Employment Specialist

At Beam, we’re building AI that serves society.

We're a global team of ambitious, hardworking problem solvers, applying fast-moving startup energy to work that makes the world a better place. If you want to apply your talent to the biggest problems society faces, Beam is the place for you.

You’ll be part of a high-performance culture where you'll make a huge impact, rapidly progress your career, and truly enjoy your work.

Over 100,000 frontline workers already use Beam to take notes, provide live interpretation and handle phone calls, so they can focus on the people who need them most. This is just the beginning.

About the role

We are looking for an Employment Specialist to join our Southwark Connect to Work team. You will hold a caseload of individuals with barriers to employment, including disabilities, long-term health conditions, learning disabilities and other complex or multiple disadvantages, and support them into paid work using the Individual Placement and Support (IPS) and/or Supported Employment Quality Framework (SEQF) models, according to what best suits each participant.

This is a community-facing role. You will spend around 65% of your time working face-to-face in the community, across a number of locations in Southwark, rather than based full-time at a desk. You'll need to be able to commute into Southwark at least three days a week (our office is on Walworth Road), with the remaining time spent visiting participants, partner organisations and employers across the borough.

Key responsibilities

Participant support and caseload management

• Hold a caseload of up to 25 participants (closer to 20 where delivering SEQF, to meet fidelity requirements)

• Deliver person-centred, strengths-based, non-judgemental support, choosing the IPS or SEQF model appropriate to each participant's needs (IPS is the default where the right model is unclear)

• Complete and keep updated Vocational Profiles and Vocational Action Plans with each participant

• Support participants through the full employment journey (engagement, assessment, job search, job placement, job coaching, and follow-along support) for up to 12 months (averaging around 9 months)

• Provide time-unlimited, individualised support once a participant starts work, including in-work support and liaison with the employer

• Support participants interested in self-employment, signposting to specialist advice where needed

Community-based delivery and outreach

• Spend the majority of your time working in the community: participants' homes, outreach venues, and partner organisation sites across Southwark, including co-locating with delivery partners

• Build and maintain referral relationships with local voluntary and community sector organisations, faith groups, housing providers, family hubs and children's centres, and health and social care services

• Represent Beam at community events, drop-ins and partner meetings to generate referrals and raise awareness of the programme

• Help generate your own referrals as part of the team's community outreach and engagement effort

Employer engagement

• Build and maintain relationships with local employers to identify suitable, sustainable job opportunities

• Support employers with reasonable adjustments, job carving and inclusive recruitment practices

• Maintain frequent, quality employer contact and a diverse portfolio of employers and job types matched to participants' needs and goals

Compliance, fidelity and data

• Maintain accurate, up-to-date participant records on Beam's systems and the Southwark Connect to Work CRM (Enspirio)

• Work within IPS and/or SEQF fidelity standards, and help evidence practice for internal self-assessments and DWP's external fidelity review

• Contribute to programme KPIs, including job starts, first earnings, and sustained job outcomes (lower and higher threshold)

• Follow Beam's disclosure, safeguarding and data-sharing policies at all times

Team and collaboration

• Work closely with the Team Leader and wider Southwark Connect to Work team

• Liaise with Southwark Council, Central London Forward, Southwark Works, and other Connect to Work delivery partners as required

• Take part in regular supervision, team meetings and training to develop your practice

• Contribute to Beam's social value commitments in Southwark (for example, supporting free housing advice or digital skills sessions for residents)

Person specification

• Experience in a client-facing support, coaching, or employment-related role (for example: careers advice, welfare-to-work, disability employment support, health and social care, or recruitment)

• Ability to build genuine, trusting relationships with participants from diverse backgrounds, including people with disabilities, health conditions and complex or multiple disadvantage

• Confidence and skill in building relationships with employers

• Comfortable working independently and flexibly across a number of community locations, with your own initiative

• Strong organisational skills, able to manage a caseload of up to 25 people and keep accurate records

• Competent using IT and case management/CRM systems

• A genuine commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion, and a strengths-based, non-judgemental approach to supporting people into work

• Able to commute to Southwark (Walworth Road) at least three days a week

Desirable

• Experience delivering Individual Placement and Support (IPS) and/or the Supported Employment Quality Framework (SEQF)

• Understanding of the DWP welfare-to-work or supported employment sector

• Experience supporting people with mental health conditions, learning disabilities, autism or other complex needs into employment

• Existing networks within Southwark's voluntary, community and faith sector

• Southwark resident

About Beam

We’ve picked up an armful of awards for our work, including one from our former Queen. We've also been named by WIRED as one of London's 10 hottest startups and by LinkedIn as a Top 15 UK Startup. Meanwhile, we've been covered in the media literally thousands of times, including the likes of The FT, BBC, TechCrunch, Forbes and The Guardian.

We’re also proud to be backed by some of the world's leading tech investors and entrepreneurs, including the founders of Booking.com, Calm, Shazam and Dropbox.

Start your journey to a more impactful career today. We're excited to hear from you.

Reasonable adjustments:

Beam is committed to fostering an inclusive, diverse, and supportive work environment for all employees. This policy extends to our hiring practices.

We recognise that some candidates may need additional support during their hiring process to give them the best chance of being a success. To ensure that all candidates have an equitable opportunity during their process, we are committed to providing reasonable adjustments where required.

If you require a reasonable adjustment to be made during your process, please let your Talent Partner know. We encourage you to share this information, but there is no obligation to do so.

Please be reassured that any reasonable adjustment requests will not be taken into account when making a decision about your candidacy.