Workforce Readiness Manager

About Cafe Momentum

Café Momentum Pittsburgh is a nonprofit restaurant and workforce development program. We provide a 12-month paid internship for young people impacted by the juvenile justice system, combining hands-on job training with workforce readiness programming and wraparound supportive services. Our mission is to empower our community’s most vulnerable youth to achieve their full potential by equipping them with the skills, resources, and opportunities needed to build a strong foundation for their future.

Position Summary

The Workforce Readiness Manager serves on the Programs team and is responsible for facilitating the successful transition of young people into meaningful, sustained employment. This involves a dual focus: providing direct youth support and actively engaging with external employers and community partners. The manager is responsible for creating opportunities, building the social capital of each young person, and ensuring they are equipped with the necessary skills and connected to the right resources for a seamless entry into the workforce.

The Manager collaborates closely with the Program Managers to ensure barriers to employment are addressed and that youth are holistically prepared for workforce success.

This role is a non-supervisory role and reports to the Director of Programs.

Key Responsibilities

Career Readiness & Youth Coaching

• Successfully implements and adheres to the fidelity of the Café Momentum Tiers of Success model.
• Facilitate workforce readiness workshops, including:
• Career-exploration and Interest Inventories
• Resume and cover letter development
• Interview preparation and mock interviews
• Job search strategies and professional communication
• Offer personalized career coaching, focusing on developing youth social capital, career pathway and transition planning
• Support youth in completing job applications and training program enrollment
• Prepare youth for workplace expectations, including professionalism, communication, and retention strategies
• Carry a small caseload of interns in transitioning to employment or post-secondary programming

Workforce Partnerships & Pathways Development

• Establish and maintain strong employer partnerships across key industries
• Serve as the primary point of contact for employment partners, maintaining regular communication during initial placement.
• Identify and cultivate relationships with businesses, unions, and workforce training providers
• Build and manage a pipeline of employment and training opportunities aligned with youth interests and labor market demand
• Coordinate job shadowing, site visits, and exposure opportunities to introduce youth to diverse career pathways
• Conduct structured follow-up, track retention, advancement, and ongoing career progression, maintaining relationships with alumni to support long-term success.

Grant Management & Data Tracking

• Manages our internal career-exploration and training online platform
• Co-manages contracted workforce partnerships with external organizations, including Partner4Work, the Pennsylvania Academic Career and Technical Training program, and the Pennsylvania Lodging and Restaurant Association.
• Prepare and maintain reports related to the workforce readiness initiatives, including data on outcomes, feedback from interns and employer partners, and success stories.
• Provide timely and accurate data for grant reporting and program evaluation efforts
• Properly track intern progress, competencies, and training outcomes in Salesforce database

Competencies & Skills

• Comfortable in a fast-paced, evolving nonprofit environment
• Demonstrates an understanding of trauma-informed practices, youth workforce development and transformational justice
• Ability to engage youth and families authentically.
• Comfortable providing feedback and guidance, fostering a growth mindset, and helping individuals overcome challenges in real-time.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Proven ability to identify, cultivate and steward community partnerships.
• Proficient in Google Suite and Microsoft Office
• Case management database experience (Salesforce, CWDS, CaseMgr) preferred

Required Qualifications & Experience:

• Bachelor's Degree required or equivalent experience
• 5 or more years of experience in one or more of the following areas: juvenile justice, positive youth development, education or workforce programming development.
• A minimum of 3 years of experience in grant writing, program development and data collection.

Required Clearances

• Criminal Background Clearance Act 34 PA -- State of Pennsylvania
• Child Abuse Clearance Certificate Act 33 PA – State of Pennsylvania
• FBI Fingerprinting Criminal Background Clearance Certificate

Offer of employment is contingent upon successful completion of a reference check and background check provided by Café Momentum Pittsburgh, though a criminal record does not preclude employment.

Work Environment & Schedule

This is a salaried full-time (exempt) in-office position in Downtown Pittsburgh.

The role requires flexibility, with a regular schedule that includes weekday evenings, and field work. Occasional travel, on-call duties, weekend shifts and attendance at community events are also mandatory.

Salary & Benefits:

The starting salary range is $52,000 - $62,000, with the final amount determined by relevant experience. Benefits include:

• Generous Paid Time Off and Paid Sick Leave
• Paid holidays
• Medical, Dental and Short-Term Disability insurance
• Vision insurance available
• $200 monthly toward parking
• Simple IRA Match
• Employee Assistance Program
• 25% Employee Discount on food and merchandise

To Apply:

To apply for the position at Café Momentum Pittsburgh, you must submit your cover letter, resume, and any other supporting documentation to [email protected].

The subject line of your email must be "Cafe Momentum Pittsburgh: Workforce Readiness Manager"

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis until the position is filled. Please note that phone inquiries are not accepted.

Pay: $52,000.00 - $62,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Dental insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Employee discount
• Health insurance
• Mileage reimbursement
• Paid time off
• Retirement plan
• Vision insurance

Work Location: In person