The Career & Business Relations Specialist will work closely with MassAbility Vocational and Career Counselor and DTA's Client Assistance Coordinator (CAC) to assist, choose, obtain, and maintain employment through job placement activities, ultimately resulting in a successful employment outcome through this MassAbility-DTA collaborative project. The MassAbility Career & Business Relations Specialist will be located in a DTA office site and will cover an assigned region.

At MassAbility, we are driven by a fundamental belief that we are all different but connected - individuals who share a common purpose and who bring our own talents, ingenuity, and perspective to achieve our vision. That belief puts diversity, equity, and inclusion at the center of everything we do. We are keenly aware of the barriers that many of us face as we strive to live life on our own terms. That's why, as a community, we are committed to always being part of the solution. This work is essential to who we are as an organization. Together, we are making a better state possible for everyone. As a team member, you'll join an agency that values a learning and participatory performance culture with an emphasis on high-performance teams, individual contribution/impact, and engagement in activities to promote and support programs, divisions, and the overall agency vision and mission.

This position will cover the Lawrence and Salem areas with Lawrence as the home office.

Duties and Responsibilities (these duties are a general summary and not all inclusive):

• Markets and promotes MassAbility services and programs to area employers and other interested parties by visiting businesses and other locations to explain and describe MassAbility programs and services.
• Solicit employer participation and obtain employment opportunity listings (Job Orders) that meet established guidelines and standards with regard to content in order to adequately serve the MassAbility's job seeking customers.
• Devise and implement strategies for the development of sector and employer-based training opportunities for persons with disabilities; identifies specific industries and employers to target and market employer-based training initiative.
• Establishes and maintains effective working relationships with area employers by making personal visits to determine employer needs, communicate MassAbility services, and incentives available to employers who train and employ individuals with disabilities.
• Develop and maintain employer relationships, as well as act as a problem-solving liaison for employers with unfilled employment opportunities by suggesting solutions such as restructuring job requirements, and training programs that result in replicable and sustainable employment opportunities for persons with disabilities.
• Ensures that the MassAbility staff is aware of the employers' needs and job order specifications to facilitate the prompt and effective servicing of job orders that match the needs of MassAbility consumers/job seekers.
• Assists with planning, organizing, and conducting job fairs, special events, and recruitments to provide large scale labor exchange opportunities for both employers and MassAbility job seekers.
• Establishes and maintains a data bank of information on local area employers through on-site visits to facilitate the placement of MassAbility Consumers and the filling of employer needs.
• Creates and maintains effective working relationships with peers, supervisors, and MassAbility partners.
• Partners closely with employers and identifying position(s) that could readily adapt to an On-The-Job /employer or sector-based training model; assist employers with curriculum development and required staffing /community resources, as needed, for skills training and soft skills training.
• Conducts group presentations in conjunctions with Career and Business Development / Job Placement to explain programs and services to employers, training vendors, community organizations, job seekers, and the general public and to assist them in using such programs and services.

Required Qualifications:

• Knowledge of a wide variety of occupations common to the area labor market.
• Demonstrated knowledge of the principles, practices, and techniques of marketing and sales including human services interviewing techniques.
• Ability to market and promote MassAbility services and job seekers/consumers.
• Skilled in communicating effectively in oral and written expression.
• Capacity to give written and oral instructions in a precise and understandable manner.
• Ability to establish rapport and working relationships with individuals from a wide variety of different cultural, ethnic, and economic backgrounds.
• Demonstrated knowledge of principles and practices of conducting workshops.
• Proven ability to interact in a team environment and to establish and maintain harmonious working relationships with peers, supervisors, other agency representatives, employers, and customers.
• Demonstrate ability to record information and maintain the integrity of the computerized database accurately and concisely.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Critical thinking to identify a problem and develop a path for correction.
• Solid written and oral communication skills and proficiency establishing and maintaining harmonious working relationships with a variety of individuals
• Proficient usage of Microsoft Office products including Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Teams.

About MassAbility

• MassAbility provides services that break down barriers and empower people with disabilities to live life on their own terms. Our programs focus on vocational rehabilitation, community living, and disability determination for federal benefit programs. We are change agents and community builders. And we put the people we serve at the heart of everything we do. We envision a Commonwealth that is open to all, where everyone can seize their true potential and contribute fully to our communities and the world. Together with stakeholders, partners, and allies, MassAbility collaborates, problem-solves, and innovates to bring about a better Massachusetts for everyone-one that is truly equitable, accessible, and inclusive.

For more information about our agency and programs, visit: MassAbility | Mass.gov

Pre-Offer Process:

• A criminal background check will be completed on the recommended candidate as required by the regulations set forth by the Executive Office of Health and Human Services prior to the candidate being hired. For more information, please visit http://www.mass.gov/hhs/cori

Education, licensure and certifications will be verified in accordance with the Human Resources Division's Hiring Guidelines.

• Education and license/certification information provided by the selected candidate(s) is subject to the Massachusetts Public Record Law and may be published on the Commonwealth's website.

• If you require assistance with the application/interview process and would like to request an ADA accommodation, please click on the link and complete the ADA Reasonable Accommodation Request Form.

• For questions regarding this requisition, please contact the Executive Office of Health and Human Services Human Resources at 1-800-510-4122 and select option 4.

Applicants should submit a cover letter and resume for the Career & Business Relations Specialist requisition.

Qualifications

First consideration will be given to those applicants that apply within the first 14 days.

Applicants must have (A) at least three (3) years of full-time or equivalent part-time professional experience in: business management, business administration, public relations, marketing, personnel interviewing, recruitment or job placement; employment, vocational, educational, psychological, sociological or rehabilitation counseling or guidance; job analysis or position classification work or any equivalent combination of the required experience and the substitutions below.

Extensive travel is required; incumbents who elect to use a motor vehicle for travel must possess a current and valid motor vehicle driver's license at a class level specific to assignment.

Substitutions:

I. A Bachelor's degree or higher in marketing, business management, business administration, public relations or public administration may be substituted for two (2) years of the required experience.

Salary placement is determined by a combination of factors, including the candidate's years of directly related experience and education, and alignment with our internal compensation structure as set forth by the Human Resources Division's Hiring Guidelines. For all bargaining unit positions (non-management), compensation is subject to the salary provisions outlined in the applicable collective bargaining agreement and will apply to placement within the appropriate salary range .

Comprehensive Benefits

When you embark on a career with the Commonwealth, you are offered an outstanding suite of employee benefits that add to the overall value of your compensation package. We take pride in providing a work experience that supports you, your loved ones, and your future.

Want the specifics? Explore our Employee Benefits and Rewards!

An Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action Employer. Females, minorities, veterans, and persons with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply.

The Commonwealth is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, disability, national origin, veteran status, or any other basis covered by appropriate law. Research suggests that qualified women, Black, Indigenous, and Persons of Color (BIPOC) may self-select out of opportunities if they don't meet 100% of the job requirements. We encourage individuals who believe they have the skills necessary to thrive to apply for this role.