Employment Specialist

At Hestia, we are guided by our core values and are dedicated to fostering an equitable, diverse, and inclusive organisation. Our mission is to empower individuals to rebuild their lives and achieve independence. Right now, we are looking for an Employment Specialist to play a pivotal role in our Jobs Guarantee Service in Camden.

Sounds great, what will I be doing?

As an Employment Specialist, your role is to support young people into work by managing a caseload of participants and providing tailored employability support, careers guidance and job matching. You'll work directly with local employers to source vacancies and help participants overcome barriers to employment, while supporting them throughout their six-month Jobs Guarantee placement. The role combines employment coaching, employer engagement and performance management, with a clear focus on helping participants achieve and sustain positive employment outcomes.

You will build positive and motivating relationships with young people, helping them identify their strengths, aspirations and barriers to employment. Through assessments, action plans and personalised support, you will provide practical guidance around CV writing, interview preparation, job searching and skills development to help participants secure suitable employment opportunities.

A key aspect of the role is working closely with local employers, Jobcentre Plus, training providers and community organisations to create employment pathways and match participants to vacancies. You will support both participants and employers throughout the recruitment, onboarding and in-work support process, helping individuals sustain employment and progress beyond their Jobs Guarantee placement. Alongside delivering excellent participant support, you will maintain accurate records, manage performance targets and contribute to the overall success of a fast-paced, outcome-focused employment programme.

What do I need to bring with me?

You'll need to be able to demonstrate the core skills this role requires as well as match our values and mission. You don't have to tick all the boxes right away; the important thing is that you're willing to learn. We also value lived experience of the areas we support, so if you feel comfortable, please do mention this on your application.

You will have experience supporting unemployed people, jobseekers or individuals facing barriers to employment into work, training or progression opportunities. You should have a strong understanding of employability support, including job search activity, CV development, interview preparation and employer expectations, alongside experience managing a caseload and working towards performance targets. Excellent communication and relationship-building skills are essential, as is the ability to motivate, challenge and support participants to achieve positive outcomes. You'll also need strong organisational skills, confidence using digital systems and the ability to manage competing priorities while maintaining accurate records and a participant-centred approach.

About the Service

The Jobs Guarantee service supports unemployed young people aged 18-24 in Camden to secure paid employment and develop the skills, confidence and experience needed for long-term career success. The team works closely with participants, local employers, Jobcentre Plus and community partners to create meaningful employment opportunities and provide ongoing support throughout the participant journey. It's a fast-paced, outcome-focused service with a strong emphasis on partnership working and achieving sustainable employment outcomes.

Interview Steps

We keep our interview process simple, so you know exactly what to expect.

• Shortlisting call: We have a team of dedicated recruitment specialists who will speak to you about your experience, motivations and values. They will also tell you about all the great work we do!
• Face to face interview: Now you will have face to face interview with the hiring manager. Our interviews are value and competency based.

Don't be alarmed if there are other stages in the process, it's all part of the plan for some of our roles.

Our commitment to Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion

Our services users come from all walks of life and so do we. We hire great people from a wide variety of backgrounds because it makes us stronger. We are committed to creating and maintaining a diverse and inclusive workforce and value the skills, abilities, talent and experiences, different people and communities bring to our organisation.

We are a disability confident employer

Hestia is proud to be a disability confident employer, dedicated to the employment and career development of individuals with disabilities. We offer a guaranteed interview scheme for all applicants with disabilities who meet the minimum criteria for the role they have applied for. We also provide reasonable adjustments during the selection and interview process, and throughout your employment with us.

Safeguarding Statement

Hestia is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of adults, children and young people who are potentially at risk, and we therefore expect all staff and volunteers to do the same. We require all staff to undertake internal and external safeguarding training throughout their employment with Hestia.

Important Information for Candidates

If your application is successful, please be aware that you will be required to undergo pre-employment checks before a formal offer of employment can be confirmed.

We reserve the right to close this job advert early should we receive a high volume of applications or if the position is filled before the closing date. We encourage interested candidates to apply as soon as possible to ensure their application is considered.