Senior Director of Strategic Initiatives

Position Summary: A highly motivated and results-driven project manager who will be instrumental in shaping the future of young adults transitioning from high school into their next life phase. The ideal candidate will possess a unique blend of leadership, strategic vision, and practical project management skills.  Collaborates cross-functionally with the JA team and is responsible for 5th Year and the 17+ workforce market. This person will serve as a thought leader, preferably with experience in workforce, credentialing/certification, apprenticeships/internships, and other critical areas that impact the economic prospects of young adults in today’s environment.

 

About 5th Year: 5th Year is a pioneering initiative designed to forge a vibrant talent ecosystem in Northwest Ohio. This experience uniquely blends students’ interests, natural talents, and abilities with deliberate career exploration and discovery.  Through a ten-month residency in collaboration with Lourdes University, participants engage in internships, job shadowing, company visits, career path planning, personal finance education, and professional and life skills training, all while learning the value of community contribution.

 

Key Responsibilities/Essential Functions:

  • Proficiently works to oversee and deliver projects on schedule and within budget constraints. Ensure execution of projects efficiently, meeting deadlines, and achieving desired outcomes while managing resources effectively.
  • Implement articulated strategy and execute the vision for 17+ talent solutions, encompassing strategy rollout, and initiatives.  Including programs, site visits, job shadows, internships, externships, apprenticeships, career coaching, and employment.
  • Working alongside leadership to develop and manage the internal operational framework, ensuring seamless integration of all JA experiences, rallying, and motivating the team around projects, ideas, and initiatives.
  • Maintain and grow strategic partnerships relative to the 17+ workforce market.
  • Facilitate regular evaluations of workforce strategy outcomes and progress, adjusting the experiences as necessary to meet evolving industry needs and participant feedback.
  • Manage each partnership’s expectations and agreement to align with success metrics and update based on performance.
  • Coordinate strategic partners’ engagement, communication, and management, including overseeing processes and conducting continuous partner and initiative performance analysis.

 

Qualifications:

  • Proven experience in project management, ideally within education, workforce development, or community outreach programs.
  • Strong leadership and team management skills, inspiring and mobilizing groups towards common goals.
  • Capable of successfully establishing and nurturing partnerships across various sectors.
  • Strategic thinker with a proven track record of implementing innovative solutions to complex challenges.
  • Experience in managing program budgets. Demonstrate an ability to make financially sound decisions that support program sustainability and growth.
  • Commitment to the program’s mission of bridging education and professional opportunities for young adults.
  • Comfortable implementing and testing new strategies and creating the proper support structure.
  • Preferably at least eight years of experience in strategic education, workforce, or training partnerships.
  • Strong decision-making methodology.
  • Excellent communication; written, verbal, and visual presentation skills.

 

Education:

Candidates of all degree and academic certification levels are welcome. As research demonstrates that education requirements can be a deterrent for qualified candidates, we have decided not to require candidates to demonstrate a specific degree or level of academic certification. Instead, we encourage all candidates with the professional experiences, values, and skills outlined in this position specification to apply.