Director Of Recruitment & Employment Services

DIRECTOR OF RECRUITMENT & EMPLOYMENT SERVICES

About Cara Collective

Cara Collective seeks to fuel a courageous national movement to eradicate relational and financial poverty.

Through our four entities Cara Cleanslate Cara Connects and Cara Plus we engage job seekers employers and other organizations across the country to break the cycle of poverty through the power and purpose of employment.

At present we produce 1000 jobs each year; however our results dont just end with employment. Today we take the insights gained over the past 30 years to equip other organizations and employers with practices to help build a more inclusive economy. Learn more at .

About the Cara Collectives Impact Team

Cara Collectives Impact Team drives the heart of our missionensuring every participant has the tools resources and support needed to succeed in their employment journey. The team works across our enterprise to align strategy training engagement and coaching practices that not only prepare participants for meaningful careers but also foster long-term personal and professional growth. By integrating data innovation and lived experience the Impact Team ensures Cara Collective continues to deliver measurable results while shaping best practices that influence the broader workforce development field. Their work is central to advancing our vision of creating pathways out of poverty and building a more inclusive economy.

About the Role

The Director of Recruitment & Employment Services oversees the enterprise-wide recruitment admissions and employment services functions. This role ensures participants are welcomed assessed and matched to appropriate programming and employment opportunities while also cultivating relationships with employers and referral sources to strengthen the participant pipeline.

The Director will lead both the Recruitment & Admissions team and the Employment Services team ensuring cohesive strategies and workflows that maximize participant outcomes and enterprise impact. This is a high-visibility hands-on leadership role ideal for a mission-driven professional who thrives at the intersection of workforce development employer relations and participant engagement.

Qualifications

This role is ideal for a strategic mission-driven leader who thrives at the intersection of workforce development recruitment and employment services. The ideal candidate will be energized by Cara Collectives mission inspired by our commitment to racial equity and breaking the cycle of poverty and motivated to work in an environment that values collaboration innovation and continuous learning. They should possess strong interpersonal and organizational skills excel at problem-solving and bring a solutions-oriented mindset to every interaction. This role requires an individual with exceptional technical capabilities a resourceful approach and the ability to engage participants employers and stakeholders toward common goals.

Requirements:

• 7 years of professional experience in workforce development recruitment employment services or related fields with demonstrated leadership experience.
• Proven ability to lead teams develop staff and manage complex operations.
• Demonstrated success in employer engagement corporate account management or community partnerships.
• Strong organizational analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Experience with Salesforce or similar CRM/data management systems.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced environment while managing multiple priorities.
• High energy adaptable and solutions-focused with a track record of delivering results.
• Mission-driven with a commitment to equity inclusion and participant-centered impact.

Key Responsibilities

Participant Recruitment & Admissions (30%)

• Oversee the Recruitment & Admissions team to attract and engage diverse prospective participants.
• Ensure participants are warmly welcomed assessed and guided to the appropriate programmatic and business pathways.
• Implement strategies to re-engage participants who are inactive but remain interested in participation.
• Develop and maintain partnerships with referral sources to strengthen participant pipelines.
• Monitor admissions metrics ensure accurate data entry in Salesforce and maintain program enrollment targets.

Employment Services & Employer Partnerships (30%)

• Lead the Employment Services team in securing sustainable permanent employment opportunities for participants.
• Build manage and expand relationships with employers across sectors creating scalable talent pipelines.
• Ensure Employment Services team members provide concierge-level support to employers and participants.
• Collaborate with internal teams to ensure participant readiness placement and retention.
• Track placement metrics retention outcomes and participant progress to optimize strategies.

Leadership & Team Management (30%)

• Serve as a member of the enterprise leadership team contributing to cross-functional strategies and organizational goals.
• Supervise managers and senior staff within Recruitment Admissions and Employment Services teams.
• Provide coaching mentorship and professional development to team members to enhance performance and engagement.
• Align team operations with enterprise goals ensuring efficient workflows collaboration and high-quality participant and employer experiences.
• Co-create long-term strategic plans with the Chief Impact Officer to anticipate workforce trends and resource needs.

Data Management & Reporting (10%)

• Oversee accurate and timely data entry reporting and analytics for all recruitment and employment functions.
• Use data to monitor team performance participant outcomes and employer satisfaction.
• Prepare operational management and impact reports for internal and external stakeholders.
• Support continuous process improvement and innovation using participant and employer data insights.

Reports To

Chief Impact Officer

Direct Report(s)

The Director of Recruitment & Employment Services directly supervises the Manager of Recruitment and the Manager of Employment Services.

Workplace Type & Team Culture

Cara Collective has a strong team culture that values collaboration communication and camaraderie. We believe in the power of working together in person which is why we expect our employees to be onsite at one of our Chicago-based locations multiple days each week. The exact number of onsite days per week may vary by role employee tenure and other commitment to in-person collaboration fosters a sense of belonging and teamwork among our employees creating a supportive and dynamic work environment.

We consistently measure staff satisfaction through employee surveys and have found that year after year the vast majority of staff agree that Cara Collective is a great place to work and grow. This high level of employee satisfaction reflects our dedication to creating a positive and fulfilling workplace for all members of our team.

Starting Pay Range

We take budget and starting salary very seriously. We market our roles and use a salary analysis tool called Payscale and offer competitive market-based compensation to all employees.

This positions expected starting pay range is $70000- $75000 annually.

Benefits

Our comprehensive benefit package include:

• Medical Dental Vision Plans
• Basic Life Insurance
• Long Term Disability
• Personal Technology Reimbursement
• 4 Weeks Paid Parental Leave
• Starting with 17 Vacation Days 8 Sick Days
• 14 Paid Holidays

Employee Paid Benefits

• Pre-Tax Medical Flexible Spending Account
• Pre-Tax Dependent Care Account
• Pre-Tax Transit & Parking Options
• Supplemental Life and AD&D Insurance
• Short-Term Disability Insurance
• 401(k) Retirement Plan (employer match up to 4% upon hire & immediately vested)

As of this posting we annually review our benefit offerings to meet our employees needs and be competitive in the market. All listed benefits offerings a at the discretion of the employer.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Cara Collective is committed to creating a diverse work environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. Cara Collective does not discriminate on the basis of race color national origin sex gender identity religion sexual orientation age disability parental status veteran status or any other protected status under applicable laws. We encourage individuals of all backgrounds to apply. If you are a qualified candidate with a disability please email us at if you require reasonable accommodation to complete this application.