Credit Access Project Manager

Organization Summary:
Founded in 1993, Civic Works strengthens communities through education, skills development and community service. Its workforce development programs - including Career Pathways, Career Exploration (YouthBuild) and AmeriCorps - expand access to family-sustaining careers for Baltimore residents facing significant barriers to quality employment. Across these programs, Civic Works supports participants in developing both technical and soft skills, earning marketable certifications, and accessing wraparound case management and job placement services.

Position Summary:
This position supports Civic Works workforce development participants across multiple programs, helping them build long-term financial stability through one-on-one coaching and group workshops. The project manager will assist participants in strengthening credit, managing debt, and developing healthy spending habits, as well as applying for credit-builder and affordable auto loans - recognizing that transportation barriers are among the most significant obstacles to securing and sustaining employment.

In addition to direct participant support, the project manager will collaborate with Civic Works staff, partner organizations and the CDFI partner to lead program development efforts and document best practices to ensure a seamless participant experience and overall program effectiveness.

Primary Responsibilities:

1. Participant Coaching and Support

• Provide one-on-one coaching on budgeting, savings, credit building, debt management, and financial planning.
• Develop individualized financial action plans tied to employment and long-term stability goals.
• Guide participants in understanding their credit reports, identifying debt obligations, and taking steps toward repayment or resolution.
• Work with participants to create realistic, accurate budgets that reflect their income, spending habits, and variable household expenses, while supporting them in building emergency savings.
• Support participants in opening a bank account and help them choose a bank or credit union that meets their needs.
• Assist participants in developing healthy spending habits and avoiding overdrafts.

2. Credit-Building & Affordable Auto Loan Coordination

• Assess participants’ readiness for credit-building or affordable auto loan programs.
• Guide participants through the loan application process, and maintain ongoing communication to support loan milestones and follow-up if repayment issues arise.
• Coordinate with the partner CDFI to support a streamlined participant experience, manage communication on individual loan applications and overall program processes.

3. Financial Education & Resource Navigation

• Deliver workshops on budgeting, credit, debt management, banking, and financial planning, tailored to participant needs and workforce development goals.

• Build relationships with banks, credit unions, CDFIs, and community partners to expand access to safe financial products.
• Connect participants to external resources for tax prep, credit counseling, legal services, benefits screening, and other supports.
• Maintain an updated list of community financial resources.

4. Program Development & Partner Engagement

• Work with staff across Civic Works programs to align financial coaching and lending supports with participants’ employment goals and ensure a consistent, coordinated experience.
• Document effective practices and insights related to expanding access to auto loans.
• Develop and maintain an internal playbook that captures standardized workflows, participant-facing guidance, documentation checklists, coaching approaches, and communication processes with the partner CDFI.
• Contribute to program improvement efforts by incorporating lessons learned from participant experiences and partner collaboration.
• Prepare materials and templates that can be shared with future partner workforce development organizations as the initiative expands beyond Civic Works.

Secondary Responsibilities:

• Produce impact documentation and storytelling content, including participant outcomes, milestones, lessons learned, and brief case examples for internal learning and funder communications.
• Participates in staff and team meetings. Communicates and coordinates with the Student Services and Case Management staff as needed.
• Conduct periodic reviews and audits of records to ensure compliance with grant requirements.