Manager of Occupational Initiatives

Manager of Occupational Initiatives

Division: Mission Division
Classification: Full-Time | Manager-Level
Location: Brooklyn, NY
Reports To: SVP, Workforce Development
Experience Level: Manager-Level | 5-7+ Years
Position Summary
The Manager of Occupational Initiatives is a functional leadership role responsible for coordinating, strengthening, and expanding targeted occupational training initiatives across the Mission Division. The position oversees training implementation, curriculum alignment, employer engagement, industry partnerships, career pathway development, and training-to-employment outcomes.
Occupational Training Coordination & Implementation

Coordinate planning, launch, delivery, and continuous improvement of targeted occupational training programs.
Develop implementation plans, participant flow processes, training schedules, benchmarks, and outcome expectations.
Monitor completion, credential attainment, retention, and placement outcomes.
Identify operational gaps and recommend improvements to strengthen training effectiveness, participant retention, and employment outcomes.

Curriculum Development & Training Quality

Partner with internal staff, instructors, training providers, employers, and industry stakeholders to review and strengthen curriculum content.
Ensure curricula reflect occupational standards, employer expectations, workplace readiness needs, credential requirements, and sector-specific competencies.
Support the creation or refinement of training materials, work-based learning components, employer feedback loops, and participant assessment tools.
Use data and employer feedback to recommend curriculum updates and training model improvements.

Employer Engagement & Industry Partnerships

Build and manage partnerships with employers, industry associations, training providers, credentialing organizations, sector intermediaries, public agencies, and community partners.
Translate employer and industry needs into training improvements, recruitment priorities, curriculum updates, and placement strategies.
Serve as a key liaison between training programs and external partners to support commitments, feedback, hiring pipelines, and long-term partnership development.
Represent workforce training initiatives at employer meetings, sector convenings, funder discussions, and community partnership opportunities.

Career Pathway Development

Develop and strengthen career pathway models that connect occupational training to employment, advancement, wage progression, and credential attainment.
Identify opportunities to expand training pathways into new sectors, employer partnerships, and advancement tracks.
Collaborate with internal teams to ensure participants receive clear pathway guidance, employment preparation, and post-training support.
Track pathway outcomes and use findings to inform program growth, funder reporting, and strategic planning.

Cross-Functional Leadership

Provide functional leadership across staff, vendors, partners, and initiatives.
Lead workgroups and coordinate implementation across programs.

Data, Reporting & Strategic Growth

Produce data-informed reports on training performance, employer engagement, participant progression, placement outcomes, and partnership impact.
Identify trends, risks, opportunities, and growth areas across the training-to-employment pipeline.
Contribute to grant reporting, funder updates, strategic planning, and organizational growth conversations.
Support the development of scalable models that can be adapted across programs, populations, and priority industries within the Mission Division.

Qualifications

Bachelor degree preferred.
5+ years workforce development, training, employer engagement, or related experience.
Strong project management, partnership development, communication, and data analysis skills.

Competencies for Success

Functional Leadership
Systems Thinking
Industry Alignment
Implementation Management
Career Pathway Orientation
Data-Informed Decision Making
Growth Mindset

Growth Trajectory
This position is intentionally structured to grow. Strong performers will be positioned to take on expanded organizational responsibilities and leadership.