Employment Counselor

Reports to: Director of Empowerment

Status: Full-time, 40 hour per week

Pay rate: $20.00 – $24.00 per hour, depending on qualifications

Benefits: Medical, Dental, HSA, Life Insurance, Long-Term Disability, Accident Insurance, Short-Term Disability, PTO and Holiday Pay

 Arrive Ministries is a Christian nonprofit seeking life transformation for refugees, immigrants, and the Church. Arrive Ministries is a refugee resettlement agency, providing resettlement services to newly-arriving refugees.

Job Summary: The Employment Counselor is responsible for assisting refugee, immigrant, and asylee clients—who have been in the U.S. for fewer than five years—with securing and maintaining permanent employment. This role supports clients in overcoming barriers to employment by delivering job readiness training, developing employment plans, and connecting them with job opportunities that promote long-term stability. The position combines case management, employment services, and relationship building with local employers.

Responsibilities:

• Complete client enrollments and intakes that include assessing client skills, language, and workplan for job placements
• Providing coaching needed to overcome barriers to employment before and after job placement
• Working with clients to set goals, drafting individual employment plans, resumes and to provide job readiness trainings to orient clients to US work culture
• Securing potential employment opportunities for clients, accompanying them to interviews, and providing guidance and interpretation as appropriate
• Work with team to complete yearly initial job placement goals and job upgrades as part of the employment contractual obligations
• Building and maintaining relationships with employers to find new job opportunities for clients
• Maintaining timely and accurate case notes and case file records; updating databases according to Department of Human Services and Refugee Programs Office contractual obligations.

Knowledge and Skills

Required:

• Bachelor’s degree in business, global studies, communications or related field
• Two-plus years of experience in a cross-cultural, social service, ministry or business setting that involved serving clients, advocating for others, managing casework, or working energetically and creatively to solve problems
• Demonstrated ability to work independently, communicate professionally (verbal and written), take initiative, and build collaborative professional relationships with internal and external partners
• Patience and compassion with people in transition and limited English capabilities
• Agree with and adhere to Transform Minnesota’s Statement of Faith, Core Values and Code of Conduct

Preferred:

• Ability to speak a second, relevant language (Pashto, Somali, Arabic, Oromo, Swahili, Spanish, Ukrainian, etc)
• Experience working with individuals from a refugee or immigrant background
• Experience and familiarity with social service and employment environment in the Twin Cities metro area