Position Highlights

The Sonoran Center for Excellence in Disabilities at the University of Arizona seeks a Regional Employment Systems Specialist to support statewide initiatives that expand employment opportunities for people with disabilities. This position works within an assigned region of Arizona to build relationships with community partners, gather community perspectives, and support the implementation of employment services through outreach and technical assistance activities.

The specialist engages rural, Tribal, and underserved communities through outreach, listening sessions, and regional partnerships to ensure local perspectives inform project activities. The role also collaborates with community rehabilitation providers and Vocational Rehabilitation partners by sharing information, supporting learning opportunities, and contributing to technical assistance efforts related to supported employment, customized employment, and self-employment services.

Duties & Responsibilities

Regional Outreach and Partnership Development:

Build and maintain relationships with community organizations, Tribal governments and partners, entrepreneurship networks, service providers, and state systems within the assigned region.
Conduct outreach to share information about employment initiatives, including supported employment, customized employment, and self-employment.
Attend community events, meetings, and local networks to strengthen partnerships and increase awareness of project activities.
Deliver presentations to community partners and stakeholder groups.
Travel throughout the region to maintain consistent engagement with rural, Tribal, and underserved communities.

Community Engagement and Listening Activities:

Coordinate and support community engagement activities including listening sessions, focus groups, interviews, talking circles, and community meetings.
Gather perspectives from individuals with disabilities, families, providers, and community leaders to identify barriers and opportunities related to employment and entrepreneurship.
Document community input and identify themes that inform project activities, training development, and service model improvements.

Provider Technical Assistance and Learning Support:

Provide technical assistance to community rehabilitation providers and partner organizations implementing supported employment, customized employment, and self-employment services.
Support providers in understanding service expectations, documentation requirements, and implementation practices. Facilitate learning opportunities such as provider meetings, peer discussions, and technical assistance sessions.
Share resources and examples that strengthen provider capacity and service quality.

Recruitment and Regional Participation:

Recruit participants for project activities including training initiatives, learning communities, evaluation activities, and community engagement events.
Work with regional partners and providers to identify individuals and organizations interested in participating in project activities.

Regional Coordination, Documentation, and Knowledge Sharing:

Coordinate regional activities with the project team and maintain regular communication with community partners and stakeholders.
Document outreach activities, provider technical assistance efforts, and community engagement outcomes.
Maintain records of partnerships, contacts, and participation in project activities.
Contribute regional insights to project reports, presentations, and activities that share project findings and inform training resources, tools, and service model development.

Minimum Qualifications

Bachelor's degree or equivalent advanced learning attained through professional level experience required.
Minimum of 3 years of relevant work experience in community outreach, community engagement, technical assistance, training, workforce development, disability services, vocational rehabilitation, or a related field required.

Preferred Qualifications

Six (6) years of experience in Community leadership, nonprofit, Tribal program, lived experience, or economic development may be considered relevant.
Experience working with, supporting, or advocating alongside individuals with disabilities in community, employment, education, workforce, or service settings.
Experience working with rural, Tribal, or border communities in Arizona.
Existing relationships with community organizations, entrepreneurship networks, service providers, or state systems within the assigned region.
Experience collaborating with Vocational Rehabilitation, Community Rehabilitation Providers, or other disability service systems.
Experience supporting or engaging with supported employment, customized employment, self-employment, entrepreneurship programs, or small business development initiatives.
Experience facilitating community meetings, listening sessions, or focus groups.
Experience delivering presentations or training to community partners or stakeholder groups.
Bilingual or multilingual skills relevant to Arizona communities, such as Spanish or Indigenous language familiarity.