Director of Workforce & Career Pathways

Director of Workforce & Career Pathways

Department: Career Services
Classification: Full-Time Exempt
Reports To: Vice President of Innovations

Position Purpose

The Director of Workforce & Career Pathways provides leadership strategic direction and oversight for OICs workforce development and instructional programming initiatives within Career Services including WIOA Re-Entry and Integrated Training Academy (ITA) programs.

This position is responsible for developing implementing evaluating and continuously improving training pathways enrollment systems student support services and instructional operations aligned with workforce demands employer needs grant requirements and organizational strategic goals.

The Director leads a department of approximately 30 staff including managers instructors advisors case managers recruiters and support personnel and is accountable for building the systems standards and organizational capacity to operate OIC Career Services as a high-performing accreditation-ready training institution.

This role also leads OICs efforts toward achieving and maintaining programmatic and institutional accreditation while ensuring programming that supports credential attainment student retention job placement and long-term economic mobility.

The Director reports to the Vice President of Innovations and partners closely with OICs Healthcare and Value-Added Business Services (VABS) divisions to ensure integrated whole-person service delivery.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Leadership and Strategic Direction

• Lead and manage a department of approximately 30 staff across instruction advising case management enrollment re-entry employment services and operations.
• Supervise managers and hold leadership staff accountable to clear performance expectations and measurable outcomes.
• Drive strategic planning aligned with OICs mission labor market trends and organizational priorities.
• Foster a culture of accountability collaboration innovation and continuous improvement.

Capacity Building and Institutional Development

• Lead the transformation of OIC Career Services into a structured accreditation-ready training institution.
• Establish operational standards instructional frameworks program policies and systems that support sustainable and scalable growth.
• Build organizational and team capacity to ensure consistent high-quality program delivery across all workforce initiatives.

Instructional Programming and Curriculum

• Oversee curriculum development instructional delivery credential alignment and training schedules across all workforce pathways including ITA programs.
• Lead development of new training programs based on labor market data and employer demand.
• Monitor instructional quality and implement strategies to improve completion credential attainment and employment outcomes.

Enrollment Recruitment and Student Support

• Oversee participant recruitment enrollment assessment and onboarding processes.
• Ensure effective student retention strategies and wraparound support services are implemented across programs.
• Hold Student Success Enrollment and Case Management teams accountable to participant engagement and retention metrics.

Re-Entry Programming

• Provide strategic oversight for OICs Re-Entry Division.
• Ensure re-entry services are integrated within the broader Career Services model and aligned with compliance employer partnership and placement goals.

Data Outcomes and WIOA Performance

• Lead departmental data strategy performance monitoring and outcomes reporting.
• Ensure WIOA performance indicators and grant deliverables are consistently achieved.
• Utilize program data and collaboration with the Sr. Data Analyst to drive continuous improvement and inform organizational decision-making.

Compliance Accreditation and Quality Assurance

• Lead efforts toward achieving and maintaining programmatic and institutional accreditation.
• Develop and maintain policies documentation systems and operational standards required for accreditation readiness.
• Ensure compliance with all grants funding and regulatory requirements.
• Prepare for audits monitoring visits and program evaluations.

Employer Partnerships and Workforce Alignment

• Build and maintain relationships with employers workforce boards NCWorks NC Commerce and community organizations.
• Develop pipelines for internships apprenticeships work-based learning and direct placement opportunities.
• Representing OIC at workforce development convenings industry meetings and community events.

Fiscal and Administrative Management

• Partner with executive leadership on budgeting grant implementation and resource allocation.
• Monitor departmental expenditures and program performance.
• Support grant writing compliance reporting and funder communications.

Additional Responsibilities

• Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Bachelors degree required; Masters degree preferred in Workforce Development Education Public Administration Business Administration or a related field.
• Minimum of 710 years of progressively responsible leadership experience in workforce development instructional programming training administration or related field.
• Experience managing managers and leading departments of 15 or more staff required.
• Demonstrated success building or scaling workforce training programs curriculum standards and operational systems.
• Experience with WIOA performance management workforce grants accreditation processes and compliance reporting strongly preferred.
• Familiarity with re-entry populations adult learning principles and credentialing pathways.
• Proven ability to build employer partnerships and align programming with labor market demand.
• Strong leadership communication organizational development and data literacy skills.
• Genuine commitment to serving economically disadvantaged and underserved populations.

Preferred Competencies

• Strategic leadership and organizational development
• Workforce systems and program operations
• Accreditation and compliance management
• Data analysis and performance improvement
• Partnership development and stakeholder engagement
• Budget oversight and grant administration
• Staff coaching supervision and team development

Why Join OIC

At OIC we believe workforce development changes lives strengthens families and transforms communities. The Director of Workforce & Career Pathways plays a key leadership role in expanding access to high-quality training career advancement opportunities and economic mobility for individuals across the region.