Financial Coach
About the role
The Financial Coach at Seed House Project provides individualized financial coaching, group workshops, and team collaboration to support member financial wellness across all stages of the SHP Life School program. This role blends practical money management skills with a deep understanding of the psychology of money, helping members not only know what to do financially but also understand why they feel and respond the way they do around money.
Core Responsibilities
Provide one-on-one financial coaching sessions with assigned members. Sessions should be consistent, goal-oriented, and tailored to each member's program stage and personal circumstances.
Build a personalized monthly budget for each member based on their current income, program membership fees, and living expenses. Ensure the budget reflects the member's real life and accounts for their specific goals, stage of program, and savings milestones.
Revisit and update the budget regularly as income, expenses, or goals change. Develop a transition budget for life after SHP, projecting housing costs, utilities, food, transportation, and other independent living expenses.
Align budget planning with the Path to Stability savings match program and program advancement requirements.
Hold members accountable to their budget goals through regular check-ins and progress reviews. Review spending and savings activity with each member, celebrating wins and troubleshooting gaps without judgment.
Develop a custom credit-building plan for each member, assessing their current credit situation and creating an individualized plan with clear, actionable steps and measurable goals.
Guide members through tools like secured credit cards, credit-builder loans, becoming an authorized user, and on-time payment strategies. Help members review their credit reports, understand what's on them, and dispute any inaccuracies.
Set short- and long-term credit score targets tied to housing and financial independence goals. Monitor each member's progress toward credit goals through regular check-ins, reviewing credit score changes, new account activity, and payment history.
Monitor and adjust the credit-building plan as needed based on member circumstances or progress. Educate members on how their daily financial behaviors connect directly to their credit health.
Develop a personalized savings and investment plan for each member that extends beyond program exit. Introduce foundational investment concepts and help members understand the difference between saving and investing.
Connect investment planning to each member's life vision and Purpose Map, making it feel relevant and not abstract. Introduce age-appropriate platforms and tools members can use independently.
Educate members on the basics of filing taxes, including what forms they need, how income is reported, and what deductions or credits may apply to them. Guide members through the tax filing process, including use of free filing tools.
Help members understand their refunds and how to use them intentionally, aligned with their savings and investment goals. Clarify tax implications for different income types and ensure members understand deadlines, extensions, and what to do if they owe taxes.
Connect members to Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) sites or trusted resources when professional support is needed.
Facilitate group financial wellness workshops based on collective needs observed across the member community. Topics may include budgeting basics, building credit from scratch, savings strategies, investing, and tax filing 101.
Maintain session notes and financial progress records for each member. Track key milestones and provide input for quarterly member assessments and annual evaluations as requested.
What Members Will Learn
By working with the Financial Coach, SHP members will develop the following knowledge and skills:
Money Management & Budgeting: How to create, maintain, and adjust a personal monthly budget; how to track income, expenses, and discretionary spending; how to set and meet savings goals; how to read a bank statement, pay stub, and basic financial documents; and how to avoid common financial pitfalls.
Credit & Banking: What a credit score is, how it works, and why it matters; concrete steps to build credit from scratch or repair damaged credit; how to choose the right bank accounts and financial products.
Investing & Long-Term Wealth Building: Basic investment concepts such as compound interest, index funds, retirement accounts; how to start investing with small amounts and grow over time; and how to connect long-term financial planning to personal goals and life vision.
Tax Filing: How to file taxes independently and on time; what forms and documents are needed; and how to access free filing resources and VITA support.
Psychology of Money: How to identify personal money beliefs and where they came from; tools to pause and respond thoughtfully rather than react impulsively to financial stress; and how to shift from a scarcity mindset to one of agency, possibility, and abundance.
Future Planning & Independence: How to plan financially for independent housing; how to build and maintain an emergency fund; how to navigate financial setbacks without derailing long-term goals; and how to align financial goals with personal purpose and life vision.
Qualifications
Demonstrated experience in financial coaching, counseling, or education — individual and/or group settings.
Strong working knowledge of personal finance: budgeting, credit, banking, saving, taxes, and consumer financial products.
Familiarity with the psychology of money, behavioral finance, or emotionally-informed financial coaching approaches.
Experience working with young adults, marginalized communities, or system-impacted populations.
Excellent communication skills — able to build trust and engage people without judgment.
Ability to work collaboratively within a multidisciplinary care team.
Reliable, organized, and able to maintain documentation and meet deadlines.
Preferred
Certification in financial coaching or counseling (AFC®, NFEC, CFP®, or equivalent).
Experience facilitating financial wellness workshops or group education programs.
Familiarity with investment education for first-time and low-income investors.
Experience supporting clients through tax preparation or connecting them to VITA resources.
Requirements
Demonstrated experience in financial coaching, counseling, or education — individual and/or group settings.
Strong working knowledge of personal finance: budgeting, credit, banking, saving, taxes, and consumer financial products.
Familiarity with the psychology of money, behavioral finance, or emotionally-informed financial coaching approaches.
Experience working with young adults, marginalized communities, or system-impacted populations.
Excellent communication skills — able to build trust and engage people without judgment.
Ability to work collaboratively within a multidisciplinary care team.
Reliable, organized, and able to maintain documentation and meet deadlines.
Benefits
Compensation: $60.00 per hour.
Hours: 5-10 hours per week (flexible, based on member caseload and workshop schedule).
Classification: Independent Contractor — Invoice-based.
Schedule: Flexible; must accommodate some evening or weekend availability for workshops.
Commitment
Seed House Project is committed to building a team that reflects the communities we serve. We actively welcome applicants with lived experience of housing instability, system involvement, or economic hardship. We believe that proximity to the work is a qualification, not a disqualifier. We are an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, or any status protected by law.