Hiring Range: $22 to $25 Hourly

Schedule: Some evening and weekend hours required

The Home Education Counselor is part of the Home Education (HE) team which assists customers of the HomeOwnership Center to meet their housing goals through education, counseling, and mentoring.  The HE Counselor will deliver efficient and effective education, counseling, and coaching services.  These will be provided to individuals and households to meet home education needs throughout the housing continuum from financial capability for renters to home buyer education to post-purchase topics. Services will be provided in one-on-one and group settings.

Essential Job Duties:

• Provide one-on-one Home Purchase counseling in order to develop mortgage-ready buyers. This counseling includes all aspects of pre-homeownership planning such as understanding credit, budgeting and savings, shopping for a home, lending/mortgage guidelines and post-purchase requirements to ensure successful home ownership.
• Provide Homeowner Services including one-on-one counseling to address budgeting, credit and savings, and individual problem solving to support successful long-term ownership.
• Provide one-on-one coaching to participants in our eviction prevention program On Track, as well as the Ready Set Rent! (RSR) program and other tenant based educational programs.  This coaching includes a thorough review and explanation of credit, creating / improving money management techniques, creating systems and setting goals.  Also includes internal collaboration with CHT’s Property Management Dept.
• Responsible for maintaining customer counseling information in hard files as well as timely data input into all applicable data systems.
• Present at approx. 3-5 evening and weekend Home Education workshops per month in various locations; (regularly in Burlington & St Albans) and provide one-on-one counseling.
• Travels to St. Albans CHT office as needed to provide one-on-one counseling appointments and other related services for customers in Franklin and Grand Isle Counties.
• Assist Home Education Manager with HE curriculum development and implementation.
• Collaborate with local and state partners to ensure knowledge and compliance for the program and ensures HOC services meet the needs of these partners.
• Participates in organization and special events (i.e. NeighborWorks® Week, community events, sponsorship, and outreach activities.)
• Assists with special projects as assigned and other tasks deemed necessary to achieve overall goals and operate a successful program and other duties as assigned.

Required Skills/Experience and Attributes:

• Experience working in counseling, education, mortgage lending, or real estate strongly preferred
• BA/BS in a related field may be considered in lieu of experience
• Must be a HUD Certified Housing Counselor, or pass the examination within 90 days of hire
• Must be committed to social justice, equity and CHT’s membership-based model of community controlled and permanently affordable housing
• Must have a positive attitude, excellent written and verbal communication, interpersonal, active listening and planning skills
• Must be organized, self-directed, work independently and also work as a collaborative team member
• Proficient use of Microsoft Office suite, computers, and basic office technology is required
• Must demonstrate a high level of professionalism, attention to detail and ability to maintain confidentiality of sensitive information
• Must be able to work regular evening and weekend hours
• Must possess a valid driver license and reliable transportation
• Local travel is required regularly, long distance travel for training is occasionally required.

Physical and Mental abilities:  The Counselor must have the physical and mental abilities to perform the essential job duties listed above.  Reasonable accommodation may be extended to help perform those duties.  The job entails long periods of sitting at a desk.  There may be prolonged periods of computer work.  While performing the essential duties of this job the Counselor will have to use hands and fingers, walk, stand, reach, or lift up to 25 pounds.

Work Atmosphere:

Champlain Housing Trust is a non-profit, member-based organization.  The work entails significant self motivation.  Occasional travel out of state to meetings and seminars may be required.

Employer Rights and Disclaimers:

This job description is not a contract for employment.  It is a list of duties and expectations.  However, it should not be considered a complete list of expected duties.  Duties may be added, dropped, or changed at any time.

The job qualifications may change at any time.  Champlain Housing Trust may add, drop, or change any qualifications for the position in order to fit changes in the organization.  This job description should not be interpreted as a complete list of job qualifications.

Champlain Housing Trust is committed to a diverse workplace and highly encourages women, persons with disabilities, Section 3 residents, and people from diverse racial, ethnic and cultural backgrounds to apply.

This document does not extend an offer for permanent or continuous employment.  Champlain Housing Trust is an at will employer.

Champlain Housing Trust is committed to a diverse workplace and highly encourages women, persons with disabilities, Section 3 residents, and people from diverse racial, ethnic and cultural backgrounds to apply.