Job Announcement

Public Assistance and Employment Services (PAES) Division is seeking a reliable, well-organized individual with a dynamic professional attitude to serve as an active member of the Employment Services team. This Human Service Worker III (HSW III) position is a critical member of the Business Services Team which focuses on community and business development for the county’s employment services programs.

About the position:
This position will work with the business community and other workforce partners such as Virginia Career Works Northern, SkillSource Group, and Regional Employer Solutions Team to meet their employee needs. The Business Services HSW III serves as a representative of Employment Services at business association meetings, conferences, and business networking events. The position is responsible for supporting the outreach and promotion of employment services programs to the community, and internal or external stakeholders. Under the supervision of a Human Service Worker IV, The Business Services HSW III coordinates the overall approach to workforce development to serve participants across a variety of programs and services offered including the development of work-based learning opportunities and work experiences with employer-sponsors. This position is ideal for an individual with extensive knowledge of the needs and opportunities available in the local labor market and experiencing developing and nurturing business relationships.

What you will do:

• Develop business partnerships to establish work experiences and employment opportunities for job seekers.
• Develop job sites for community work experiences and on-the-job training programs.
• Assist in preparing job seekers to address employer-requested job readiness skills.
• Maintain general knowledge of services and requirements of programs operated by Employment & Training and assist job seekers in determining appropriate programs and completing the application process for these programs.
• Provide tracking and data management of business and employer connections.
• Coordinate with employers and execute in-person and virtual job fairs.
• The successful applicant should have the following qualifications:
• Demonstrated knowledge of social, economic, health, and cultural factors that can serve as barriers to employment
• Experience providing excellent customer service
• Detail-oriented, organized individual with a dynamic professional attitude
• Knowledge of federal, state and local laws, performance measures, and quality standards governing federal workforce programs, to include but not limited to the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Virginia Initiative for Education and Work (VIEW), Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Employment and Training (SNAPET)
• Ability to thrive in a hybrid work environment: self-directed; proactively reaches out, responsive, comfortable in a virtual setting
• Curious and quick learner with the ability to work collaboratively with other members of the Employment Services team.
• Clear and concise oral and written communications skills; Knowledge of word processing and data management programs (Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel, survey software).

Note: Location varies depending on the needs of the department at Virginia Career Works-Northern Region Centers throughout Northern Virginia in the counties of Fairfax, Loudoun, and Prince William. Some local travel is required.

Illustrative Duties

(The illustrative duties listed in this specification are representative of the class but are not an all-inclusive list. A complete list of position duties and unique physical requirements can be found in the position job description.)

Performs client needs assessment to aid in making appropriate referrals to other services;
Provides guidance and assistance to employers and clients in the operation of an employment resource center;
Performs employability assessment of economically disadvantaged clients to develop a plan of service to aid them in securing employment;
Works with clients to identify and address barriers to employment;
Provides career counseling;
Assists job seekers with job search and resume development;
Participates in curriculum development, facilitates workshops, and works with businesses and workforce partners in response to customer needs;
Plans and participates in orientations and workforce related workshops;
Identifies, recruits and develops job opportunities with employers to place program participants including job sites for community work experience and on-the-job training;
Tracks, monitors, and reports on employment resource center resources, job leads and employment databases;
Develops marketing and presentation materials for the business community, the public and other human service providers;
Assists the supervisor with duties that may include training, coaching, and reviewing the work of less experienced staff;
Serves as policy expert in one or more program areas, providing guidance, direction, and information to other staff;
Assist in the development of service strategies.

Required Knowledge Skills and Abilities

(The knowledge, skills and abilities listed in this specification are representative of the class but are not an all-inclusive list.)

Knowledge of basic human behavior and social problems;
Knowledge of social, economic, health and cultural factors that can serve as barriers to employment;

Ability to read, interpret and apply complex program policies and procedures;
Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing;
Ability to make mathematical computations;
Ability to schedule and manage workload sufficient to meet deadlines;
Ability to use automated technology to establish and maintain case records;
Ability to handle multiple deadlines, computer systems, high volume of client contact, high caseloads, and competing priorities;
Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with clients, co-workers and other human service providers;
Ability to work effectively with people under stress and those from various socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds;
Ability to maintain professional ethics related to confidentiality of client information;
Ability to provide excellent customer service;
Ability to work in a team environment;
Ability to maintain flexibility.
Ability to manage a complex caseload;
Ability to assess client needs through collection and analysis of employment history and other personal, family and cultural information;
Ability to use supportive counseling techniques to enhance and develop clients' problem solving capabilities;
Ability to identify client issues needing referral to other human service providers (e.g., substance abuse, spousal abuse);
Ability to lead and coach other professional level staff;
Ability to develop and present training programs;
Ability to develop presentations using automated technology.

Employment Standards

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
Any combination of education, experience, and training equivalent to the following:
(Click on the aforementioned link to learn how Fairfax County interprets equivalencies for "Any combination, experience, and training equivalent to")

Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with a bachelor's degree plus two years of human services or related professional work experience.

Contingent upon the area of assignment, some positions within this class may require specific certification(s) prior to employment and/or the ability to acquire necessary certification(s) within a specified time period following employment. The certifications are identified in the position description and employment advertisement .

CERTIFICATES AND LICENSES REQUIRED:
None.

NECESSARY SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:
The appointee to the position must satisfactorily complete a criminal background check and a Child protective services check.

This position is considered essential personnel and will be required to report to work during times designated countywide as approved for unscheduled leave regardless of the emergency situation (i.e., weather, transportation, other disaster).

All newly hired employees are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 (two weeks after the last required dose) as a condition of employment or obtain approval of a medical or religious exemption prior to their start date. Proof of an exemption or vaccination status will be required during the pre-employment onboarding process. New employees who obtain an exemption from the vaccine mandate for medical or sincerely held religious beliefs may be subject to a weekly testing requirement. Vaccinated employees and employees with a medical or religious exemption will complete the attestation online on their first day of employment or shortly thereafter.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Knowledge of labor market conditions and job development techniques.
• Experience within a business recruiting talent or partnering with businesses and other employers to recruit qualified jobseekers.
• Certified Virginia Workforce Development Professional (VWDP), Certified Foundations of Workforce Development Professional, or currently enrolled in Dynamics Works training.
• Knowledge and experience with process improvement strategies, data management and the Virginia Workforce Connection.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:
Ability to input, access, and retrieve information from a computer.
Ability to perform repetitive hand, arm, wrist and shoulder movements.
Visual acuity to review detailed drawings, plans and documents.
Ability to travel to various locations throughout Fairfax County to provide coverage, attend meetings and trainings.
All duties performed with or without reasonable accommodations.

SELECTION PROCEDURE:
Panel interview and may include exercise.

The population of Fairfax County is very diverse where 39.8% of residents speak a language other than English at home (Spanish, Asian/Pacific Islander, Indo-European, and others) and we encourage candidates bilingual in English and a foreign language to apply to this opportunity.

Fairfax County Government prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, age, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetics, political affiliation, or military status in the recruitment, selection, and hiring of its workforce.

Reasonable accommodations are available to persons with disabilities during application and/or interview processes per the Americans with Disabilities Act. Contact 703-324-4900 for assistance. TTY 703-222-7314. EEO/AA/TTY.