Career Navigator

Working at Northern Virginia Family Service (NVFS) means doing work that matters every day because of the difference you will make in the lives of children and families in Northern Virginia. NVFS’ breadth, depth and scope of services offer the resources and support to ensure that everyone in need, at every stage of life, maximizes their potential and fully contributes to a thriving community. At NVFS, we value the diversity of backgrounds, experience, perspectives, and skillsets that we collectively provide to our community, clients and coworkers. We celebrate and thrive on our differences and welcome everyone’s unique contributions.

Join the NVFS Family: We are looking to hire a Career Navigator to join the NVFS Community Housing Team! As a Career Navigator, you will work to reduce barriers and create opportunities for program participants to obtain gainful and stable employment. As the Navigator, you will work one-on-one with clients to build trust, conduct career assessments, identify short-term training opportunities and work side-by-side with clients to move towards the clients’ employment goals. Additionally, you will work closely with assigned program area’s case management team to support clients and will enjoy the comradery and collaboration of other Career Navigators who work with different programs.

Benefits and Compensation: We want you to be well, have work/life flexibility, grow your career with us, and have the resources and support you need. Check out our comprehensive benefit offerings here in support of various dimensions of your wellbeing. This position has a salary range in the low to mid 40s.

In this role, you will be responsible for:  

• Conduct one-on-one job counseling sessions with clients to surface employment goals:
  • Understand and assess client background, skills, interests, challenges, barriers, and current employment situation.
  • Identify employment goals and create an action plan that may include relevant training opportunities.
  • Assist clients in job search and application process.
  • Communicate with employers on hiring needs and connect them with clients to ensure successful job placement.
  • Meetings with clients take place virtually, in the office or a mutually agreed upon public space convenient for the client.
• Identify and pursue existing internal and external resources to aid clients in meeting their career goals and removing barriers. Examples include but are not limited to volunteer opportunities, financial counseling, and federal/state/local government resources which help improve clients’ confidence and/or interpersonal skills according to their individual needs.
• Coordinate community and corporate volunteer groups to conduct job support activities for shelter clients, including but not limited to job searches, resume reviews, mock interviews, and professional development on various employment topics.
• Participate in regular team meetings with Career Navigator team as well as supervision with supervisor.
• Communicate regularly and collaborate with case management team and other program teams as applicable; keep them informed of clients’ progress and to provide consistent support to clients.
• Maintain client files in accordance with program requirements and NVFS guidelines.
• May perform other duties as assigned.

Supervisory Responsibilities:         

• May be assigned to supervise, train, support, and/or collaborate with volunteer(s) and/or intern(s).

Your Background:  We understand that you may obtain skills through a variety of professional, personal, educational, and volunteer experiences.

• Prefer one of the following:
  • At least three (3) years of experience in related field such as coaching, adult education or workforce development;
  • Bachelor’s degree in Social Work or related human services field; OR
  • A combination of education and relevant experience.
• Experience serving high-barrier/low income/vulnerable populations or non-English speaking and low literacy adults. This may include volunteering, internships, and/or personal lived experiences.
• Proficiency in usage of basic technological tools including laptops/computers, email, phones, internet virtual meeting and learning platforms; working knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite.
• Oral and written fluency in English; bilingual language fluency in client languages (such as Spanish and/or Arabic) a plus. Additional language skills always welcome.
• Must be able to demonstrate and live the organizational values of Communication, Integrity, Respect, Collaboration, and Accountability.
• Successful completion of background checks
• May be called upon to work beyond normal working hours
• Must have reliable transportation to visit designated community locations, as needed, for client meetings

NVFS is committed to advancing equity, embracing diversity, and promoting inclusion and is an equal opportunity employer. NVFS is an E-Verify participant and drug-free workplace.

NVFS values diversity in our workforce. We strongly encourage all interested individuals to apply, including people of color, all genders and gender identities, people of all abilities, LGBTQ+ individuals, other members of marginalized communities, veterans and national service alumni.