Lead Connector Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Starting Salary Range $45,000 - $49,000
As part of Agape’s place-based, Two-Generation (2Gen) poverty-reduction strategy, the TeamWorks Career Services Lead Youth Connector works collaboratively with workforce partners and the community to develop and strengthen relationships that connect Out-of-School Youth (OSY) and young adults to employment, education, training, and supportive services.

The Lead Youth Connector carries a caseload that may be higher than other Connector roles and provides direct services on a biweekly rotation across Tipton, Lauderdale, and Fayette Counties, in addition to hosting virtual meetings, workshops, orientations, and case management sessions as needed. Work hours and holiday schedules for this role may differ from other Connector roles within the organization.

Aligned with Agape’s mission, this role helps ensure youth and young adults across TeamWorks’ rural service area experience hope-centered support, meaningful relationships, and clear pathways toward employment, credential attainment, and long-term self-sufficiency. The Lead Youth Connector builds relationships with clients on their caseload—and, in some cases, parents or guardians, school faculty and administration, and the broader community—creating an engaging and safe environment for youth to explore career pathways, training needs, and college interests, and to assess family needs for appropriate referral.

Key Responsibilities:

• Case Management & Service Planning
  • Individual Service Planning: Conduct and update Individual Employment Plan (IEP)/needs assessments with youth and young adult participation to develop individualized service plans, noting needed, desired, and requested services and resources.
  • Two-Generation Service Delivery: Provide two-generational, family-driven, and strength-based services to youth and families requiring resources and assistance, aligning services with the voice and choice of families.
  • Assessment: Deliver pre- and post-assessments, and identify additional needs of caseload families, making appropriate internal and external referrals.
  • Crisis Response: Respond appropriately to youth crises as they arise.
• Rural Service Delivery & Virtual Engagement
  • Biweekly County Rotation: Travel on a biweekly rotation to serve participants in Tipton, Lauderdale, and Fayette Counties, providing direct case management, workforce development services, employer engagement, and community outreach.
  • Virtual Facilitation: Host and facilitate virtual meetings, orientations, workshops, career coaching sessions, and partner meetings using approved virtual platforms to ensure continued engagement with youth, families, employers, schools, and community partners.
  • Regional Resource Knowledge: Develop and maintain comprehensive knowledge of employment, workforce development, education, and training opportunities throughout Tipton, Lauderdale, and Fayette Counties to ensure participants receive timely and appropriate referrals.
• Employment & Education Connection
  • Opportunity Connection: Connect youth and young adults to employment, work-based learning, career exploration, training, apprenticeship, and post-secondary education opportunities that align with their career goals and individual service plans.
  • Employer & Partner Relationships: Build and maintain relationships with employers, workforce partners, training providers, and educational institutions across Shelby, Tipton, Lauderdale, and Fayette Counties to expand opportunities and resources for youth and young adults.
• Ongoing Case Contact & Documentation
  • Participant Contact: Contact participants at least monthly, or more frequently as needed, to provide ongoing case management, monitor progress toward employment and training goals, address barriers to success, update individual service plans, and ensure continued engagement with program services.
  • Data Integrity and Documentation: Maintain current and accurate documentation of services provided to youth, young adults, and families, and provide necessary data to Agape and partnering agencies for input into appropriate data systems.
  • Reporting: Accurately record and analyze data using VOS and other agency-approved systems to support program outcomes and continuous quality improvement.
• Partnership & Community Engagement
  • Interagency Collaboration: Work in partnership with all departments and agencies collaborating with Agape Child & Family Services.
  • Community & Partner Relations: Maintain regular communication with schools, employers, colleges, training providers, and community partners to expand opportunities for participants.
  • Representation: Attend and represent Agape in meetings, trainings, community events, and partner collaborations, including Multidisciplinary Team Meetings and other agency-sponsored training.
• Organizational Engagement
  • Complete internal reports and provide information concerning participant progress and stability.
  • Attend regular supervisory and team meetings.
  • Serve as an advocate for Agape Child & Family Services and the communities served, maintaining positive and effective relationships and communication with Agape staff.
  • Must be able to work a flexible schedule, including evenings and weekends, to meet participant and program needs.
  • Perform other duties within the general scope of this position as assigned by the direct supervisor, Career Services Supervisor, Director of TeamWorks, or Agape leadership.
• Record Keeping
  • Maintain accurate and timely case records according to Agape procedures and grant standards through data entry into VOS and other required systems.
  • Be prompt in initiating and responding to correspondence and inquiries.
  • Submit timely reports of referrals and participant progress to the Supervisor.
  • Utilize required data for reporting, evaluation, and continuous quality improvement.

Core Competencies & Attributes

• Mission-Driven: Demonstrates commitment to Agape’s mission of fighting poverty so families can flourish, ensuring youth and family engagement supports long-term stability and opportunity.
• Relationship Builder: Builds trust with youth, families, schools, and community partners across a wide rural service area, serving as a positive and consistent role model.
• Flexible & Resourceful: Adapts to a demanding schedule, biweekly county rotation, and virtual and in-person service delivery to meet participant needs.
• Hope-Centered Problem Solver: Uses assessment data and participant insight to clarify goals, strengthen pathways to employment and credential attainment, and reinforce participant agency.
• Clear Communicator: Facilitates engaging in-person and virtual instruction, workshops, and meetings for youth, families, and partners.
• Collaborative Partner: Builds and sustains relationships with employers, schools, and training providers to expand access to opportunity.
• Integrity & Operational Excellence: Upholds documentation accuracy, participant confidentiality, and Agape’s PQI processes with professionalism and accountability.

Education & Experience:

Required:

• Bachelor's degree in social services, human services, business administration, or a related field from an accredited college or university, or an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience.
• Minimum of two years of relevant experience.
• Demonstrated ability to connect job seekers with employment, training, apprenticeship, and post-secondary education opportunities.
• Experience facilitating engaging in-person and virtual group instruction, workshops, and meetings.
• Strong written and verbal communication, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite.

Preferred:

• Experience in workforce development, employer engagement, youth services, or career coaching, and knowledge of the workforce ecosystem.
• Experience with VOS (Jobs4TN - Virtual One Stop), CaseWorthy, Smartsheet or similar case management systems.
• Familiarity with the regional workforce ecosystem across Tipton, Lauderdale, Fayette, and Shelby Counties.

Must possess a valid driver's license, reliable transportation, and current automobile insurance. Must be willing to travel regularly throughout the assigned counties on a biweekly rotation and work a flexible schedule, including evenings and weekends, as needed. Candidates must also be committed to Agape's Performance Quality and Improvement (PQI) standards of quality & excellence.

Physical Requirements:

• Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working at a computer.
• Prolonged walking, standing, and climbing stairs within schools, community sites, workshops, and events.
• Frequent travel throughout the assigned service area, including regular biweekly travel to Tipton, Lauderdale, and Fayette Counties.
• Must be able to lift up to 20 pounds at a time.

Core Values Alignment

This role reflects and reinforces Agape's VOICES values:

Valuing Others | Openness | Interconnected | Communication | Empathy | Seeking to Glorify God

This job description is not intended to be an exhaustive list of duties or responsibilities. Agape leadership reserves the right to modify the role to meet organizational needs.

Agape Child & Family Services, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or veteran status.