Remote Director, Field Implementation Team

Summary

Join Jobs for the Future (JFF) as we drive transformation of the U.S. education and workforce systems to achieve equitable economic advancement for all. We're seeking a Director to lead JFF's State of Maryland Strategies & Partnerships initiative, driving efforts to transform the state's workforce system and promote economic advancement.

Requirements

• Deep expertise in Maryland’s workforce development landscape, with strong command of strategies to build sector partnerships, expand apprenticeship opportunities, and deliver technical assistance to disconnected populations (Director II roles at JFF typically requires 12+ years of professional experience across full-time, part-time, internship, and/or freelance work.)
• Experience leading state or regional workforce initiatives and have knowledge of sector strategies, coupled with extensive experience consulting with workforce development boards and partners
• Ability to excel at developing and implementing technical assistance strategies that address both business needs and social impact goals
• Engaging communicator, able to tailor messaging to different audiences and model effective relationship-building across internal teams and external stakeholders
• Ability to leverage collective knowledge to enhance outcomes and build relationships with and proactively include people whose identities and backgrounds differ from your own
• Exceptional organizational skills and a keen attention to detail, with the ability to direct and lead multiple complex projects simultaneously and delegate work across various projects to support team and organizational priorities
• Strategic thinker, able to identify competency and performance gaps across teams and implement professional development opportunities to build the capacities of your direct or indirect reports
• Ability to propose creative ideas and innovative solutions to advance current thinking for your team while also ensuring that decisions, teams and processes respect individual differences and support diversity across the team
• High energy and passion for JFF’s mission and North Star, and the ability to apply JFF’s core values to all areas of your work

Responsibilities

• Develop and lead multiple complex projects from concept through implementation around funded workstreams in the state of Maryland
• Serve as the primary liaison between JFF and stakeholders across Maryland, including state agency representatives, local workforce boards, and local education agencies (LEAs)
• Leverage your domain knowledge and expertise to provide guidance and strategic support to partners, and maximize JFF’s impact and success in the field
• Direct project workstreams and ensure on-time completion of deliverables overseeing timelines, budgets, work plans, project teams, and partners
• Facilitate and lead communities of practice and small to large group meetings, trainings, and presentations for diverse stakeholders
• Contribute to, and shape the development of frameworks, models, and repeatable solutions
• Identify, and recommend creative solutions to mitigate risks and ensure projects are on track and driving toward meaningful impact
• Foster a culture of collaboration, inclusion and results
• Proactively build relationships and trust with internal and external stakeholders, including but not limited to, workforce boards, employers, apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship partners and community-based organizations (mainly within the state of Maryland) encouraging them to share their collective expertise and knowledge
• Understand and respond to the challenges that leaders and systems face in building sector-specific strategies, work-based learning opportunities, career-connected learning experiences, and developing and driving technical assistance strategies across the state of Maryland
• Conceptualize and develop tools, resources, and strategies to effectively solve problems and eliminate barriers to progress for our partners
• Give and receive feedback related to project work, and elevate situations as needed, to ensure effective and consistent delivery of JFF’s programs and services
• Center diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging at all stages of designing and executing programmatic initiatives and projects
• Lead and support staff on project teams to develop subject matter and functional expertise (e.g., ensuring that people have project work aligned with their desire to develop expertise.)
• Contribute to JFF's programmatic strategy
• Collaborate with various teams across JFF to shape and implement bodies of work that support JFF strategic goals/mission and respond to and influence developments in the field

Benefits

• Gratifying work experience
• Competitive salaries
• Comprehensive benefits program that includes flexibility and choice as core values in order to support people wherever they are in their lives and careers
• Annual home office stipend to all regular full-time and part-time employees
• Office equipment as needed for new employees