Position Openings: One

Internal/External Opening: External

Locations: Grand Rapids, MN

Work Arrangement: In-person

Job Summary

Serve as a client-oriented people engaging member of the KOOTASCA Homeownership and Financial Advisory team. Perform administrative and advisory work, helping program participants with financial goal-setting and asset-building strategies that help them to achieve or transition into stable housing.  Responsible for screening clients for program down-payment eligibility, facilitating homebuyer education workshops, aligning volunteers, providing one-on-one client advising, reviewing of client budgets and credit, identification of resources,  provision of recommendations and referrals, and navigation of options to achieve homeownership.

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Application for Employment

Job Posting Information

Education

  • Minimum: Associates or Two Year College Degree in a related field, including but not limited to Finance, Housing, Adult Education, Real Estate, or Social Work.
  • Preferred: Bachelor’s Degree in a related field.
  • Special Certifications
    • HUD Housing Counselor Certification, or willingness to attain through the Agency within 3 months of hire.
    • Homebuyer Counseling Certificate, or wiliness to attain through the Agency within 1 year of hire.
    • Homebuyer Education Certification, or wiliness to attain through the Agency within 1 year of hire.
    • Accreditation with MN Home Ownership Center, HUD, and National Standards programs, or willingness to acquire and maintain.

Experience/ Authorizations

  • More than 3 years’ experience in counseling client services/case management, mortgages or real estate
  • Non-Profit experience preferred
  • Pre-Employment Records Search & Background Study
  • Valid Driver’s License & MVR approval for use of Agency Vehicles

Schedule/Location

  • Daytime weekday schedule
  • 32-40 Hours/Week Work
  • Grand Rapids, MN

Compensation

  • Entry Wage of $20.21/hour
  • Wage Scale of $20.21- $29.20/hour
  • Scheduled Raises & Cost of Living Allowances

Benefits

  • Generous Paid-Time-Off (PTO) Package + 14 Paid Holidays/year
  • Medical, Dental, Vision, Life & Disability Insurances
  • Health Savings Account & Flexible Spending Account options.
  • Retirement Plan with option for employer contribution
  • Tuition Assistance opportunities & Loan Forgiveness qualifying credit
  • Many Training and Professional Development opportunities.

Job Description

Qualifications

Education

  • Minimum: Associates or Two Year College Degree in a related field, including but not limited to Finance, Housing, Adult Education, Real Estate, or Social Work.
  • Preferred: Bachelor’s Degree in a related field.
  • Special Certifications
    • HUD Housing Counselor Certification, or willingness to attain through the Agency within 3 months of hire.
    • Homebuyer Counseling Certificate, or wiliness to attain through the Agency within 1 year of hire.
    • Homebuyer Education Certification, or wiliness to attain through the Agency within 1 year of hire.
    • Accreditation with MN Home Ownership Center, Hud, and National Standards programs, or willingness to acquire and maintain.

Experience/ Authorizations

  • More than 3 years’ experience in counseling client services/case management, mortgages or real estate
  • Non-Profit experience preferred
  • Pre-Employment Records Search & Background Study
  • Valid Driver’s License & MVR approval for use of Agency Vehicles

Schedule/Location

  • Daytime weekday schedule
  • 32-40 Hours/Week Work
  • Grand Rapids, MN

Compensation

  • Entry Wage of $21.67/hour
  • Wage Scale of $21.67 – $31.44
  • Scheduled Raises & Cost of Living Allowances

Benefits

  • Generous Paid-Time-Off (PTO) Package + 14 Paid Holidays/year
  • Medical, Dental, Vision, Life & Disability Insurances
  • Health Savings Account & Flexible Spending Account options.
  • Retirement Plan with option for employer contribution
  • Tuition Assistance opportunities & Loan Forgiveness qualifying credit
  • Many Training and Professional Development opportunities.
  • Skills
    • Ability to proficiently operate copy/fax machines, telephone, and computers and software, including email, spreadsheets and word processing.
    • Excellent oral and written communication skills.
    • Ability to manage time that results in both a satisfactory quantity and quality of work.
  • Abilities
    • Demonstrated ability to work independently and as a team member.
    • Must be able to handle diverse work problems on a daily basis.
    • Must be able to organize a work schedule, set priorities and work effectively to meet deadlines without supervision.
    • Must be able to adjust to changes necessitated by last minute assignments and deadline requests that may prove stressful.
    • Must be able to work flexible hours as needed in order to meet the needs of the clients.
    • Ability to work effectively with community providers while serving as an advocate for families experiencing poverty.
    • Attend trainings, classes, and meetings as necessary to improve job skills and maintain an acceptable level of job performance.

Primary Duties & Responsibilities

This job description is not intended to be all-inclusive and employee will also perform other reasonably related business duties as assigned.

Area 1: Education

  • Develop and maintain positive working relationships with local housing professionals to ensure the agency is recognized within the community.
  • Assist in the dissemination of Homeownership Programming information to vendors, community partners, and other service providers organizations across the service area to further outreach efforts, referrals, and enrollment supports for client benefits.
  • Keep abreast of changes to the industry by attending training, conferences, and meetings as necessary to improve job skills and maintain an acceptable level of job performance.
  • Plan for and facilitate educational programs that prepare participants for the homebuying process, including: scheduling dates, times, locations, securing presenters, corresponding with participants, and providing of follow up surveys and award certificates.

Area 2: Counseling & Financial Assistance

  • Screen and interview program participants. Provide information and referrals, and counseling services to eligible participants
  • Provides excellent client service, which is responsive and considerate, via phone, in-person, video, email, and/or text.
  • Help participants to develop household budget plans: analyze and evaluate participant credit and household budgets to determine solutions and options for achieving homeownership
  • Monitor participants progress towards meeting housing goals.
  • Acts as an advocate on the client’s behalf, with services, realtors, lenders and other Provides housing counseling services to homebuyers, homebuyer education and downpayment assistance.

Area 3:  Compliance 

  • Enter and maintain data quality on all client information, applications and program information into data systems for program participants, agreements, brochures, projects, etc.
  • Respect confidentiality while delivering quality services.
  • Ensure compliance and ethical practices in all program areas; program monitoring, reporting, and contractual agreements, informed consent, and client confidentiality and privacy.
  • Maintain existing credentials and earn new credentials as required for financial coaching and homeownership services.

Job Factors

Supervision of Others: 

  • Not responsible for supervision of others.

Safety of Others

  • Minimal responsibility for the safety of others. Probability of injury to self or others is remote.

Contacts

  • Contact is within own department, and with other departments, customers, vendors, or the public.

Physical Demand

  • Must be able to lift 25 pounds.
  • Requires sitting, standing, bending, stooping and reaching.

Travel

  • Must have reliable transportation.
  • Must have valid driver’s license and current auto insurance coverage in compliance with Minnesota State guidelines on the vehicle used for work related travel.
  • Travel for completion of job duties, trainings and meetings as required.

General Agency Requirements

Professionalism:

  • Maintain positive work atmosphere by behaving and communicating in a manner that fosters good relations with clients, customers, co-workers, providers, volunteers, and supervisors.
  • Treat clients, co-workers, and the public in a respectful and courteous manner at all times.
  • Continue to develop skills and abilities.

Community Representation:

  • Represent KOOTASCA Community Action, Inc. in a positive manner.
  • Adhere to the Community Action Code of Ethics.
  • Seek to understand poverty and the barriers faced by community members.

Confidentiality:

  • Maintain confidentiality of agency, program, and client information.

KOOTASCA Community Action is an Equal Opportunity (EEO) and Affirmative Action (AA) Employer. We recruit, select, hire, place, transfer, promote, demote, layoff, discipline, terminate, recall, compensate, and train without regard to race, religion, creed, color, national origin, age, gender, gender identity, sex, sexual orientation, familial status, disability, veteran status, status with regard to public assistance, membership or activity in a local human rights commission, or any other basis protected by applicable laws, directives, and regulations of federal, state, and local governing bodies or agencies. We will provide reasonable accommodation to applicants and employees with disabilities whenever possible.