University of Virginia

UVA Pipelines & Pathways seeks applications for an Opportunity Navigator to join their team at the University of Virginia. The Opportunity Navigator is an exciting opportunity for a passionate and energetic candidate who will promote, support, and advocate for marginalized community members. This program strengthens the University’s relationship with the local community by creating pipelines to employment and pathways for upward mobility. The ideal candidate fulfills the mission of service to local citizens by supporting access to employment, education, training, advocacy, and networking in the City of Charlottesville and the counties of Albemarle, Fluvanna, Greene, Nelson, and Louisa.

Celebrating the program’s one-year anniversary, the Pipelines & Pathways initiative was launched in support of President Ryan’s 2030 Strategic Plan goal to continuously promote and strengthen an inclusive community of trust. “Every member of our community should feel welcome and be able to find a home at UVA, and all members of our community should work to promote an environment that is welcoming and inclusive. We will also encourage and make it easier for students, faculty, and staff to build bridges across lines of difference because any community is only as strong as the connections within it.”

The Opportunity Navigator will be a hands-on case manager who proactively identifies, recruits, sources, screens, interviews, and develops/manages a pipeline of underserved community members utilizing multiple strategies including various recruitment events, networking, coordinating, and attending community events

They must also be able to build rapport with job seekers in the community, prequalify potential candidates to determine their qualifications, locate employment opportunities within the Academic Division and Health System and case manage them throughout their employment journey at UVA. This includes but is not limited to, assisting job seekers with job matching and placement, providing career services such as resume writing and mock interviewing, helping job seekers gain access to community resources to assist with employment barriers, recommending candidates for positions to bridge the gap from unemployment to employment and ensuring that all program participants feel welcome at UVA.

The primary duties of the Opportunity Navigator are to:

• Work with Pipelines & Pathways participants to identify employment opportunities at UVA and gain access to community resources to help them address any barriers to obtaining and maintaining employment.
• Case manage Pipelines & Pathways participants to ensure a highly customized employment journey at UVA including helping with submitting online applications, creating resumes, mock interviewing, making connections with local resources to assist with barriers, facilitating connections with recruiters and hiring managers, and following up with participants regularly once they are employed at UVA.
• Cultivate and maintain mutually beneficial relationships across various local workforce organizations and networks.
• Develop and coordinate community outreach and empowerment programs, recruitment efforts, and talent solutions targeted at meeting the needs of marginalized community members within the local community.
• Ensure local community partners and hiring managers experience customer-focused recruitment services.
• Monitor the web portal that hosts all job content for positions within scope.
• Serve as a liaison between community partners, COE Leads, Talent Recruitment Teams, Human Resources Business Partners, schools, and organization leadership to effectively ensure the success of the program.
• Prepare and present metrics/analytics to management including the current state of our talent pipelines, critical roles, engagement, and talent development efforts to inform recruitment strategy and ensure the success of the pipeline function.
• Participate in, engage with, and contribute to Pipelines & Pathways social media efforts (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, videos, photos, etc.).
• Seek opportunities to enhance the effectiveness of deliverables and services in support of assigned budget.
• In addition to the above responsibilities, other duties may be assigned.

Minimum Requirements

Education: High School Diploma, Bachelor's Degree Preferred

Experience:

• One year of relevant experience is required, three years of relevant experience is highly preferred.
• Excellent interpersonal and oral/written communication skills and demonstrated ability to collaborate with individuals with diverse backgrounds and disciplines.
• Ability to provide consultative support to candidates including referrals to address issues of support services 
• Ability to work autonomously, manage multiple projects simultaneously, monitor progress towards the goals and track outcomes
• Ability to successfully utilize technology-driven platforms to display product knowledge and perspective to establish a professional rapport and add to the program experience
• A readiness to irregularly work inconsistent hours, including weekends and evenings when necessary
• A strong commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion
• Passionate about making a difference in the lives of others

Physical Demands

This is primarily a sedentary job involving extensive use of desktop computers. This position does require travel to attend meetings and community programs at various locations within the Charlottesville area. It does require that the incumbent has reliable transportation and a valid driver’s license with a positive point balance is required, 

This position is primarily in person in Charlottesville, that will need to be on-Grounds and attend various local community activities within the Charlottesville area. Eligible candidates must be willing to attend and conduct onsite participant intakes, meetings, events, trainings, and other activities. The possibility of hybrid work arrangements may be available.

The anticipated start date is Spring 2024. This position is a restricted position with an end date of 2026, dependent upon project need, availability of funding and performance has the possibility of extending. Anticipated Hiring Range: $60,000.00 to $70,000.00 commensurate with education and experience.

This is an exempt-level position with UVa benefits. Employees’ benefits package highlights include:

• 22 days of paid time off, increasing with service; 13+ paid holidays each year, in addition to paid time off
• Parental and Community Service Leave
• Health plan with options to meet healthcare and financial needs
• Retirement through the Virginia Retirement System
• Tuition and professional development benefits after the first year
• Employee wellness program featuring activities to earn up to $500/year.

For more information on benefits, visit UVA benefits. 

This position will remain open until filled. Review of Applicants will begin on April 29, 2024. This position will not sponsor applicants for work visas. The University will perform background checks on all new hires prior to employment.

To Apply:

Please apply through the UVA job board and search for R0059703. Internal applicants must apply through their UVA Workday profile by searching 'Find Jobs'. Complete an application online with the following documents:

• CV
• Cover letter

Upload all materials into the resume submission field, multiple documents can be submitted into this one field. Alternatively, merge all documents into one PDF for submission. Applications that do not contain all the required documents will not receive full consideration.

References will be completed via UVA’s standardized process SkillSurvey. Five references will be requested via SkillSurvey during the final phase of the interview process.

For questions about the application process, please contact Michele Jarman, Recruiter at emj2us@virginia.edu.

For more information about UVA and the Charlottesville community please visit UVA Charlottesville and Beyond and Embark.

The University of Virginia, including the UVA Health System which represents the UVA Medical Center, Schools of Medicine and Nursing, UVA Physician’s Group and the Claude Moore Health Sciences Library, are fundamentally committed to the diversity of our faculty and staff. We believe diversity is excellence expressing itself through every person's perspectives and lived experiences. We are equal opportunity and affirmative action employers. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, color, disability, gender identity or expression, marital status, national or ethnic origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, veteran status, and family medical or genetic information.