PROJECT DIRECTOR - OPPORTUNITY YOUTH INITIATIVE EMPLOYMENT PROJECT

INITIATIVE DESCRIPTION

The Urban Strategies Council is the Oakland-Alameda County backbone organization for the Aspen Institute’s Opportunity Youth Incentive Fund (http://aspencommunitysolutions.org/).  The OYIF is a national initiative that includes local and regional collective impact strategies to achieve improved education and employment outcomes for Opportunity Youth—16-24 year olds not in school and not working. The local initiative has completed a planning year and will move forward in refining and implementing its three-year plan.

POSITION DESCRIPTION

We are seeking a dynamic and highly skilled individual who can provide leadership and support to our collective impact initiative focused on workforce development. The ideal candidate will have extensive experience and expertise in management of collaborations, with some experience using the collective impact model. The ideal candidate also must have some knowledge and understanding of the myriad issues facing Opportunity Youth as they seek to reconnect with stabilization services, secondary and post-secondary education and employment opportunities and the programs and policies that affect them.

The Project Director’s duties include: 1) working with USC staff, the Oakland- Alameda County Alliance for BMoC, and other stakeholders to convene, facilitate and staff the OYIF decision-making bodies and workgroups of this collective impact initiative; 2) working with partners to refine and implement the three-year plan for Oakland-Alameda County; 3) raising funding for implementation activities; and 4) coordinating with national OYIF efforts. The Project Director will establish and maintain relationships with a wide variety of stakeholders from local elected officials, public agency staff, local community-based and faith organizations, businesses, funders, and other state and national partners in this effort. 

DUTIES

1. Provide leadership for and coordinate the implementation process for the Opportunity Youth Initiative
2. Develop and convene the Project Steering Committee and the various work groups including the Program Service Providers Work Group the Data Work Group, Young Adult Leadership Work Group and the Communications and Resource Development Work Group
3. Coordinate the collection and analysis of data related to stabilization services, secondary and post-secondary education and employment
4. Coordinate the three-year implementation plan designed to build sustainable infrastructure for supporting cross-over young adults in education and training leading to family sustaining, career employment
5. Work with educators and employers to coordinate the documentation and development of  pathways to employment in growth sectors in the  regional economy including: health; construction; advanced manufacturing, engineering and transportation and logistics; and media, digital arts and information technologies
6. Work with local partners and the national office in documenting programs and services to support stabilization services, education, training and employment of cross-over young adults as well as pathways to  growth sector employment
7. Coordinate with national campaign in collection of data for the national evaluation
8. Fundraise for the  implementation phase of the project including grant writing, contract bids and cultivation of corporate and individual donors  
9. Supervise 1-3 staff members assigned to the project

QUALIFICATIONS

1. Masters degree or equivalent experience in a field relevant to the project including education, human resources, social policy or related fields
2. At least five year of experience in employment and/or workforce development or cross-sector collaboration management and staffing
3. Superior skills in collaborative design and management, especially in the context of a collective impact model, including meeting design, group dynamics, meeting facilitation
4. Training and successful experience in employment and workforce development program design and implementation, especially with focus on populations with barriers to employment
5. Familiarity with and experience in government workforce development programs including Workforce Investment Act (WIA), CalWorks and similar government programs
6. Knowledge and experience in employment and workforce development programs for  young adults, specifically with  those 18-24 years of age
7. Training and experience in  research and data, especially workforce related data and development of indicators and other metrics related to employment and workforce development
8. Knowledge and experience in  programs and services for cross-over youth—those involved in child welfare and juvenile justice systems
9. Superior written and oral communications skills required
10. Experience in resource development including grant applications, contract bids and  donor solicitation
11. Experience in supervision of program and research staff
12. Oral and written Bi-lingual skills a plus

COMPENSATION

The salary range for this position is $65-80,000 annually (depending upon education and experience) with benefits. The range is non-negotiable.