations and produce them for review and input by other team members. Experience working with TWC is a plus. Sound knowledge of different jobs and career paths. Strong problem-solving and analytical skills. Excellent research, organizational, and time management skills.
• Licenses/Certifications: UNTWISE certification(s) to provide TWC VR employment services highly preferred. Must be able to obtain UNTWISE certification(s) within 90 days of employment. Must maintain a current First Aid/CPR certification.

Benefits

To improve the quality of life and provide inspiration and opportunity for people who are blind or visually impaired through employment, outreach, rehabilitation, education, and research.

Pay

Commensurate with experience.

Schedule

Variates based on departmental needs.