Lead Career Development Specialist

Company: JobTrain
Location: Menlo Park
Posted on: February 16, 2026

Job Description:

Job Description Job Description About JobTrain JobTrain is an organization on the move. We are delivering best in class outcomes, increasing our reach by expanding regionally, and we have committed to an ambitious new expanded mission to help our community to advance beyond the initial job placement, providing career advancement programming to help them achieve “full economic mobility.” Born out of the civil rights movement in 1965, we’ve been servicing literally anyone and everyone who journeys through our doors at one of our (now) six, Bay Area career or training centers. We create an environment and workspace where our staff reflects the diversity of the communities we serve, fostering a safe and welcoming place for our clients. We deliver on some of the best outcomes in the workforce development field, with a vision to provide our clients with the long-term support they need to achieve full economic mobility. We are growing, and we need your help! Position Summary The Lead Career Development Specialist (CDS) plays a key role in our vocational education and student placement program. The primary responsibilities of the Lead CDS include recruiting clients for our programs, assisting clients with eligibility documentation and assessments to enroll as students, scheduling enrollments and orientations for clients becoming students, addressing and overcoming barriers to education and employment, coaching and guiding students preparing them for the workplace, and developing and maintaining employer partnerships to for jobs and placement opportunities for our graduating students. This position offers flexible hours and locations; however, 3 days minimum are expected to work in-office depending upon the needs of the clients, students and organization. During the initial training period, working from home may be restricted or unavailable. Major Duties and Responsibilities Outreach – Represent JobTrain at outreach events designed to recruit potential clients, students and employers. Build and manage relationships with at least 5 potential employers for graduating students. Connect employers to other CDS. Orientation / Registration - Conduct orientation for clients interested in becoming students, guide clients through intake documentation and assessments to determine eligibility for low- and no-cost services, process registration and enroll student-clients into vocational workshops and educational programs. Audit orientation of new CDS when training is needed & provide feedback. Coaching / Counseling / Case Management – Monitor and document student-client progress and provide feedback on a regular basis. Provide personal and career counseling and coaching as needed. Refer for additional supportive services and co-case manage as needed. Train and model strategies for new CDS as needed. Act as the 1st touchpoint for CDS team for student escalations. Training - Evaluate client needs and provide 1-1 or group training as needed on topics such as resume writing, mock interviews, critical thinking, soft skills, role play, appropriate dress and grooming in various workplaces. Provide training to new CDS as needed. Seek to modify, enhance or identify additional trainings as new client needs are identified. Seek out potential training partners for specialized support Work Experience / Job Placement - Facilitate job search, job placement, and work experience externships. Track employer partner leads for potential placements. Provide trainings to community partners. Identify job opportunities and present job leads. Submit resumes to potential employers. Track employer placements for subsequent reporting. Curate at least 4 new employers consistently per quarter. Support CDS team with outreach. Reporting – Deliver and report status, outcomes and program deliverables for internal / external audiences in a timely manner. Act as the 1st line of support for training and reporting needs within Salesforce. Also assist with the training of new associates. Collaborate – Partner with career development staff and JobTrain staff to provide input / feedback to document and proactively and continuously improve career development / JobTrain processes. Assist with process improvement documentation. Be a thought leader in WASC reviews. Qualifications Experience 4 years of relevant career experience in the job development and placement space. 4 years of proven experience with: Workforce development (LMI, labor force dynamics) as it relates to job placement. Demonstrates effective owning and managing workflow, paperwork and documentation, ensuring document and workflow processes are complete, meeting deadlines. Able to provide assistance to others learning workflow. Experience managing caseload of 40 or more students. Demonstrated ability to adapt to multiple career pathways and support other cohorts as needed. Direct experience working with specialized populations experiencing barriers to employment (ie: people experiencing homelessness, low-income/public assistance, justice engaged, long-term unemployment, mature workers, DV survivors, etc.). Understands and implements workforce development strategies matcing the needs of specialized populations. Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Understanding of caseload management and documentation, including assessing and meeting client job and career needs, staying organized in follow up, documentation, and reporting job placements. Use AI to optmize student job search strategies, resumes, pre & post interview actions. Incorporate AI into the CTE process to maximize workflows and processes. Excellent customer service and client rapport-building skills demonstrated by maintaining and modeling a professional demeanor while efficiently performing the required job duties. Communication skills, especially the ability to guide conversations and achieve employment goals effectively & efficiently. Facilitation and public speaking skills with the ability to deliver training workshops in a variety of settings on a 1-1 basis or for a group. Critical thinking through a lens of empathy, compassion, equity, innovation & inclusion. Understanding of grant funded programs, eligibility criteria, databases & reporting parameters. Ability to work independently, autonomously and toward JobTrain’s mission and career development team goals (i.e.: organization & task management, set and meet personal and professional goals, use adequate discernment). Broad familiarity with software and systems (i.e.: MS Suite, spreadsheets, databases, meeting technology, etc.) Must be able to travel to different sites as needed, within Santa Clara & San Mateo Counties, including occasional evenings and weekends. Compensation and Benefits: JobTrain offers a competitive salary, numerous health benefit plans and premium coverage of 90%, vision and dental, flex spending and HSA programs, 401K with a 5% match after joining, EAP and emergency services, vacation time, paid sick leave, long-term disability and life insurance. We also pay employees for 10 observed holidays including a whole week off between Christmas Eve and New Years Day. The salary rate for this position is $73,926.04. Additional Information We want applicants who are interested in JobTrain’s mission, and we encourage you to attach a cover letter to explain why you are interested in JobTrain and how your experience matches with our needs. At JobTrain, we take the interview process very seriously. If you are selected to move through the process you should expect a couple of telephone screen calls and one or two Zoom / on-site interviews as part of the interview process. JobTrain is an equal opportunity employer/program. Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities. Additionally, JobTrain does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, ethnic background, religion, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, physical or mental disability or national origin. Also, please note: Our focus is on local candidates, we do not offer relocation benefits. Successful candidates must have legal residency and work eligibility in the United States (per INS Form I-9 instructions). JobTrain will require the successful candidate to undergo a background check. Powered by JazzHR f2trdnIdCV

Keywords: JobTrain, North Highlands , Lead Career Development Specialist, Human Resources , Menlo Park, California