Placement Specialist

Job Title: Placement Specialist Department: Workforce Development (WFD) Reports to: Program Manager FLSA Status: Exempt Mission Support: Goodwill Houston (GWH) is transforming lives by connecting people to opportunities that advance the future of work. Through education, training, and employment, we create pathways to success for individuals facing employment barriers.

We empower people, strengthen families, and impact communities by addressing both immediate and future workforce needs. With the generous support of our donors and retail customers, we are changing lives through the power of work.

Position Summary

Responsible for connecting job-ready Career Center customers with employment opportunities and achieving verified employment outcomes. This position supports customers from career readiness through employer referrals, interviews, employment, verification, and retention follow-up. Accountable for maintaining an active placement pipeline, meeting established employment goals, accurately documenting outcomes in Case.

Worthy, and supporting GWH’s commitment to helping individuals achieve economic mobility through meaningful employment. Maintain an active presence at the designated work location to support customers, colleagues, Career Center operations, and business needs.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Career Readiness and Workshops: Facilitate Career Readiness Workshops onsite at the designated Career Center, serving customers primarily in person while simultaneously providing virtual access, when appropriate, for customers who are unable to participate onsite. Deliver engaging instruction in resume development, interviewing, job-search strategies, digital literacy for the job search, workplace expectations, professional communication, and employment preparation.

Conduct mock interviews and provide structured, individualized interview feedback. Customer participation may occur in person or virtually based on service needs. Adapt workshop delivery to customer learning needs while maintaining consistency with established curriculum, learning objectives, and service standards. Provide individual coaching and feedback to strengthen customer resumes, interviewing skills, professional presentation, and job-search effectiveness.

Assess customer participation and readiness during workshops and coordinate appropriate next steps with Career Navigators, Employment Specialists, and other Career Center staff. Connect workshop participants to employment opportunities, hiring events, employer spotlights, training opportunities, and other Career Center services.

Employment Placement: Maintain an active pipeline of job-ready customers and provide individualized employment placement assistance. Work with Career Navigators and Employment Specialists to identify customers who are ready to transition into active employment placement. Confirm and document work-ready status upon assignment and complete an individualized customer work profile within forty-eight (48) hours.

Assess customer occupational interests, skills, experience, credentials, wage expectations, shift availability, transportation, and other factors that influence successful placement. Match qualified customers with employment opportunities based on customer qualifications and employer requirements. Assist customers with targeted job searches, applications, interview preparation, employer follow-up, and other placement activities.

Coordinate interview logistics with customers, including scheduling, confirmation, transportation, professional attire, and required documentation. Provide consistent follow-up following applications, interviews, hiring events, and employer referrals. Re-engage customers who have completed Career Center or training services but have not yet secured employment.

Promote employment opportunities that support career advancement, economic mobility, and achievement of GWH wage goals. Placement Pipeline Management: Maintain an organized pipeline of customers actively seeking employment with clearly identified next steps. Prioritize placement activity based on customer readiness, employer demand, available job opportunities, training completion, and credential attainment.

Track customer progress through job referral, application, interview, job offer, start date, employment verification, and retention. Monitor employer referrals and ensure timely customer and employer follow-up. Prepare and submit a weekly placement status report to Employment Specialists, Career Navigators, and Business Services identifying customer status, barriers, and support needs for the following week.

Participate in Career Center case reviews and pipeline meetings with Career Navigators, Employment Specialists, Career Center leadership, and other WFD staff. Collaborate with Career Navigators to address barriers or supportive service needs that may affect a customer’s ability to obtain or retain employment. Coordinate with Employment Specialists to support employment preparation, customer engagement, and progress toward placement.

Employment Verification and Retention: Obtain timely employment verification for customers who secure employment. Document required employment information, including employer, position, start date, wage, hours, and other required outcome information. Utilize approved methods of employment verification in accordance with GWH procedures.

Conduct post-placement follow-up at established intervals to assess employment status and retention. Coordinate with Career Navigators when supportive services may help customers maintain employment. Collaborate with Employment Specialists and other associates when additional customer engagement is needed to support retention.

Identify opportunities for customers to advance to higher-wage employment or continued training when appropriate. Data Management, Documentation and Compliance: Responsible for ensuring that WFD is in compliance with all regulatory and accreditation standards. Maintain accurate and timely customer records in Case. Worthy and other approved WFD systems.

Ensure employment outcomes meet GWH documentation and verification standards before being reported. Maintain supporting documentation required for organizational, grant, audit, and Goodwill Industries International reporting. Follow established procedures related to customer enrollment, service documentation, employment verification, unique customer counting, and outcome attribution.

Maintain customer confidentiality and comply with organizational privacy and data-security requirements. Participate in data-quality and compliance reviews and promptly correct identified documentation issues. Maintain accurate and up-to-date data entry for billing purposes. Maintain a consistent presence at the Career Center to support day-to-day operations and business needs.

Perform other duties as directed by management to support evolving organizational needs. Additional Responsibilities: Attendance at other GWH locations, employer sites, hiring events, community events, and partner locations may be required as assigned. Demonstrate professionalism, good judgment, and present a friendly, cooperative attitude.

Ability to multitask, make quick decisions, adapt to change, and collaborate effectively in a fast-paced, team-oriented environment. Adhere to all GWH Policies & Procedures, Loss Prevention & Safety Regulations, and GWH Guiding Principles. Must be punctual, maintain a professional appearance, and perform expected duties.

Maintain a high level of confidentiality. Must perform all duties according to GWH safety procedures, maintain good housekeeping standards, and ensure all walkways are clear and free of clutter. Adhere to local, state, and federal laws and regulations.

Minimum Qualifications

A bachelor’s degree is preferred; equivalent professional experience may be considered in lieu of a degree. Minimum of two (2) years of workforce development, career services, and/or human services experience. Must complete the required Placement Specialist training covering core functions, responsibilities, processes, and position-specific materials, and successfully complete the required teach-back component to demonstrate understanding of the role and readiness to perform assigned responsibilities.

Excellent computer skills (proficient in Microsoft Office). Excellent written and verbal communication skills. Experience facilitating workshops, training sessions, or group presentations preferred. Experience working directly with job seekers and employment outcomes preferred. Experience working in a goal-driven or performance-based environment preferred.

Ability to communicate and interact well with a variety of personality types. Ability to analyze opportunities and problems, identify and evaluate alternatives, and develop effective approaches to address any issues. Must have reliable transportation to travel to assigned work locations. Must be legally authorized to work in the United States without sponsorship for current or future employment.

GWH does not offer visa sponsorship for employment purposes. Key Performance Indicators (KPI): Meet or exceed established monthly and annual employment placement goals, including verified employment outcomes and GWH wage targets. Maintain an active pipeline of job-ready customers with documented placement activities and timely progression from referrals and interviews through job offer and employment.

Ensure employment outcomes, wages, and required supporting documentation are verified and accurately entered in Case. Worthy within established timelines. Conduct timely customer follow-up throughout the placement process and complete required post-placement retention follow-up to support sustained employment. Track customer participation and conversion from employer referrals, interviews, hiring events, and other placement activities into verified employment outcomes.

Maintain 90% or greater data accuracy and provide weekly placement pipeline updates and monthly KPI reports reflecting progress toward goals, barriers, pending verifications, and actions needed to achieve performance expectations. Physical Requirements/Work Environment: Ability to sit, stand, bend, and reach. Ability to lift, push, and pull up to 25 lbs.

Able to spend most working hours at a computer.