Within the Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development (OSPCD) the Post-Secondary Success Coach (Year 13), works to create, maintain, and strengthen the Year 13 Program for recent graduates of Somerville Public Schools and youth residing in Somerville, MA. The Year 13 Program is intended to serve students with the highest need to be prepared for post-secondary success (defined as persistence in a college degree program, completion of an industry-recognized certification, or maintaining a “Quality Job” as described by Somerville’s Office of Workforce and Talent Development. The Post-Secondary Success Coach (Year 13) will collaborate with and convene city wide, multi stakeholder partnerships committed to the post-secondary success of Somerville High School graduates who identify under the program’s target populations.

This is a temporary 1-year grant-funded position, with an anticipated end date of June 2024.

Essential Functions:

The essential functions or duties listed below are intended only as illustrations of the various types of work that may be performed. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related, or a logical assignment to the position.

• Convene key community stakeholders to provide a coordinated system of supports for program participants in completion of first year college, job-readiness trainings, employment placement and/or other post-secondary programming.
• Provide coaching services to Somerville Public School graduates and youth residing in Somerville who qualify for the Post-Secondary Success Program. Coaching will occur virtually and in person through individual meetings and group programming.
• Continuously strengthen partnerships at higher education institutions, employers, training providers and other applicable cross-sector partners to ensure successful outcomes for participants.
• Project Management activities such as processing of tutor payments and other programmatic tasks.
• Interface with local community, other city departments, and state/federal agencies to promote post-secondary success program, answer inquiries, and provide grant reporting documentation.
• Prepare written project analysis/response.
• Prepare staff reports for a variety of Boards and Commissions.
• Present case information at Board and Commission meetings.
• Work in close cooperation with the other divisions (e.g., Planning and Zoning, Transportation and Infrastructure, Housing) that comprise the Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development (OSPCD)
• Manage tutor contracts and budgets, monitors project progress, evaluates consultant work and ensures contract deliverables;
• Work with City Economic Development staff to create and build out a recruitment plan, attend recruitment events at Somerville High School and other venues.
• Maintain accurate detailed transition supports and student records in database.
• Collect and analyze quantitative and qualitative data related to participant programs
• Help coordinate community outreach and public participation processes for workforce development initiatives
• Other duties as assigned.

Recommended Minimum Qualifications:

Education and Experience: Bachelor’s Degree in Communication, Human Services, Psychology, Education or related field, and three-five (3-5) work years’ experience in community engagement, youth work and/or career coaching; or any equivalent combination of education, training and experience which provides the required knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the essential functions of the job. Applications demonstrating lived experience with youth populations are encouraged.

Special Requirements:

Job duties include attending some evening meetings as necessary.

Knowledge, Abilities and Skill:

• Knowledge: Knowledge of community action groups, neighborhoods, and community needs; considerable knowledge of workforce development, higher education processes, career coaching models, wrap around supports and marketing as applied to planning and service delivery. Considerable knowledge and experience with relation to municipal and community-based service delivery, referral mechanisms and services and wrap around services. Working knowledge of personal computers, case management software, and marketing. Thorough knowledge of workforce development planning principles and practices; and thorough knowledge of local training opportunities that lead to sustainable employment, labor practices, and current workforce trends. Strong knowledge of Excel, PowerPoint, Photoshop, Illustrator, and social media applications is preferred.
• Ability: Ability to analyze problems, prepare technical reports and formulate recommendations; ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing with contractors, supervisors, program participants, and the public. Demonstrates the ability to work as a team member and maintain project timelines; continuous effort to improve operations, decrease turnaround times, streamline work processes, and work cooperatively and jointly to provide quality customer service to the public at-large. Ability to use or learn Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and other remote meeting software.
• Skill: This position requires strong skills in verbal and written communication, excellent customer service skills. Bi-lingual ability in Spanish, Portuguese, Haitian-Creole, Nepali and/or Mandarin is preferred but not required. Skilled public speaker; excellent data analytics, planning and marketing.

Work Environment:

The work environment involves everyday discomforts typical of offices, with occasional exposure to outside elements. Noise or physical surroundings may be distracting, but conditions are generally not unpleasant. Employee may be required to work beyond normal business hours in response to attend evening meetings or complete work assignments.

Physical and Mental Requirements:
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the position’s essential functions.

Physical Skills:
Minimal physical demands are required to perform the work. Work effort principally involves sitting to perform work tasks, with intermittent periods of stooping, walking, and standing. Work requires some agility such as moving in or about construction sites or over rough terrain. There may also be some occasional lifting of objects such as office equipment or photocopy paper (up to 30lbs.).

Motor Skills:
Duties are largely mental rather than physical, but the job may occasionally require minimal motor skills for activities such as moving objects, operating a telephone, personal computer and/or most other office equipment including word processing, filing and sorting of papers.

Visual Skills:
Visual demands require constantly reading documents for general understanding and analytical purposes.

Hours: Full-Time
Salary: $70,358.09 annualized + benefits
Union: Non-Union
Date Posted: January 24, 2023

This is a temporary 1-year grant-funded position, with an anticipated end date of June 2024.

City of Somerville residents are especially encouraged to apply.

The City of Somerville is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, age, national origin, disability or any other protected category. Women, minorities, veterans, and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply. Auxiliary aids and services, written materials in alternative formats, and reasonable modifications in policies and procedures will be provided to qualified individuals with disabilities free of charge, upon request.

Persons with disabilities who need auxiliary aids and services for effective communication (i.e., CART, ASL), written materials in alternative formats, or reasonable modifications in policies and procedures in order to access the programs, activities, and meetings of the City of Somerville should please contact Adrienne Pomeroy at 617-625-6600 x 2059 or apomeroy@somervillema.gov.

Benefits Somerville Offers

• 4 weeks annual vacation (for non-union positions) & for union positions this varies by contract
• Medical insurance through the Group Insurance Commission (GIC)
• Dental coverage low and high plans through Cigna
• Vision care through the Vision Service Plan (VSP)
• Long term disability through Sun Life
• Group and voluntary life insurance through Boston Mutual
• Flexible spending plans through Benefit Strategies
• Deferred compensation through a choice of three vendors
• Employee assistance through the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) provided by E4Health
• Cancer screening & wellness release
• Somerville Retirement Pension System
• Tuition reimbursement
• MBTA pass program
• FREE Blue Bikes membership
• Eligible employer for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program (PSLF)

Benefits listed are for benefits-eligible positions and the above information is meant to be a general overview of the benefit programs offered by the City of Somerville. This is not a binding contract, for any questions relating to benefits for specific union and non-union positions please contact the Human Resources department by calling (617) 625-6600 x 3300.

COVID-19 Vaccination Required

To better protect the health and safety of staff and the public, all City of Somerville employees must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as of November 1, 2021. Exemptions and/or reasonable accommodations are not guaranteed and will be reviewed by the City of Somerville Human Resources Department on a case-by-case basis. Learn more at www.somervillema.gov/HR/COVID19.

ultN1hjnf1