Business Engagement Specialist

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Job description

Position Title: Business Engagement Specialist (Full time, non-exempt)

Department: OAI Chicago Southland

Location: 208 Forest Blvd. Park Forest, IL

Reports to: Program Manager, OAI Chicago Southland

Cover Letter with your interest and experience along with your resume is required and forward to

Chicago-based OAI is looking for an experienced and dedicated professional who wants to make a positive impact on people's lives. You'll establish and maintain relationships with employers and community organizations to develop job opportunities and support employment retention for our graduates. If this is you, keep on reading!

Founded in 1976, OAI is a small giant of a nonprofit. As a premier workforce education, training, and development organization, our mission is to offer skills training that leads to safe, meaningful employment while helping companies and communities to thrive. You will be joining a very diverse and dynamic team of professionals who are enthusiastically dedicated to our mission.

OAI is a place that encourages innovative thinking and that values diversity, flexibility and work-life balance. Our hard-working team is supportive and collaborative and all share a common desire to help our fellow citizens live better, safer lives.

OAI's pay and benefits are generous, as are our paid holidays, and we provide a 3% 401k match. OAI provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability or genetics.

The Business Engagement Specialist (BES) at our OAI Chicago Southland Office, expands OAI's presence with Chicago Southland industrial, TDL, healthcare, and other growth industry employers. The BES coordinates activities related to employment and retention of students including soliciting employer engagement, identifying and securing jobs for OAI trainees, facilitating alumni activities, tracking employment data, and working with the entire team toward our trainees' success.

Key areas of responsibility:

Employer Engagement

· Coordinates with the OAI Chicago Southland Employer Engagement Contractor to recruit, solicit and develop personal relationships with potential employers, professional organizations and partner agencies.

· Maintains employer linkages through efficient, timely service and regular communication; provides feedback from employers and ensures workforce needs and retention goals are being met.

· Assists with assessment of employer workforce needs and with the development and implementation of plans to address those needs.

· Organizes Employer Forums, Employer Advisory Boards and other Employer events as needed.

· Creates job development marketing materials targeted at employers, with input and ultimate approval of affected program directors and managers.

Direct Job Placement

· Coordinates scheduling of interviews with job seekers and employers. Periodically accompanies job seekers on scheduled interviews.

· Meets or exceeds the job placement benchmarks of OAI job training grants.

· Works with recruiters and training departments to ensure clients being recruited are good matches for training programs.

· Follows up on job seeker progress and ensures client companies' workforce needs are being met.

· Organizes Hiring events and exhibits at Job Fairs to promote OAI program trainees.

Impact and Data Management

· Maintain database of employer and industry contacts and interactions.

· Maintains contact with trainees after program completion and enters trainee employment and retention data in data management system.

· Produces regular project status reports.

· Contributes to progress report writing and data gathering

Outreach/Training activities

· Working in conjunction with classroom trainers, conducts trainee workshops and/or other training related to job interviewing, deportment, resume writing, and other job preparation matters.

· Schedules meetings with instructors and program staff to determine class readiness/ appropriate employment matches.

Required Qualifications:

· Four-year undergraduate degree preferred, with 2-3 years of experience in workforce development preferred.

· Motivated self-starter

· Socially conscious with ability to work with diverse populations.

· Organized, confident, articulate public speaker, team player, detail-oriented.

· Knowledge of local and economic and labor market conditions and trends

· Demonstrated ability to successfully develop work opportunities and place individuals in jobs or demonstrated success in transferable skill area.

· Demonstrated ability to work with minimal supervision and to produce timely written reports.

· Marketing, sales, H.R., community outreach experience valuable.

· Must have automotive transportation for reimbursable local job-related travel. Valid driver's license and auto insurance required

· In-office position with high level of off-site community and employer engagement meetings.