Employment Specialist

Purpose

Support people with disabilities to find, start, and keep competitive, integrated employment. The Employment Specialist provides coaching, connects participants to resources and employers, and maintains clear, timely documentation so the whole team can deliver consistent support.

KJ Jones is an authorized Employment Consultant partnering with Washington State’s Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR). We support students, young adults, and adults—including justice-involved individuals—as they build skills, gain experience, and secure competitive, integrated employment with local employers.

We specialize in reentry employment services and provide the full service suite: Community-Based Assessment (CBA), Trial Work Experience (TWE), Job Placement, Intensive Training (job coaching), Job Retention, and Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS). We also partner with schools, agencies, and community-based organizations to strengthen program design, compliance, and data reporting—so systems and participants both thrive.

Description

Founded by Kendra Jones, our team brings 10+ years of workforce and reentry experience and uses evidence-based approaches, including EMPath’s Mobility Mentoring® and the Employment & Education Transition Framework, to deliver customized, participant-centered plans that drive long-term success. Our LaunchPad program helps eligible jobseekers move confidently into work.

Hi! I’m Kendra, founder of KJ Jones and the hiring manager for this role. I’m building a small, tight-knit team of Employment Specialists. We keep the work human, the tech simple, and the momentum real. If you like solving problems in the moment, cheering people on, and turning plans into first-day starts, we’d love to meet you.

Come work with me if you…

• care about people getting real jobs, not just services
• enjoy career coaching—resumes, interviews, confidence-building
• keep clean, easy-to-follow notes
• feel comfortable with video check-ins, messages, and shared docs
• like meeting employers and building community connections
• move fast, follow through, and communicate early and clearly
• value equity and meet people where they are
• don’t mind local travel and showing up in the community

What you’ll do

• Meet each person and set a plan. Learn strengths, interests, and what support they want at work or school.
• Coach for job readiness. Resumes, interview practice, applications, and digital skills.
• Match people to real jobs. Search, network, and line up leads that fit skills and goals.
• Support the first days on the job. Onboarding, schedules, workplace expectations, and simple accommodations.
• Partner with employers. Site visits, informational interviews, job shadows, and hiring events; share practical inclusion tips.
• Link to training and school options. Apprenticeships, short courses, community programs.
• Coordinate across systems. Work with counselors, schools, community colleges, and workforce partners to keep things moving.

How we work (our approach)

• Participant-centered. We ask first, listen well, and build on strengths.
• Trauma-informed & culturally responsive. Plain language, real choices, respect for lived experience.
• Accessibility-minded. We help arrange simple tools and accommodations that make work possible.
• Goal-driven. We draw on the Bridge to Self-Sufficiency™, Mobility Mentoring®, and EET ideas to set clear, doable steps.

What success looks like

• People understand their options and feel ready for interviews.
• Job leads fit each person’s skills, interests, and schedule.
• New hires get a smooth start and know who to contact for help.
• Notes are up to date, accurate, and easy to follow.
• Employers see us as responsive, respectful partners.

Qualifications

Required

• Experience in employment services, career coaching, or vocational support
• Comfort working with young people and adults, including those who are justice-involved
• Strong communication and coaching skills (listening, encouraging, problem-solving)
• Confident with basic tech (video calls, shared documents, messages)
• Able to keep accurate, timely notes

Preferred

• Experience with employer outreach or job development
• Experience in workforce or education programs (apprenticeships, short-term training)
• Knowledge of disability accommodations and inclusive workplace practices
• Lived experience or community ties that build trust with the people we serve

Work conditions

• Mix of community, home, school, employer sites, and virtual meetings
• Travel within the listed counties as needed
• Frequent use of phone, laptop, and video platforms

Support & growth

• You’ll have weekly huddles with help on practices and workflow questions.
• Ongoing training, case reviews, and practical tools to keep the work moving.