Job Placement & Retention Specialist (Grant-Funded Positio

The Memphis Medical District Collaborative (MMDC) is a not-for-profit, community development organization established in 2016. MMDC strengthens the communities between and around its anchor institutions—including ALSAC/St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Baptist Health Sciences University, Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital, Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare, Regional One Health, Shelby County Health Department, Southern College of Optometry, Southwest Tennessee Community College, and University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center. These institutions collectively employ over 25,000 people, enroll 8,000 students, spend $1.3 billion annually, and manage more than 300 acres of real estate. MMDC’s work spans six key areas: Streets & Public Spaces, Development, Economic Development, Marketing and Communications, Real Estate, and Workforce Strategies, with a focus on revitalizing the district as a preferred destination to work, live, learn, and play.

About the role

This full-time, grant-funded position is contingent upon renewal of the grant. The Job Placement & Retention Specialist is responsible for moving employment-ready program participants from training completion into employment and monitoring their continued employment through required retention milestones. This role owns job matching, placement pipeline management, interview and hiring coordination, employer and participant follow-up, employment and income verification, retention monitoring, re-placement when needed, and accurate reporting of employment outcomes. The Specialist works closely with Success Coaches, Career Advancement staff, and employer partners to ensure participants move efficiently through the hiring process and that placement and retention goals are achieved.

Responsibilities

• Placement Pipeline & Job Matching
  • Build and maintain an active job pipeline for each training cohort and match qualified, employment-ready participants to suitable openings with employer partners.
  • Maintain an active placement plan for every employment-ready participant, including target employers, referrals, application status, interview activity, next steps, and barriers to placement.
  • Ensure qualified participants are connected to interviews and hiring opportunities promptly following training and certification.
  • Track each referred participant through application, interview, offer, start date, and required retention milestones.
  • Follow up with employers and participants after referrals and interviews, resolve delays, and escalate stalled hiring processes or placement risks promptly.
  • Proactively escalate participants who are not progressing toward employment and develop a documented next-step strategy rather than allowing participants to remain inactive in the placement pipeline.
  • Meet established monthly, quarterly, and annual placement and retention targets.
• Hiring Coordination
  • Coordinate hiring events and prepare candidate rosters, interview schedules, agendas, employer materials, and post-event follow-up plans.
  • Provide timely employment updates and employer feedback to Success Coaches and Career Advancement staff so participant preparation, hiring activity, and placement follow-up remain coordinated.
  • Collaborate with Success Coaches, enrollment staff, training partners, Career Advancement staff, and community partners to resolve barriers and maximize participant placement and retention outcomes.
  • Maintain current knowledge of hiring requirements, wages, schedules, credential requirements, and available opportunities among MMDC employer partners and communicate relevant information to participants and the workforce team.
• Employer Account Support
  • Maintain active relationships with assigned employer partners to understand current vacancies, hiring requirements, candidate status, and placement opportunities aligned with MMDC training pathways.
  • Maintain consistent feedback loops with assigned employer partners regarding vacancies, candidate referrals, interview status, hiring decisions, performance concerns, retention, and opportunities to improve participant preparation and programming.
  • Escalate employer needs, hiring trends, or opportunities for expanded partnership to workforce leadership and the staff member responsible for strategic employer engagement.
• Retention Monitoring & Re-Placement
  • Conduct structured 30-, 60-, and 90-day follow-up with placed participants and employers. Identify attendance, transportation, childcare, scheduling, workplace performance, supervisory, or other issues that may threaten retention and promptly coordinate or escalate support to the appropriate team member.
  • Maintain ownership of the employment outcome by tracking whether identified retention risks are resolved and documenting participant employment status through required milestones.
  • Document identified retention risks, employer communications, referrals or escalations, and participant employment status in the client-management system.
  • Re-engage participants who lose employment and support timely re-placement when appropriate.
• Employment Verification & Reporting
  • Obtain and maintain required documentation verifying employment and participant income, including employer verification, pay documentation, wage rate, hours worked, start date, job title, and other documentation required by funders or MMDC.
  • Ensure placement and income-verification documentation is complete, accurate, and entered in the client-management system within established program timelines.
  • Maintain accurate and timely documentation of participant activity, employer contacts, referrals, interviews, offers, placements, wages, income, and retention outcomes in the client-management system.
  • Use placement and retention data to identify gaps, recommend program improvements, and take corrective action when outcomes are off track.
  • Monitor employer feedback and placement data to identify hiring trends, changing requirements, and emerging opportunities relevant to MMDC training pathways.
• Perform other duties and special projects as assigned to support the mission, goals, and operational needs of MMDC.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in workforce development, human resources, social work, education, business, or a related field preferred.
• 2+ years of experience in workforce development, job placement, recruiting, career services, employer engagement, or a related field.
• Demonstrated experience managing candidates or participants through a multi-step hiring or placement process and achieving measurable employment outcomes.
• Experience working with individuals who may face barriers to employment and the ability to provide responsive, participant-centered service while maintaining accountability.
• Strong organization, follow-through, and case-management skills, including the ability to manage a high-volume caseload, multiple hiring processes, and firm deadlines simultaneously.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills and demonstrated ability to work effectively with participants, employers, and cross-functional partners.
• Experience using a CRM, case-management system, applicant-tracking system, or similar database; proficiency with standard workplace technology.
• Knowledge of healthcare industry hiring practices and career pathways is preferred.
• Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States. MMDC does not provide employment visa sponsorship.

Physical Requirements

• Tasks require the ability to exert light physical effort in sedentary to light work, including lifting, carrying, pushing, and/or pulling objects and materials of light weight (5-10 pounds).
• Lifting/moving supplies.
• Tasks may involve extended periods at a keyboard or workstation.

Pay

Salary Range: $45,000 - $55,000.

Benefits

• Hybrid schedule
• Generous benefit package
• Parental leave
• Professional development opportunities
• 401(k) employer match
• 20 days per calendar year of paid leave
• At least 10 office closing days for public holidays
• Up to 10 remote workdays while traveling
• Phone reimbursement