Military Career Navigator

Description

Job Summary:

The Military Career Navigator serves as a dedicated workforce professional within the Military Career Connections (MCC) Program, supporting the shared workforce development mission of Anne Arundel Workforce Development Corporation (AAWDC), the Howard County Office of Workforce Development (HCOWD), and U.S. Army Garrison Fort Geroge G. Meade.

The Military Career Navigator provides career coaching, case management, career readiness, and employment services to transitioning service members, veterans, and military spouses. This position guides participants from intake through employment and retention by assessing needs, developing individual career plans, coordinating workforce and supportive services, and connecting participants to training and career opportunities. The Military Career Navigator also cultivates partnerships with employers, training providers, military organizations, and community resources to expand career pathways and support successful workforce outcomes. This role requires strong relationship-building skills, knowledge of military culture, and a commitment to helping military-connected individuals achieve their employment and career goals.

Requirements

Essential Functions and Responsibilities:

To perform in this position successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Other duties may be assigned to meet business needs.

Client Assessment, Career Coaching & Employment Planning

Conduct intake and comprehensive assessments to identify participant strengths, skills, interests, barriers, employment goals, and service needs.

Translate military experience, MOS/AFSC/Rating-related skills, and military family experience into transferable civilian workforce skills and career pathways.

Develop Individual Employment Plans (IEPs) that establish measurable employment, training, and career goals and identify appropriate services and resources.

Provide individualized career coaching, job-search guidance, resume development, interview preparation, and employment-readiness services, including federal resume and clearance-sensitive job-search strategies when appropriate.

Assist participants in identifying career pathways, training, credentials, apprenticeships, fellowships, and other work-based learning opportunities aligned with their goals and regional labor-market demand.

Case Management & Participant Support

Maintain an assigned caseload and provide active case management from intake through successful completion, employment, and post-placement follow-up, as appropriate.

Maintain regular, purposeful contact with assigned participants; monitor participation, progress, barriers, and employment goals; and take timely action when participants are not progressing toward established milestones.

Coordinate and track referrals to MCC, training providers, employers, military and veteran resources, and community partners to ensure participants receive appropriate services without unnecessary duplication.

Monitor participant progress against the IEP and update goals, services, referrals, and action steps as participant circumstances or career objectives change.

Provide supportive and wraparound resource navigation, including connections to benefits, transportation, childcare/dependent-care resources, stabilization services, and other appropriate community supports.

Provide post-placement follow-up and retention support, helping participants address employment challenges and maintain career stability, including challenges related to relocation or deployment.

Maintain timely and accurate documentation of all participant contacts, services, referrals, outcomes, and progress in required case management and workforce tracking systems.

Maintain participant confidentiality and comply with AAWDC, funding-source, and applicable program documentation requirements.

Military & Military Family Career Navigation

Develop portable career strategies that account for PCS moves, deployment cycles, career interruptions, and the need for continuity across duty stations.

Assist military spouses with professional licensing and certification transfers across state lines and connect them with appropriate licensing and credentialing resources.

Connect military spouses to remote and hybrid employment opportunities, entrepreneurship resources, and Military Spouse Preference programs and hiring initiatives.

Stay current on military and veteran employment resources, benefits, GI Bill resources, employment rights, and supportive services to provide accurate navigation and referrals.

Provide career coaching that addresses deployment-related employment gaps and other barriers unique to military-connected job seekers.

Outreach, Employer Engagement & Partnerships

Establish and maintain effective working relationships with employers, training providers, military installation partners, government agencies, veteran-serving organizations, and community organizations.

Develop and implement grassroots outreach efforts to increase awareness and participation in the Military Career Connections Program by meeting transitioning service members, military spouses, veterans, and other eligible military-connected individuals where they are, including through targeted engagement at Fort Meade, installation activities, community events, and other appropriate on-base and off-base touchpoints.

Partner with employers to identify employment opportunities, apprenticeships, fellowships, OJT placements, and other career pathways aligned with military skill sets and regional workforce needs.

Host and participate in job fairs, hiring events, career workshops, TAP briefings, employer events, and other outreach activities tailored to military-connected job seekers.

Collaborate with Veterans Affairs (VA), Transition Assistance Program (TAP), Military OneSource, Military Spouse Employment Partnership (MSEP), Military Family Readiness Groups, Base Family Support Centers, spouse organizations, and other military transition and family-support programs.

Coordinate with Maryland American Job Centers, DVOP/LVER partners, county veteran and community agencies, and other workforce partners to support priority of service, co-enrollment, training, and wraparound needs.

Maintain a visible and consistent workforce-development presence at Fort Meade and other assigned partner locations based on program needs.

Data Management, Reporting & Compliance

Maintain accurate, timely, and complete participant and service records in required workforce and case-management systems.

Track enrollment, services, training, employment, credentials, retention, referrals, and other required outcomes for assigned participants.

Ensure case notes and supporting documentation clearly reflect participant engagement, services provided, progress toward goals, barriers, referrals, and outcomes.

Use participant and program data to identify service gaps, follow-up needs, and opportunities to improve participant outcomes.

Support required reports, dashboards, audits, monitoring activities, and performance reviews by maintaining accurate documentation and data.

Administrative & Additional Duties

Participate in staff meetings, supervision, professional development, training, and other AAWDC and HCOWD activities as required.

Maintain working knowledge of AAWDC and HCOWD programs, departments, referral processes, and community resources to ensure participants are connected to the appropriate services.

Work collaboratively with AAWDC and HCOWD staff and partners to provide coordinated services and advance the organization’s mission.

Perform other duties as assigned based on departmental and organizational needs.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

· None

Qualifications:

Education an