Vocational Specialist

Responsibilities

• Administering vocational, career, and transition assessments—including annual age-appropriate inventories, work readiness evaluations, and student profiles beginning at age 14—and supporting teachers and coordinators in selecting and completing transition assessments for ITP development.
• Developing individualized vocational and career training plans aligned to IEP schedules and providing data and documentation to support IEP/ITP progress reporting.
• Supporting classrooms in facilitating on-campus unpaid vocational training, career exploration, work-based learning, and pre-employment curriculum activities.
• Designing and scheduling new on-campus vocational training opportunities to expand hands-on learning pathways.
• Procuring and distributing curriculum resources, tools, and materials necessary to sustain high-quality vocational programming.
• Ensuring compliance with WAI practices, Department of Labor regulations, and IEP/ITP goals while overseeing student training activities.
• Providing individualized job coaching on and off campus and training classroom staff and stakeholders on effective job methods, procedures, and coaching strategies.
• Managing daily operations of school-based businesses (SBB), overseeing student participation, and maintaining efficient business practices.
• Cooking and facilitating community-based work training by developing new employer partnerships, facilitating job matching, supporting employer relationships, monitoring satisfaction, and addressing concerns in collaboration with school staff.
• Creating and maintaining student work and training schedules while communicating updates consistently to students and staff.
• Overseeing student payroll processes for the WAI program by adhering to payroll procedures, processing work permits and renewals, preparing required documentation (including W-4 and I-9 forms), and training staff and students on payroll protocols.
• Submitting timesheets promptly and tracking payroll documentation to ensure accuracy and compliance.
• Attending required trainings and meetings on and off campus to remain aligned with program expectations and regulatory requirements.
• Collecting and analyzing student data for WAI grant reporting and reporting outcomes as directed to demonstrate program impact.

Qualifications

• A high school diploma or equivalent with passage of basic skills test.
• A bachelor's degree or higher in education or a closely related field of study preferred.
• Hold currently or have the ability to obtain a valid CA state driver's license.
• Willingness and ability to drive a company van and transport students within the community.
• Ability to obtain and maintain certification in company-approved crisis management training.
• Prior experience and/or highly knowledgeable in providing children with vocational education, job coaching services and/or job experience training.
• Prior experience and highly knowledgeable in program management and/or development and working with databases and spreadsheets.
• Highly skilled in working with children with learning disabilities, autism spectrum disorders, emotional behavioral disorders and/or other related disabilities.
• Proficiency in providing motivation and having critical conversations with students that move them toward realistic goals.
• Highly skilled in building relationships with students, parents, teachers and community and/or business partners.
• Proven ability to effectively prioritize tasks and meet deadlines while maintaining organization and attention to detail.
• Advanced oral and written communication, organization, conflict resolution, multitasking, problem solving, and decision-making ability.
• Well-versed in the use of relevant technology including experience with computers, Microsoft Office Suite, database entry and basic office equipment.

Benefits

• Comprehensive Medical, Dental and Vision Plans
• FREE Telehealth and Virtual Counseling Sessions
• FREE Health Advocacy Services and 24/7 Nurse Line
• Company Paid Life & Disability Insurance
• Company Paid Employee Assistance Program
• Flexible Spending and Health Savings Accounts
• Personal Protection Insurance Plans
• Cigna Healthy Pregnancies, Healthy Babies Program
• Legal Services Insurance
• Pet Health Insurance
• Accrual-based Paid Time Off
• School Hours and Paid Holiday Schedule
• Extensive Personal and Life Event Paid Leave Policy
• 401k Retirement Saving Plan
• Perks at Work Employee Discount Program
• Opportunities for Growth & Development