Do you believe that all Tennessee families deserve to thrive? Do you want to be a part of a team that works collaboratively to make that vision a reality? As the backbone agency for the Tennessee Alliance for Economic Mobility (TAEM), a public-private partnership compromised of over 30 organizations, the Martha O’Bryan Center is now hiring positions that will be critical to the collaborative’s success. Through a four-year $25 million investment from the Tennessee Department of Human Services, TAEM will reimagine how to support families in moving out of poverty and into opportunity. Across 16 counties, TAEM is supporting over 900 families in moving beyond the benefits cliff—the point when families abruptly lose their benefits due to often nominal increases in income (think: just a few dollars more per hour), which leaves families worse off financially when they increase their income. In making the most fiscally responsible decision for their families, many limit their potential by not pursuing increased earnings or education in response. Through an innovative transitional benefit, financial counseling, family-centered coaching, wrap-around supports, and equitable access to employment and education pathways, TAEM is demonstrating a new way forward for the Tennessee safety net, thus creating a scalable statewide solution that incentivizes employment and increases family self-sufficiency.

POSITION SUMMARY

The TAEM Employer Relations Specialist works to identify opportunities to build capacity for caregiver employment in our partner agencies and service counties by cultivating direct employer relationships. This role is grant funded through the Tennesse Opportunity Pilot Program. This is a full time, regular position, located at the Martha O’Bryan Center. This position reports to the TAEM Director.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skills, and/or abilities required.

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in fields of Human or Social Services, Business, or related field
• Two or more years of experience in employer relations and/or workforce development.
• Deep knowledge of and relationships of the employer landscape in Middle Tennessee, specifically for individuals experiencing poverty.
• Non-profit experience preferred.
• Training in trauma-informed care, family-centered coaching, conscious discipline, and ACES preferred.

The above qualifications express the minimum standards of education and/or experience for this position. Other combinations of education and experience, if evaluated as equivalent, may be taken into consideration.

KNOWLEDGE AND ABILITIES:

• Passion for working with people.
• Knowledge of Middle Tennessee employment opportunities.
• Strong interpersonal skills; excellent customer service skills.
• Builds and maintains positive relationships with internal and external constituents.
• Maintains credibility through sincerity, honesty, and discretion
• Strong project management skills.
• Ability to communicate complex ideas.
• Strong time management skills; uses time effectively; consistently meets deadlines.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Strong organizational skills.
• Maintains a high level of confidentiality regarding sensitive information.
• Documents regularly, thoroughly, accurately, and completely.
• High level of detail and accuracy.
• Exercises good and consistently fair judgment, courtesy, and tact in dealing with the staff and public in giving and obtaining information.
• Computer literate including familiarity with word processing, spreadsheet, database, desk top publishing software, email and the internet.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Essential duties and responsibilities include the following. Other duties may be assigned.

• Cultivates relationships with employers across middle Tennessee, for the purpose of connecting caregivers directly to employment opportunities.
• Leads the development of written policies/manual related to employer relationships and workforce development.
• Works at county-level to participate in pre-existing collaborative efforts to build awareness, increase funding and capacity, and leverage resources towards creating pathways to employment for caregivers.
• Supports training of Employment and Education Specialists in connecting with employment partners
• Supports Employment and Educations Specialists with coaching and technical assistance related to employment opportunities and helping caregivers locate pathways to economic mobility.
• Models a culture of learning and growth that enables Employment and Education specialists to be curious about families’ goals and outcomes, associated data, and approaches that could both better support families in achieving their employment goals and help TAEM achieve its targeted outcomes.
• Communicates with Employment and Education Specialists on an ongoing basis, serving as a point of contact related to day-to-day responsibilities of their role.
• Alongside the Lead Employment Specialist and Lead Education Specialist, convenes Employment and Education Specialists regularly to build community, share experience, surface challenges and opportunities, and continuously improve services.”
• Supports Employment and Education Specialists in events that build social capital among TAEM participants.
• Continuously reviews data and processes to improve processes and outcomes.

The special demands described here are representative of those that must be met by a staff member to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

• Regular regional travel within Middle Tennessee (up to 60%)