Founded in 2004, the Urban Upbound is an innovative nonprofit organization located in Long Island City, Queens working to transform and improve New York City public housing neighborhoods by providing residents with the tools and opportunities necessary for economic stability and mobility.

The Financial Fitness Program was launched in January 2007 to address the full continuum of financial education and asset building support and services for low-income earners. Urban Upbound is currently seeking a Financial Counselor to join its Financial Fitness Program (FFP) Team. Urban Upbound’s FFP team helps program participants re-examine their beliefs about money, credit, saving and spending, and come up with ways to align their financial habits with their short and long-term financial goals. From changing participants’ attitudes towards their financial futures and goal setting, to credit repair and debt management, to long-term asset building through homeownership, higher education, retirement planning and small business development, the Financial Counselor provides a range of financial services that are tailored to the needs of individual program participants.

Urban Upbound is currently looking for a temporary, part-time Financial Counselor to work a flexible schedule, which may include some days and/or nights (5-9 pm) and Saturday hours. Hours are flexible and we are willing to work with the counselors’ availability in scheduling clients. The Financial Counselor will be expected to work 8-20 hours per week. The Financial Counselor will be responsible for conducting independent financial counseling sessions, meeting programmatic goals, and furthering the Financial Fitness Program’s mission of providing clients with the tools for financial empowerment. The position is on a temporary basis and is expected to cease beginning in October 2015 but may lead to a permanent position.

Primary responsibilities include:

Completing of CUNY Personal and Consumer Finance course
Conducting intake and on-going one-on-one counseling sessions with program participants to create action plans defining short-term and long-term financial goals including credit repair, building savings, improving poor money management skills, and even more complex issues such as retirement investing and home ownership
Tracking participant progress and other program outcomes using internal database on a weekly basis

Additional responsibilities include:

Handle sensitive and personal information with an understanding and respect for client confidentiality and cultural diversity
Participating in Urban Upbound-wide activities such as meetings, special program events etc. when appropriate
Contributing to the ongoing development and improvement of the organization

Skills and Qualifications

Bachelor’s Degree
Ability to work with diverse populations
Excellent time-management and organizational skills
Independent self-starter
Strong teamwork abilities
Ability to multitask in a fast paced environment and think outside of the box
Knowledge of MS Office applications and Google docs
Bilingual speaker a plus (Spanish, Bengali, French or Cantonese/Mandarin)
Must have a sense of humor

Compensation will be hourly based on experience.

How to apply

Please submit a resume and cover letter to:
financialfitness@urbanupbound.org