Employment Counselor

Reports to: Employment Program Manager
Status: Full-time, 40 hour/week, with benefits

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 works with clients to secure permanent employment. The Employment Counselor is responsible for facilitating job readiness and job placement for refugee, immigrant, and asylee clients who have been in the U.S. less than five years.

Responsibilities:

• Assessing client skills, language, and readiness for employment
• Providing coaching needed to overcome barriers to employment before and after job placement
• Working with clients to set goals, drafting individual employment plans and providing training 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 accurate records and 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, Oromo, Swahili, Spanish, Ukrainian)
• Experience working with individuals from a refugee or immigrant background
• Familiarity with social service and employment environment in the Twin Cities metro area