Compass Financial Counselor, Clarifi

Posted by Clarifi on September 10, 2018

Position Summary: The Compass Family Self-Sufficiency Program (FSS) is a collaboration between Clarifi and Compass Working Capital providing high-quality financial counseling and coaching for participants in the Philadelphia Housing Authority’s FSS program. FSS is a historically underutilized employment and savings program for families who live in federally subsidized housing that allows them to capture a portion of rent as savings when they increase their earnings. The Financial Counselor will provide ongoing, customized financial counseling and coaching for a cadre of clients to help them achieve their goals and reach benchmark targets in five core areas: (1) income and employment; (2) credit and debt; (3) savings; (4) utilization of high quality financial services; and (5) asset development. The Financial Counselor will also help FSS participants optimize their escrow funds toward their financial and asset development goals, including post-secondary education, small business development, homeownership, and credit building. By creating strong and sustainable counseling and coaching models for our clients, this counselor fulfills our mission of creating hope by helping people identify and secure the most important assets in their lives.

Qualifications:
 Commitment to Mission: Passion for serving low-income populations and strong and demonstrated commitment to social justice, various forms of equity and anti-poverty initiatives. Understanding of the root causes of poverty and systems and structures that perpetuate inequality.
 Personal qualities. Clarifi requires the highest ethical standards and integrity in service to our clients and partners. The ideal candidate will possess maturity, self-awareness, empathy, flexibility, cultural humility, and an exceptional capacity for team and community building.
 Strong interpersonal and one-on-one coaching skills. Ability to form strong, trusting partnerships with clients, and to provide financial coaching that is non-judgmental, empathetic, and culturally proficient.
 Interest in personal finance and comfort with quantitative calculations: Having a prior background in personal finance is not required in this role, as training and certification in personal finance will be provided. Interest in learning about, and building proficiency in, personal and consumer finance.
 Commitment to innovation, excellence, and entrepreneurship. Energized to work in an entrepreneurial, growth-oriented nonprofit organization. Demonstrated commitment to testing and evaluating new ideas and to building a model organization. The ideal candidate will be proactive team player, with a willingness to pitch-in to support larger goals. Detail-focused and strong commitment to client services and consumer protection.
 Excellent organizational and communication skills. Detail-oriented with the ability to complete work accurately and efficiently. Exceptional presentation, organizational, written and verbal communication skills.. Ability to understand and develop processes to make workflows manageable and replicable. Excellent computer literacy, including web based applications and proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite.
 College degree or a minimum of 5 years relevant work experience required.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Proficiency or fluency in Chinese, Russian or Spanish a plus.

Essential Functions:
Financial Counseling and Coaching
 Participate in intensive substantive coaching and counseling training in financial management, personal finance, credit, and pre-purchase and obtain designated certifications including from the National Foundation for Credit Counseling, the Department of Housing and Urban Development and NeighborWorks Center for Homeownership Education and Counseling, as necessary and within required timeframes.
 Maintain counselor certification by earning required number of Professional Development Units annually through counseling, continuing education and workshops or seminars.
o Provide high quality financial counseling and coaching sessions that promote financial stability and encourage access to Clarifi programs that further financial capability.
o Support FSS clients to achieve their goals and reach benchmark targets in five core areas: (1) income and employment; (2) credit and debt; (3) savings; (4) utilization of high quality financial services; and (5) asset development. Work with clients around goal setting, budgeting, building credit, savings, accessing high quality financial products, pursuing educational and employment goals, homeownership, small business development, and saving for children’s education.
 Document recommendations in an individualized action plan and effectively communicate with clients so that clients understand their role in their own success.
 Conduct initial needs assessment, and refer clients to other service providers and other resources as needed.
o Build and maintain relationships with clients by demonstrating empathy, providing exceptional service and actionable information appropriate to situation. Deliver core elements of a financial plan to families in a way that is professional, culturally proficient, non-judgmental, relevant, and valuable.
 Follow up with clients to evaluate effectiveness of action plans, documenting both client success and challenges encountered during action plan implementation.
 Support clients in understanding and utilizing their FSS escrow savings toward their goals. including post-secondary education, small business development, homeownership, and credit building.

General FSS Program Engagement
 Program outreach. Support the Program Director in conducting FSS outreach and recruitment activities. This includes providing FSS orientations and informational sessions on-site at PHA and other community organizations. The outreach materials tap into and build upon families’ deeply held aspirations for themselves and for their children. The program will partner and co-brand with PHA to frame FSS as an opportunity to pursue dreams and goals, such as owning a home, obtaining a college degree, starting a business, saving for children’s education, or becoming debt-free.
 Program enrollment. Help execute FSS Contract of Participation (COP) and Individual Training and Services Plan (ITSP), and ensure that clients stay on track toward program graduation.
 Workshop coordination. Assist the Program Director with providing high quality, culturally proficient financial education workshops, which are a core component of the program model. Financial education workshops focus on the following topics: (1) goal setting and budgeting; (2) credit building and debt management; and (3) savings and asset building. Workshops help build the financial skills, confidence, and practices that are predictive of future financial well-being. Responsibilities might include communicating with prospective and current clients, coordinating materials and presenters, assisting and/or teaching in workshops, and coordinating the administrative components of running the workshops.
 Resource development and community partnerships. Identify and refer participants to other resources and services needed to achieve their goals (e.g. social services, legal assistance, job training, homeownership counseling, small business development training, post-secondary education, etc.).
 General program support, development, and review. Participate, as needed, in overall program development activities, including but not limited to strategy sessions with Clarifi, Compass, and PHAstaff and partners to drive and improve overall program performance.

Data Quality
 Manage confidential client information with a rigorous dedication to organizational security protocols around every aspect of client data. Activities associated with the management of client data include the creation and maintenance of client files, electronic data entry activities, direct communication with clients, and management of survey data
 Maintain accurate client information in client management systems and document management tools, internal and external to the agency
 Perform program related data entry with minimal errors
 Identify and implement process changes to streamline data management efforts
 Share client and program information with community partners through appropriate mechanisms to advance client service and program evaluation
 Conduct quality management tasks in client and funder management databases
 Generate reports, narratives and other documentation to show progress of clients as requested by specific projects

General Administration
 Maintain regular and predictable attendance with flexible work schedule (including evening and weekend) hours and branch locations responsive to client needs.
 Perform special projects and/or assignments as directed by management.

Travel:
Position is based in Philadelphia. Travel will be required throughout Philadelphia by automobile to various program sites, partner meetings, workshops, events and conferences related to FSS. Candidate must be a licensed driver with full time access to reliable, properly registered and insured car and be able and willing to travel to locations within organization’s service area. Initial training may be conducted in Boston and will require overnight stays and travel by train. Thereafter, occasional travel by air or train and overnight stays may be required to represent organization at meetings or conference outside of Philadelphia area.

Physical Demands:
There are no special physical demands required by this position. The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of position.

Work Environment:
The environment for this position is standard office environment. In addition to the office responsibilities, there are off-site workshops, presentations and community outreach events. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

FLSA Status: Exempt
Date Prepared: March 27, 2018
Prepared By: Markita Morris-Louis, SVP and General Counsel
Clarifi is an equal opportunity employer committed to creating and maintaining a diverse workforce.

Applicants can apply at http://www.clarifi.org.