Program Specialist

Summary:

The Program Specialist performs a variety of administrative and program-specific tasks to support Mission Services programs and services. This position recruits, plans, organizes, and executes the Division's Career Exploration Camps and Internships activities. The position also develops and builds internal and external relationships for Mission Services Career Exploration Camps and Internship opportunities in conjunction with the Career and Skills Center Manager. Position is based out of the agency's Miami, Florida, headquarters location.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Coordinates, plans, and executes all aspects of the Career Exploration Camps and Internship activities.
• Coordinates Vocational Services Site Visits by the local school system.
• Makes cold calls and completes outreach visits to promote the Career Exploration Camps, Internship, and Vocational Services Site Visits.
• Works in conjunction with the Career and Skills Center staff, assisting out-of-school youth in the development of career navigation services.
• Assist the Career and Skills Center Manager in identifying appropriate opportunities for job shadowing, internships, and professional guest visitors to the Career Exploration Camp for participants.
• Makes presentations and attends various meetings to promote the Career and Skills Center.
• Provides customer service to varied levels of employees and external stakeholders and elevates issues as appropriate.
• Ensure participant information is timely entered into the appropriate form, database, or report, and maintain confidentiality requirements.
• Conducts a warm hand-off of the participant to peers to ensure they do not experience a delay in services.
• Comply with the agency's policy and procedures and Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities standards.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Must have the ability to establish and maintain good working relationships with community partners and at-risk youth.
• Must be a dynamic, enthusiastic individual with excellent interpersonal and communication skills, patience, diplomacy, and a high level of customer service skills to collaborate with a diverse workforce.
• Must be flexible, multi-task oriented, and able to prioritize job duties with minimal supervision, including flexibility in work hours.
• Must exercise discretion and confidentiality at all times.
• Must attend required meetings.
• Must have good written and computer skills necessary to perform job duties.
• Must follow all safety procedures and correct safety issues, if possible.
• Must have a valid driver's license and have access to a reliable vehicle.
• Able to operate a computer and MS Office software including Word and Excel.
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision. Responds appropriately to supervision.
• Ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences, and communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Demonstrates responsible behavior, initiative, effort, and commitment towards completing assignments efficiently.
• Demonstrate problem-solving skills and pay attention to detail.

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor's Degree preferred. A degree in human services, business administration, career counseling, workforce development, or a related field is preferred. Experience may be considered instead of education at the discretion of the Vice President of Mission Services.
• Previous experience in human resources, human services, or job development is a plus.
• Previous experience working with young adults and/or individuals with barriers to employment is a plus.
• Computer literate. Excellent organization, communication, and interpersonal skills.
• Bilingual (English/Spanish) highly desirable.

Competencies:

To perform the job successfully, an individual should demonstrate the following competencies:

• Problem Solving: Identifies and resolves problems promptly; develops alternative solutions; and uses reason even when dealing with emotional topics.
• Communication and customer services: Ability to read, write, and communicate effectively in English. Spanish/ French-Creole is a plus, but not required. Use appropriate terminology appropriate to the intended audience. Edit written work for spelling and grammar. Speaks clearly so others can understand. Demonstrates the ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences, and to get clarification.
• Mathematical Skills: Ability to apply concepts such as basic arithmetic calculations, fractions, percentages, ratios, and proportions to practical situations. Presents numerical data effectively.
• Ethics: Maintains high standards of ethical conduct, exhibits honesty and integrity, and refrains from theft-related, dishonest, or unethical behavior. Works with integrity and maintains confidentiality.
• Planning/Organizing: Prioritizes and plans work activities, uses time efficiently, and develops realistic action plans.
• Job Commitment: Accepts responsibility and demonstrates responsible behavior, shows initiative and tenacity; Works with minimal supervision and is dependable.
• Professionalism: Follows all corporate policies and procedures, Occupational Safety and Health Policies and Procedures, and responds to management directions. Maintain a professional demeanor with participants, staff, and other professionals. Project a positive image of Goodwill. Reacts well under pressure and accepts responsibility for their actions. Follows through on commitments.
• Work Quality: Demonstrates accuracy, completeness, and neatness. Seek opportunities to enhance and promote quality. Applies feedback to improve performance. Monitors own work to ensure quality.
• Quantity of work: Produces the amount of work assigned by the manager in an efficient and timely manner.
• Attendance/Punctuality: Report to work on time as scheduled and remain on the job throughout regular work hours. Notify supervisor of lateness, absence, or if an urgent reason for leaving work arises. Commit to long hours for work when necessary to reach goals; Complete tasks on time or notify supervisor of an alternate plan.
• Teamwork: Works and interacts with others to accomplish overall group goals; solicits feedback to maximize results.
• Safety and Security: Observes safety and security procedures; Reports any safety deficiency to the immediate supervisor. Uses equipment and materials properly. Knows what "Material Safety Data Sheets" are and where they are kept.
• Personal Characteristic: Dress in appropriate business attire. Professionally conducts self, takes initiative, is dependable, accurate, and takes pride in work.

Physical Demands - The physical demands described here are representative of those that an employee must meet to perform the essential functions of this job successfully. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand, walk, talk, hear, use hands to finger, handle, or feel, reach with hands and arms, climb or balance, stoop, and crouch. Carry, push, and pull. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.