Who We Are:

Emerge Career’s mission is to break the cycle of poverty and incarceration. We’re not just building software; we’re creating pathways to real second chances. Through an all-in-one platform deeply embedded within the criminal justice system, we recruit, train, and place justice-impacted individuals into life-changing careers.

Our vision is to become the country’s unified workforce development system, replacing disconnected brick-and-mortar job centers with one integrated, tech-powered solution that meets low-income individuals exactly where they are. Today, the federal government spends billions annually on education and training programs, yet only about 70% of participants graduate, just 38.6% secure training-related employment, and average first-year earnings hover around $34,708.

By contrast, our seven-person team has already outperformed the job centers in two entire states (Vermont and South Dakota) in just the past year. With an 89% graduation rate and 92% of graduates securing training-related employment, our alumni aren’t just getting jobs—they’re launching new lives with average first-year earnings of $77,352. The results speak for themselves, and we’re just getting started.

Before Emerge, our founders Zo and Gabe co-founded Ameelio, an award-winning tech nonprofit that is dismantling the prison communication duopoly. Backed by tech luminaries like Reid Hoffman, Vinod Khosla, and Jack Dorsey, and by major criminal-justice philanthropies such as Arnold Ventures and the Mellon Foundation, Ameelio became a recognized leader in the space. Because of this experience both Zo and Gabe understood what it took to create change from within the system. After serving over 1M people impacted by incarceration, they witnessed firsthand the gap in second-chance opportunities and the chronic unemployment plaguing those impacted by the justice system. Emerge Career is committed to solving this issue. 

Our students are at the heart of our work. Their journeys have captured national attention on CBS, NBC, and in The Boston Globe, and our programs now serve entire states and cities. And we’re not doing it alone: our vision has attracted support from Alexis Ohanian (776),  Michael Seibel, Y Combinator, the Opportunity Fund, and public figures like Diana Taurasi, Deandre Ayton, and Marshawn Lynch. All of us believe that, with the right mix of technology and hands-on practice, we can redefine workforce development and deliver true second chances at scale.

Why We Do This:

Emerge Career was designed to tackle two systemic issues: recidivism, fueled by post-incarceration unemployment and poverty, and labor shortages in key industries. Over 60% of formerly incarcerated people remain unemployed a year after incarceration, seeking work but not finding it. The reality is shocking, workforce development programs are severely limited inside prison, with only one-third of incarcerated people ever participating. To worsen, the available prison jobs offer meager wages, often less than $1 per hour, and often do not equip individuals with the skills for long-term stable employment. 

About the Role:

This isn't a traditional sales job; you won't be handed a list of leads. Instead, you'll be one of the first people on the ground, a strategic, independent leader who creates and implements our public-sector sales initiatives from scratch.

To date, all of our contracts have been a founder-led effort. Our growth is now at a point where we need to scale this function, and we're looking for a talent who believes we can unify the workforce-development system and deliver second chances at true scale. We hope that can be you.

This role blends traditional sales with public policy, program operations, and strategic leadership. Your job is to win transformative public-sector deals that expand Emerge Career’s footprint across the U.S. You'll manage an entire region, identify opportunities, forge relationships, influence decision-makers, and most importantly, close state and federal contracts that fund life-changing workforce programs. We’re looking for someone who is energized by ownership, obsessed with partner outcomes, and excited to work across domains to make things better. If you’re the kind of person who wants to be hands-on with everything—strategy, execution, proposals, and building relationships with decision-makers—you’ll thrive here.

What We’re Looking For (Minimally):

• Willing to relocate and work in-person in New York City
• 5+ years of professional experience in sales, partnerships, public sector engagement, or government affairs.
• Experience closing multi-year, 7-figure contracts with state or federal agencies (this is the primary marker of success in this role).
• Strong understanding of state and federal government agencies, their budgetary cycles, and procurement processes.
• Demonstrated experience performing SDR responsibilities: identifying and researching potential clients, contacting leads through various channels, and assessing their needs, interest levels, and purchasing power.
• Demonstrated experience drafting and writing compelling proposals tailored to client needs and objectives, highlighting the value and benefits of the product or service after client meetings or calls.
• Demonstrated experience setting up and operating Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems to track interactions, manage client information, and analyze sales performance for strategic planning.
• Comfortable switching between self-directed work and teamwork. Highly collaborative.
• Deeply curious and highly attuned to human behavior and emotion.
• Demonstrated work with lobbying firms and political stakeholders to drive funding or programmatic initiatives.
• Ability to produce high-quality work independently, from strategy to execution.

What We’re Looking For (Preferred):

• Track record of developing innovative programs or initiatives within or in collaboration with government agencies.
• Building and nurturing partnerships with clients and other relevant stakeholders to foster long-term relationships and collaborative opportunities.
• Experience leading RFP writing.
• Deep familiarity with corrections, workforce development, or education services is a plus.
• Personal or professional exposure to the criminal justice system is valued.
• Passionate about working with underrepresented communities and tackling challenges related to poverty and inequity.

What you will be doing

• Winning transformative public-sector deals. Your job is to expand Emerge Career’s footprint across the U.S. You will be the tip of the spear—identifying opportunities, forging relationships, influencing decision-makers, and most importantly, closing state and federal contracts that fund life-changing workforce programs. This is a high-responsibility role for a strategic, independent leader who can take deals from ideation to execution.
• Creating critical partnerships and finding champions. You will be responsible for outreaching to government officials using all means possible, from cold emails and sequences to picking up the phone. You’ll attend conferences to forge key partnerships and find champions who can help us secure funding. You’ll be constantly looking for opportunities to present Emerge as a vital alternative to current systems. You will also cultivate and maintain relationships with key stakeholders, including community-based organizations, workforce boards, and other non-profits, to build a network of support that amplifies our mission.
• Owning your region end-to-end. You will manage an entire region, create and implement sales initiatives, and lead relationship-building efforts that unlock long-term funding partnerships. You'll play a critical role from day one, utilizing your resourcefulness and agility akin to a sales athlete. This includes everything from drafting and reviewing contracts to tracking state and federal legislation to identify opportunities and changes that might help us. You'll also be responsible for presenting our program's outcomes and impact data in a compelling way that resonates with government partners and demonstrates a clear return on investment.
• Building the machine. As a founding member of our team, you’ll be responsible for building and operating our sales engine. This means building CRM sequences, collecting and cleaning contacts—even the boring manual part—and analyzing sales performance for strategic planning. You’ll take what you learn from your interactions and turn it into scalable systems. You will also document your processes and strategies to help us build a repeatable and teachable sales playbook for future team members.
• Drafting and delivering proposals and collateral. You won’t just be a relationship builder; you’ll also be a resourceful writer and a strategist. You'll draft compelling proposals and be responsible for producing sales collateral. You don't need to be a designer, but you need to be resourceful with AI or contractors to create materials that meet the needs of your clients.
• Identifying workforce trends. You will identify trends in workforce needs for government clients to help us cater Emerge Career’s training programs to be exactly what they are looking for. This requires you to be a deeply curious and highly attuned leader who can inform our product and training strategy. You will also gather feedback from potential partners to ensure our programs are a perfect fit for their communities.

Benefits You’ll Receive:

link

Start Date:

ASAP

Processs

Thank you for taking the time to learn more about Emerge Career's interview process.

Here at YC, we’re looking for a sales development representative who exhibits a strong sense of ownership and autonomy and feels comfortable navigating ambiguity.

Below is what to expect in our interview process.

• Intro Chat (15 min)
• Take-Home Challenge (3 hours at your own pace)
• Submission Review (60 min)
• Background Deep-Dive (60 min)
• Cultural Fit (30 min)
• Reference Checks
• Paid Work Trial (ideally full-time for 2–5 days, but we know not everyone can accommodate this — we can be flexible with a few hours per day, weekend arrangements, or other schedules to make it possible!)

Timing

The typical interview process takes two-three weeks from start to finish. That said, we have moved more quickly and look to accommodate candidates who might have a short timeline or competing offers. The more information you can share about your situation and where you are in the process, the more we can either attempt to expedite/match, or save you time if we cannot.