ACE is seeking a Career Pathways Specialist to build and manage a comprehensive career pathways system that connects youth and young adults to quality training, credentials, and employment in high-demand industries. This is a systems-building role responsible for identifying and developing relationships with training providers — including community colleges, CTE programs, and industry certification providers — and employer partners across priority sectors, including energy infrastructure and construction trades. The Career Pathways Specialist will work closely with program staff, job development colleagues, and business services partners to ensure participants have access to clearly defined pathways that lead to meaningful employment and long-term wage progression.

Duties & Responsibilities:

Pathway Design & Management:

Research in-demand occupations and emerging industries to identify and prioritize sectors for pathway development, with an initial focus on energy infrastructure.
Design and document career pathways by sector, defining entry points, stackable credentials, wage progression, and advancement opportunities aligned to employer-identified skill and hiring requirements.
Maintain and update pathways in collaboration with program staff, addressing gaps and evolving labor market conditions to ensure relevance for participants.

Training Partner Development:

Identify and evaluate potential training providers across priority sectors, assessing quality, credential value, cost, and alignment with participant needs and employer requirements.
Build and formalize relationships with training partners through MOUs, referral agreements, co-enrollment agreements, or reserved cohort slots.
Maintain working knowledge of available training programs, certifications, and credentials in target sectors to inform pathway design and participant referrals.
Monitor training partner performance and maintain ongoing communication to ensure partnership commitments are met.

Employer Engagement:

Identify and prospect employer partners across priority sectors, building a pipeline of companies interested in hiring, training, or providing work-based learning opportunities for ACE participants.
Cultivate and maintain employer relationships through regular outreach, site visits, and ongoing communication to understand hiring needs and workforce priorities.
Negotiate and formalize employment agreements, internships, on-the-job training, and other work-based learning opportunities through employer commitment letters and formal agreements, ensuring clearly defined roles and expectations.

Participant Connection:

Collaborate with case managers and navigators to match participants to appropriate career pathways, training programs, and employment opportunities.
Present career pathway options to participants, including available training programs, certification requirements, and employment opportunities across priority sectors.

Data & Reporting:

Track and maintain records of employer partnerships, training provider agreements, pathway development activity, and hiring outcomes to support program reporting and continuous improvement.

Cross-Functional Coordination:

Coordinate with job development and business services staff to align strategies, identify service gaps, and ensure complementary roles without duplication of effort.
Coordinate Peer Support Specialist certification training and professional development opportunities for ACE program staff.

Other Duties:

Conduct outreach and marketing to recruit participants and educate the community on ACE program opportunities; build referral pipelines through community partners, schools, and other organizations serving the target population.
Maintain availability to work outside standard business hours, with ACE providing advance notice, to ensure effective leadership and delivery of department and program specific participant programming and programmatic initiatives.
Other duties as assigned.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

Knowledgeable about workforce development, career pathways, employer engagement, and programs related to human services and economic opportunity.
Ability to educate, motivate, and inspire participants to pursue and sustain career goals.
Demonstrated experience building partnerships with employers, training providers, or community organizations.
Experience working with opportunity youth, justice-involved individuals, or other populations facing barriers to employment.
Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple partnerships and track outcomes across a caseload.
Operates as a reliable, flexible team player with minimal supervision; demonstrates initiative, creativity, accountability, and adaptability; receptive to feedback and open to learning.
General proficiency in navigating and using technology, including databases, spreadsheets, and communication platforms.
Strong interpersonal skills; fosters a safe, inclusive work environment; communicates effectively both orally and in writing.
Demonstrates cultural competence and humility in community relations and service delivery.
Sensitive to the community, culture, and personal dignity of program participants; effectively engages, assesses, and plans services for the target population.
Maintains appropriate boundaries with participants and families; adheres to professional standards and practices.
Understands standard procedures for accurate record-keeping, including timely data entry and confidentiality practices.

Physical Requirements:

Prolonged periods standing and walking throughout facilities.
Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
Must be able to lift up to 15 pounds at times.
Must be able to bend, lift, stretch, climb, and crawl to provide services.

Qualifications:

High school diploma required; Associate's or Bachelor's degree in, education, workforce development, or a related field preferred.
Minimum of 2 years of experience in workforce development, career counseling, case management, or a related field.
Spanish language skills, verbal and written, preferred.
Possess a current California Driver's License, clean DMV record, and adequate auto insurance on a reliable vehicle available for work purposes.
Must submit to a Department of Justice criminal background check.
Initial TB employment clearance required.

Benefits:

Health, Vision, and Dental Insurance at no cost to you (starting after 60-90 days, dependent on start date- effective date is the next 1st of the month post 60 days of employment).
Retirement Plan with employer contributions at 2% of your annual salary.
$100,000 life insurance (at no cost to you).
Short and Long-Term Disability insurance (at no cost to you).
Vacation Leave Accrual: Employees accrue vacation based on length of service at ACE.
- First 2 years, employees accrue approximately 10 days (80 hours) annually.
- 2-4 years, accrual increases to approximately 15 days (120 hours) annually.
- At 5+ years, employees accrue approximately 20 days (160 hours) annually.
Up to 6 sick days a year (eligible to use after 60 days).
15 paid holidays (selected by ACE).

The anticipated pay range for candidates who will work in California is $28.85 to $30.45 hourly. The offered pay to a successful candidate will be dependent on several factors that may include but are not limited to years of experience within the job, years of experience within the required industry, education, etc.

Alliance for Community Empowerment provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.

Alliance for Community Empowerment

Career Pathways Specialist

About the Job