Job Opportunity The Pathways to Employment Project Job Developer Reports to: Project Manager at NEADS

The National Educational Association of Disabled Students (NEADS) is hiring a Job Developer, as part of its new “Pathways to Employment” project, in partnership with Canada Post and other non-profits in the accessibility sector. The project is funded by the federal government's “Workplace Opportunities: Removing Barriers to Equity program”, and focuses on:

• Guiding people with disabilities to move into fulfilling employment.
• Supporting candidates to obtain a wide variety of jobs, ranging from management to semi-skilled manual worker positions.
• Identifying opportunities and best practices for accessible employment in the field of postal and courier services.

The project will take an innovative approach to mentor candidates in building skills, capabilities, and accommodations for employment readiness and for their successful transition into employment. 

The Job Developer role:

NEADS will develop a best practices toolkit in partnership with Canada Post and will work with the non-profit organization Sustainable Livelihoods Canada to offer professional development training to the Job Developer as well as a team of certified coaches, who will guide people with disabilities in their transition to full employment.

The Job Developer will coordinate with the project’s team of coaches, to:

1. develop and promote the new coaching practice and
2. bridge candidates to employment in partnership with Canada Post and other employers.

Job Developer Role:

• Recruit and evaluate employment candidates and refer to Sustainable Livelihoods’ coaching program.
• Help to design and develop a Sustainable Livelihoods Coaching Practice in cooperation with a Sustainable Livelihoods Canada coaching practice expert.
• Build and coordinate a team of coaches.
• Plan employment readiness activities to prepare candidates for employment. (E.g. resume development, interview readiness, etc.)
• Collaborate with Canada Post to match Pathways to Employment’s supports and services with existing Canada Post’s offerings.
• Working with partners across the country and a research team, contribute to knowledge mobilization in effective employment-related best practices, in the postal/communicators sector.
• Support the monitoring and evaluation of candidates.

Preferred skills and/or abilities:

• Fluency in English and French – additional languages an asset.
• Bachelor’s degree in areas such as Human Resources, Social Work or Business Administration.
• 2 to 3 years’ experience in a job development role. (E.g. human resources, job placement, or related field.)
• Knowledge of job development and job placement techniques, standards, and emerging employment practices.
• Demonstrated commitment to disability justice and knowledge of Accessible Canada Act implementation.
• Commitment to working within an Anti-Racist/Anti-Oppressive and gender-plus framework.
• Knowledge of economic and labour market conditions and trends.
• Demonstrated interest in social justice, and related laws, regulations, and policies.
• Involvement with the not-for-profit sector considered an asset.
• Experience working with people with disabilities is ideal.
• Proficiency in MS Word, Excel, and Outlook; familiarity with working online/on communications platforms such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams.

What to expect:

• Part-time hours with wages at $26/hour plus MERCS for up to 22 hours/week, until February 2026.
• You’ll be using on-line platforms to meet with the coaches and team remotely.
• Remote work from home is likely, with hybrid work possible in select regions.
• Regularly scheduled weekly team meetings.
• Potential for self-employment approach.
• Intensive, up-front training in Motivational Interviewing and Sustainable Livelihoods Coaching Practices plus ongoing mentorship and training.

Job Application Instructions

Our program participants, staff and partners come from all different backgrounds. If you’re passionate about what you could accomplish here, we’d love to hear from you. Interested individuals should send their resume and cover letter to katja.newman@neads.ca by July 14th, 2023.

We thank all applicants for their interest; however only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

NEADS is committed to equity, diversity, and inclusion in our workplace and recruitment processes. We encourage applications from marginalized groups (e.g. persons with disabilities, racialized persons, those with various gender identities and sexual orientations, and Indigenous Peoples). All qualified candidates will be considered however preference will be given to people with disabilities. Please advise of any accommodations required.

NEADS has the mandate to support full access to education and employment for post-secondary students and graduates with disabilities across Canada.

WORBE is a program of Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC). The projects funded under this program will help break down employment barriers experienced by women, Indigenous Peoples, persons with disabilities and members of visible minority groups. These multi-year projects will help federally regulated private-sector employers make their workplaces more fair, diverse, and inclusive.

Partners the “Pathways to Employment” project include the Council of Canadians with Disabilities, the Manitoba League of People with Disabilities and the Quebec Association for Equity and Inclusion in Post-Secondary Education.

National Educational Association of Disabled Students (NEADS)
Rm. 514 Unicentre, Carleton University
Ottawa, Ontario, K1S 5B6