What We Do: New Door Ventures prepares young people (ages 18-24) from the culturally rich communities of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose for work and life. Through our three programs (Employment, Education, and Career Services), we provide dedicated support and a safe space for young people to explore career opportunities and build the skills and confidence they need to achieve economic mobility.
To serve our Oakland Employment Program we are currently hiring a Workforce Development Advocate.
How We Show Up: Our values—Respect, Trust, Collaboration, Learning, and Innovation—guide everything we do. We are committed to fostering an inclusive and supportive community where young people feel valued, empowered, and equipped with the skills and opportunities to succeed. Our Workforce Development Advocates lead with compassion for the youth we serve and hold a strong belief in their ability to secure and sustain high quality employment as a pathway to economic mobility.
About the Job: Workforce Development Advocates implement a holistic, trauma-informed approach to supporting participants in workforce readiness. This role focuses on guiding participants in practicing and applying essential soft skills for employment as well as job readiness coaching as they complete internships. Advocates serve as a key link between youth and site partners to ensure participants have the resources and support needed to not only succeed in their roles, but successfully transition into long-term, paid job opportunities.
Additionally, Workforce Advocates will partner with New Door’s Transition Services team to connect those who are interested in sector and/or career-based employment. Our research-based program aligns with known predictive milestones for economic mobility: create enabling conditions (e.g., establish safe and trusting relationships), build assets (e.g., resume and interview skills), and promote agency (e.g., goal setting). Workforce Advocates work closely with instructors and other team members to provide a wholly integrated experience for program participants.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS & SKILLS:

• 1-3 years of experience in vocational training for transition age youth, adult education, or similar settings, preferably in a youth employment or workforce program
• Demonstrated success as a Workforce Advocate, or a similar role
• Superior youth engagement and relationship management skills
• Demonstrated facility with workforce and youth development principles and practices
• Experience with trauma-informed work and an awareness of not only self-care needs, but how to care for colleagues and clients
• External partner relationship management experience
• Motivated self-manager with a high degree of attention to detail, and demonstrated organization and time management skills
• Experience with Oakland transition-age youth needs and the resources available for historically oppressed people
• Ability to use appropriate computer and reporting systems including Windows operating system, Microsoft Office Suite, and Outlook (Apricot or Salesforce knowledge a plus).
• The equivalent of, or a Bachelor’s degree (or higher) in a related area to social services
• Desired, but not required: Bilingual, preferably Spanish
  Compensation Our Philosophy and Process: At New Door Ventures, we value our staff and strive to provide competitive compensation packages to attract and retain top talent in our sector. Salary ranges are organized by level, and staff competency is rated on a five-point scale from novice to mastery.

Workforce Advocate is a level 2 position (individual contributor), and the salary range for that level is $56,000.00 – $75,800.00 per year. Candidate offers will be made within that range* dependent on demonstrated competency achieved and readiness for the position. Compensation is reviewed annually. Total rewards include medical, dental, vision, mental health, and commuter benefits, FSA plan, a matched 403(b) retirement savings plan, tuition support, annual individual PD budget, and PTO of 8+ weeks in the first year including 13 vacation days, ~10 sick days, 13.5 company holidays, and an annual year-end rest (typically the week of January 1st).

• New Door has a living wage salary floor, which means that all staff will earn a starting salary of $63,000.00 regardless of competency achievement.

Staff Learning & Development: New Door Ventures challenges staff professionally and provides ample professional development opportunities and on-the-job growth. Each staff member joins the team with a robust 90-day onboarding plan, designed to train them in their new job. At the conclusion of onboarding, each person will develop an annual individual development plan to achieve personal business and growth goals.
New Door Ventures is a safe space for all, regardless of race, gender, sexuality, country of origin, religion, or ability. Candidates from diverse backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply. New Door Ventures is a 501(c)3 community-serving nonprofit and an Equal Opportunity Employer that strives to have a diverse team representative of the young people it serves.
Apply Here
While New Door seeks candidates with a skilled work history to support our growth and represent our leadership in the sector, we believe that diversity of experience makes us a stronger, more prepared team. If your resume does not demonstrate direct work experience in the role you are applying for, please tell us in a cover letter why your alternative experience prepares you for success in the position

A CURRENT ADVOCATE DESCRIBED THEIR WORK AND ROLE THIS WAY:

“What I like about working at New Door is that I get the opportunity to give back to the next generation of my city and see some of myself in the youth we serve. I benefited a lot from mentorship, and seeing that from the other side has been humbling.”
This position is non-exempt and located primarily on-site at New Door’s Oakland location. New Door employs a hybrid work location policy, with a 3:2 office/remote cadence. New Door’s Uptown Oakland office is a comfortable, welcoming space, equipped to keep staff and clients protected from transmission of infectious disease. Office space is open-plan and shared with a collaborative, respectful team.
Who You Are: If you thrive in a mission-driven environment where relationships matter, diversity of thought is valued, new ideas are encouraged, teamwork is expected, and growth is supported, you’ll find a lot of synergy with New Door’s ethos.

What Success Looks Like: Our ideal candidate will be a highly skilled, self-motivated, and accountable contributor with a high degree of social-emotional intelligence. They demonstrate effective time management and organizational skills and comfort working in a collaborative and innovative work environment. They lead with superior communication and interpersonal skills as well as a commitment to advancing economic mobility for opportunity youth. They will report to the Oakland Program Manager and show:

• Demonstrated passion for their work
• Confident interaction with youth and staff at all levels of the organization
• Effective engagement in collaborative partnerships with program and other teams
• Initiative and a continuous improvement lens
• Focus on the success of our youth throughout the program

Secondary Responsibilities:

• Workshop Support – 10%
• Support workshop facilitators during training workshops and skill-development opportunities in the areas of job readiness, workplace behavior, and independent living skills
• This includes running presentation slides, charting/notetaking, promoting a positive learning environment, engaging in group discussions, etc.
• Intake Assessments – 5%
• Assist with scheduling and facilitating intake assessments with prospective participant