POSITION: Director of Workforce and Corporate Partnerships
CATEGORY: Exempt
REPORTS TO: Executive, Employment Services
SUMMARY:
The Director of Workforce Development and Corporate Partnerships is charged with providing leadership and strategic direction for partnership building, job placement, retention data tracking, and alumnae engagement. The goal is to place 80% of Grace Institute’s graduates in full-time positions within one year of program completion while ensuring 65% of alumnae retain employment after one year, and engaging at least 50% of the alumnae in ongoing professional development opportunities. The Director of Workforce Development and Corporate Partnerships should be comfortable stewarding, managing and leveraging relationships with external corporate partners and potential employers to build high-level employer and internship partnerships with organizations. An ideal candidate for this position will be someone who enjoys working with both internal and external stakeholders, and can effectively tailor their communication style to diverse audiences. As a member of the Senior Management Team, the Director works closely with the Executive Director and other senior leaders to ensure that the organization’s mission is achieved.
Responsibilities (to include but not limited to):
- Negotiate job placement and large hiring pipelines with corporate partners through networking, cold calling, individual meetings with potential employers, interfacing with GI’s Partnership Committee of the Board, and other business development efforts.
- Oversee 3 job developers and an alumna coordinator to place 240 women in living wage jobs annually.
- Oversee the internship program for 150 participants, and ensure that internship opportunities are matched with participant’s interest and expected training outcomes.
- Hire, train, lead, manage and evaluate a team of 4 who are responsible for partnership building, job/internship placement, retention, data tracking, and alumnae engagement. Hold the team accountable for monthly placement outcomes.
- Facilitate biweekly individual supervision and team meetings to ensure performance goals are met.
- Provide Education & Training team with employer feedback ensuring that the program curriculum is updated and employer-driven.
- Assess trends in the labor market and workforce development; create linkages in the workforce community to raise Grace Institute’s profile.
- Oversee department budget and work with Executive Director and senior leadership to determine funding and resources for programming.
- Oversee retention services as well as the strategy and provision of alumnae relationship building and support.
- Manage and analyze performance data tracking in Salesforce for placement and retention; provide statistical reports to management and for funders.
- Utilize alumnae and employer feedback to develop and implement continuing professional development for Alumna to facilitate career growth.
- Grow and cultivate key corporate relationships by evaluating fit and success of current and past placements and working towards a mutually beneficial long-term partnership.
- Work with Board of Directors to both provide hiring and partnership data, along with Chief Strategy Officer, create new employer hiring relationships and collaborate with Partnership Committee of the Board.
- Collaborate with Chief Strategy Officer on creating and supporting as Employers Advisory Board to help strengthen our employer connections and provide critical data and feedback on our curriculum.
Other Responsibilities:
- Promote collaboration across the organization and with external partners in support of GI’s job-focused model.
- Help create and maintain a diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace and collaborative learning environment.
- Promote a strengths-based approach to training rather than a focus on problems, vulnerabilities, and deficits, of individuals, their families and their communities
- Perform other duties as assigned.
Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s degree preferred
- Five years of management experience required in leading staff or project teams and meeting established goals
- Experience with adult education, training, workforce development, and job-training
- Strong knowledge of SalesForce or similar CRM database
- Experience working with low-income women and knowledge of NYC requirements for administrative positions
- Superior organizational skills. Ability to balance the needs of multiple accounts.
- Quantitative and qualitative approach to organizing and analyzing data
Effective communication/public speaking skills, and the ability to connect authentically with people from a variety of different professional and cultural backgrounds
Exceptional written communication skills
Team-oriented and proactive, comfortable in a very visible, high-volume environment
Grace Institute of New York is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to the principles of diversity, inclusion, and anti-racism. We are particularly interested in receiving applications from a broad spectrum of people, including but not limited to women, minorities, individuals with disabilities and protected veterans. To apply, please send a resume to jobs@graceinstitute.org, along with a cover letter that concisely and clearly addresses why you would like to join Grace Institute and how your experience has prepared you for the challenges of this role.