Employment Services

Villa's Employment Services program assists adults with intellectual/developmental disabilities (I/DD) to secure and maintain paid employment in the community. Villa offers job placement, ongoing job coaching, and advocacy. We specialize in customized staffing solutions for adults with I/DD. The key to Villa’s Employment program is our person-centered approach. Villa works with the individual, and their circle of support, to gather the necessary information that will allow us to develop a job that will best fit the individual’s wants and needs. The program gives potential employees the chance to match their skills and job preferences with work assignments. We collaborate with community employers and fulfill staffing needs in a variety of job duties. Our role is to match jobs to our clients' interests and abilities, with ongoing job coaching support as needed for successful, long term retention of the position. Contact us to learn more about Villa’s Employment Services.

Man reaching for baking items on grocery store shelf, including pancake mix and pudding
A man wearing a blue Los Angeles Dodgers cap and shirt is stacking canned goods into a black plastic crate at a warehouse or storage area.
Three men standing in front of the Conejo Valley Food Bank in Manna with arms crossed, smiling on a sunny day.

General Information

  • Villa assists individuals who are ready for competitive employment to locate a job in their community. Through job coaching, Villa provides them with the necessary support to remain successful in their work place.

    Current Employment Opportunities Include:

    • Landscape maintenance

    • Food service & preparation

    • Custodial work

    • Courtesy clerk

    • Cart attendant

    • Greeter

    • Light assembly work

    • Inventory clerk

    • Albertsons

    • American Heritage Landscaping

    • Banana Republic

    • The Buggy House

    • Burke Williams Spa

    • Camp Kinneret

    • Corner Bakery

    • Costco

    • Cost Plus

    • The Home Depot

    • The Huntington Library and Gardens

    • Las Virgenes Municipal Water District

    • Lovebirds Café & Bakery

    • Mann Theatres

    • Manna Food Bank

    • Nature Watch

    • Pacific Theatres

    • PetSmart

    • Ralph’s Supermarket

    • REI – Sporting Goods

    • Smart-N-Final

    • Starbucks in Vons

    • Superior Super Warehouse

    • SYSCO Food Services of Los Angeles, Inc.

    • Target

    • USPS General Mail Facility / Cafeteria

    • Unisource

    • United Methodist Church, Westlake Village, CA

    • Vons

    • William Carey International University

Success Story

Villa’s regional office in Thousand Oaks provides a wide variety of services for adults with intellectual/developmental disabilities. In our Employment Program, Villa is lucky to have a longtime collaboration over 20 years and counting with many supportive businesses. John serves as one West Region success story as he has worked at Home Depot for 20 years, consistently demonstrating exceptional dedication and hard work. Over the course of his career, he has built an extensive knowledge of the products across the store, making him a valuable asset to the team. His commitment and expertise truly define him as a hardworking and reliable professional. Outside of Villa, John is known for being compassionate, appreciative of his Villa staff, deeply valuing his mother, being a loving dog owner to “Murphy” and was made Villa’s Employee of the Year 2024.

— John Castaneda, Employment Services Senior Job Coach

A male employment program participant in a red shirt holding a certificate and medal, smiling, standing next to CEO in a gray blazer. They are at the annual awards event with a black and gold banner behind them.
A smiling man with dark hair and a beard, wearing a maroon short-sleeved shirt over a white T-shirt, crosses his arms, against a white background.

Meet Your Senior Job Coach

What drives John Castaneda in his work at Villa is seeing the transformation in the people we serve—from landing that first interview to gaining confidence and growing their skill sets on the job. John began his journey at Villa as a Job Coach and has since advanced to the role of Senior Job Coach. He specializes in employment services, supporting individuals in our community as they navigate the path to securing meaningful employment and maintaining long-term job success. John shares, “Witnessing their personal and professional development is an incredibly gratifying experience and reminds me why I’m passionate about coaching and mentorship.”

“At Villa,” he continues, “I strive every day to be the best support system for our participants, empowering them not just to find a job, but to thrive in their roles and achieve lasting independence.”

John Castaneda

Employment Services Senior Job Coach
(805) 446-1939 ext. 126

Meet the Team

  • Smiling man with gray hair wearing a light-colored polo shirt, looking to the right against a plain white background.

    Michael Greene

    Director of Employment Services

    (626) 449-2919 ext. 161

    Read Bio
  • Kelly Jimenez

    Kelly Jimenez

    Administrative Assistant

    (626) 449-2919 ext. 141

    KJimenez@villaES.org

If you would like to learn more about our Payment Options, click here.

Employment Services Inquiry

Visit Us

Villa Esperanza Services - Employment Services

80 East Hillcrest Drive, Suite 206, Thousand Oaks, CA 91360

For more information about our Employment Services program, please contact:

John Castaneda, Senior Job Coach

at JCastaneda@VillaES.org or

(626) 449-2919 ext. 126