Customized Employment Specialist

Casual Customized Employment Specialist

WorkBC | Sechelt, BC

Open Door Group (ODG), a mission-driven non-profit organization serving communities across British Columbia and Alberta, is looking for a Casual Customized Employment Specialist to join our team in Sechelt!

Wage: $33.49 to $35.31 per hour (Grid 34, Health Sciences Association Community Bargaining Agreement)

Status: Casual

Hours of Work: Up to 36 hours per week, on an as-and-when-needed basis.

There are no guaranteed hours of work in this position. However, there will be an initial training period where the successful candidate will work close to full-time hours. Following this, casual staff are required to provide availability such that they are able to work a minimum of 225 hours over any 12-month period in order to maintain employment status.

Location: The primary work location for this position will be Open Door Group's Sechelt office. This is also a community-based role that requires travel throughout the Lower Sunshine Coast, from Gibsons to Earls Cove, to meet with clients, employers and community partners and provide support in community and workplace settings.

Your Role

The Customized Employment Specialist supports individuals who may not be well served by traditional employment approaches to discover, access and maintain meaningful employment that fits their strengths, interests, abilities and individual circumstances.

This casual position supports the delivery of WorkBC Employment Services in the Sunshine Coast area, helping individuals overcome barriers to employment and pursue opportunities that reflect their strengths, goals and individual circumstances.

This isn't a traditional, desk-based employment counselling role. Much of your work will happen in the community. You'll spend time getting to know job seekers through conversation, activities and observation; exploring employment possibilities alongside them; building relationships with employers; visiting workplaces; and providing hands-on support before and after someone starts a job.

Customized Employment is an individualized and flexible approach that personalizes the relationship between job seekers and employers to benefit both parties. Through the Discovery process, you'll work with clients to understand their strengths, interests, abilities, employment needs and ideal conditions for success. This can include interviewing and observing clients and gathering information from families, care providers and other members of their support network.

Using what you learn through Discovery, you'll explore possibilities in the community and build relationships with employers. Rather than simply matching someone to an existing job posting, you'll learn about workplaces, understand employers' needs and identify opportunities to carve or create positions that work for both the job seeker and employer. Depending on the individual's needs, you may also explore supported employment or self-employment opportunities.

Your day may include meeting a client in the community as part of the Discovery process, visiting a workplace to learn more about an employer's needs, connecting with community partners, reaching out to a new employer, negotiating a customized employment opportunity, providing job coaching at a worksite, helping someone develop skills for greater independence and employment success, or documenting client progress and managing your caseload.

This role is a great fit for someone who is curious, creative and relationship-oriented, enjoys being out in the community, and can see possibilities where others might not. You'll need to be equally comfortable building trusting relationships with clients and approaching employers and community partners to develop opportunities and supports.

The people you support may experience complex personal and systemic barriers, including developmental disabilities, autism, FASD, mental health challenges, substance use, health concerns, unstable housing or other circumstances that make traditional employment approaches less effective. Success in this role requires empathy, flexibility, strong professional boundaries and a respectful, non-judgmental approach.

The successful candidate will need flexibility in their availability and the ability to travel throughout the day to accommodate the needs and schedules of clients, employers and community partners.

Please see the full job description for a detailed description of the responsibilities included in this position. Full posting and job description are available here: Careers at Open Door Group.

Why Open Door Group?

Champion of Great Workplaces:

ODG proudly holds the title of one of Canada's Certified Great Places to Work, fostering a culture of compassion and authenticity. Join a team that values your unique contribution and believes in the boundless potential of every individual.

Competitive Compensation and Benefits:

As a Certified Living Wage Employer, ODG is committed to offering more than just a job. Your well-being matters, and we provide an Employee and Family Assistance program to support you. This is not a benefited position; however, the successful candidate will receive 10% in lieu of vacation and statutory holiday pay and will have the opportunity to purchase an affordable benefits package after 180 hours of work.

Community Impact:

Be part of an organization that goes beyond the conventional, providing tailored employment services to build strong workforce ecosystems and thriving communities. Your work will directly contribute to the social and economic well-being of the community.

What you bring

If you meet most of the qualifications and are passionate about supporting people in their employment journey, we encourage you to apply. Your experience may come from customized or supported employment, community support, outreach, job coaching, disability services, employment services or another related field. We recognize that career paths are not always linear and welcome equivalent combinations of education and experience.

• Diploma in Social Sciences, Community Support, Human Services or another relevant discipline, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

• Two (2) years of recent, related experience in customized or supported employment, community support, outreach, job coaching, disability services or another related field. Experience with Discovery assessments and customized employment is an asset.

• Experience supporting individuals with complex needs, which may include developmental disabilities, autism, FASD, mental health challenges, substance use, health concerns, unstable housing or other personal or systemic barriers.

• Experience building trusting relationships with clients and providing individualized, strengths-based support.

• Experience maintaining accurate client documentation, case notes or service records and using digital systems to organize and manage work.

• Comfort working independently in community settings and travelling between client meeting locations, employer worksites and ODG locations.

• A valid driver's licence and reliable access to a vehicle or car-share service for work-related travel. Must maintain a satisfactory driver's record.

• Must maintain a satisfactory criminal record check, including vulnerable sectors check.

What will help you succeed

• You're curious about people and take the time to understand their strengths, interests, abilities, experiences and ideal conditions for employment.

• You can think creatively about employment possibilities and identify opportunities beyond traditional job-search approaches.

• You're comfortable building relationships with employers, learning about their workplaces and identifying needs that could lead to customized or supported employment opportunities.

• You can provide individualized employment coaching and workplace support that helps people develop skills, independence and sustainable employment.

• You understand employment barriers, workplace accommodations, community resources and wrap-around supports.

• You communicate effectively and can build respectful relationships with clients, employers, community service providers and other stakeholders.

• You listen carefully, ask thoughtful questions and recognize strengths and possibilities that may not be immediately obvious.

• You can maintain professional boundaries, navigate challenging situations and remain composed under pressure.

• You're organized and able to balance direct client support, employer engagement, community-based work, documentation and other administrative responsibilities.

• You're comfortable using digital case-management systems and workplace technology and can maintain comprehensive, accurate and timely records.

• You can work independently while also contributing effectively as part of a team.

• You take initiative, adapt to change and creatively solve problems as circumstances evolve.

Nice to have

These qualifications are considered assets, but don't let their absence stop you from applying:

• Non-Violent Crisis Intervention Training. This can also be acquired after hire.

• Mental Health First Aid Training. This can also be acquired after hire.

• Motivational Interviewing Training and Certification.

• Trauma-Informed Practice Training and Certification.

• CCDP Certification.

Open Door Group values diversity and is committed to providing an inclusive work environment. We are looking for qualified individuals who represent, at all job levels, the diversity of the people we serve and encourage applications from Indigenous peoples, individuals of all genders and sexual orientations, origins and ethnic affiliations, disabilities, ages and religions.

We strive to ensure an accessible experience for candidates. If you require an alternative method to submit your application, please contact us toll-free at 1 866 377 3670 and ask to speak with an HR representative, or email us at [email protected].

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Thank you for your interest in joining the Open Door Group team!