| Location | Cedar Rapids, Iowa |
Job Summary:
The Workforce Development & Education Partnerships Manager leads workforce development initiatives that strengthen talent pipelines and align education with industry workforce needs. This role serves as a liaison between employers, educational institutions, workforce organizations, economic development partners, and community stakeholders.
This role is ideal for a strategic relationship-builder who enjoys connecting industry, education, and workforce partners to create sustainable talent pipelines and workforce development opportunities.
Key Responsibilities:
Support partnership exploration with K-12 schools, technical colleges, community colleges, universities, workforce boards, chambers, and economic development organizations.
Facilitate curriculum alignment discussions to ensure educational programs reflect current industry workforce needs.
Coordinate discussions for workforce development initiatives, career pathways, internships, apprenticeships, job shadowing, and work-based learning opportunities.
Manage stakeholder engagement activities, including meetings, site visits, presentations, advisory councils, and partnership events.
Develop workforce development strategies, action plans, reports, and executive briefings.
Track partnership outcomes, workforce metrics, and talent pipeline activities.
Coordinate project logistics, meeting schedules, communications, and follow-up actions across multiple stakeholders.
Support career awareness, workforce marketing, and student engagement initiatives.
Key Competencies:
Workforce Development
Education Partnerships
Curriculum Alignment
Stakeholder Engagement
Project Management
Strategic Communication
Relationship Management
Required Experience:
Associate's degree in Business Administration, Communications, Public Administration, Human Resources, Education, Community Development, or related field; Bachelor's degree preferred.
3+ years of experience in administrative support, project coordination, community engagement, workforce development, education partnerships, or related fields.
Strong organizational and project coordination skills with exceptional attention to detail.
Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication abilities.
Experience building and maintaining professional relationships across diverse stakeholder groups.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, including Excel, PowerPoint, Word, and Outlook.
Ability to manage multiple priorities and work independently in a fast-paced environment.
Strong problem-solving, critical thinking, and relationship-management skills.
Preferred:
Experience working with educational institutions, workforce development boards, economic development organizations, or nonprofit partners.
Familiarity with talent pipeline development, apprenticeship programs, or workforce initiatives.
Experience coordinating community outreach, stakeholder engagement, or corporate social responsibility programs.
Knowledge of project management methodologies and reporting tools.
Experience with CRM systems, stakeholder databases, or data visualization tools such as Power BI.
Event planning and program coordination experience.