Assistant Director of Workforce Strategies

Job Description

POSITION SUMMARY

The Mayor’s Office of Community Empowerment and Opportunity is searching for an Assistant Director of Workforce Strategies to coordinate the design, implementation and evaluation of Mayor Kenney’s City as Model Employer strategy.

Over the next three years, the Managing Director’s Office (MDO) will implement a new workforce development strategy titled City as a Model Employer aimed at creating viable pathways to permanent employment for 200 seasonal/temporary City workers. The initiative will focus on engaging individuals with barriers to employment, including disconnected youth and young adults, age 16-29; formerly incarcerated and justice-involved individuals; and adults lacking necessary workforce skills and credentials. The City as Model Employer strategy will focus specifically on establishing bridge positions that allow seasonal/temporary workers to develop the skills required to secure and retain entry-level positions with the City or an employer partner. The MDO will support seven departments in the pilot year of this initiative, with the goal of sharing best practices across agencies and building the infrastructure required to take the strategy to scale.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

The Assistant Director of Workforce Strategies will be responsible to:

Work closely with designated staff across 7 City departments to inform the design, implementation and evaluation of the City as Model Employer strategy’s pilot year. This includes:

Working with the Office of Human Resources to ensure the necessary systems are in place to support career pathway progression, addressing barriers as they arise in a timely fashion

Building systems to track the progress of program participants along a career pathway

Leveraging resources and partnerships to address common support needs across pilot departments

Identifying and scaling best practices across pilot departments

Work with external partners to cultivate employment opportunities in the non-profit and public sector that align to temporary City positions

Draw on lessons learned in the pilot year to scale a common model to new departments in years 2 and 3

COMPETENCIES, KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

The Assistant Director of Workforce Strategies will possess the following:

Ability to establish relationships with cross sector partners and to work as a part of a collaborative team

Excellent self-direction and the ability to take ownership and drive responsibilities through to completion

Solutions-focused orientation to problem solving

Willingness to tackle the challenges that come with driving innovation

Outstanding oral and written communication skills

Strong time management and organization skills

Attention to detail and commitment to producing quality work

Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook Qualifications

Required Qualifications:
Bachelor’s Degree required, advanced degree preferred

Minimum of 3 to 5 years of relevant experience in government, education, workforce, human resources and/or program development and implementation

Experience working with disconnected youth and young adults, returning citizens and/or individuals with barriers to employment

Experience with database management, and recording and tracking of data

Demonstrated commitment to diversity and cross-cultural issues

Preferred Qualifications:
Experience with and knowledge of City government and/or the public workforce system

Knowledge of city, state and federal workforce policies and initiatives

Additional Information

Please include a resume and cover letter with your application.

Successful candidate must be a city of Philadelphia resident within six months of hire.

The City of Philadelphia is an Equal Opportunity employer and does not permit discrimination based on race, ethnicity, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, marital status, source of income, familial status, genetic information or domestic or sexual violence victim status. If you believe you were discriminated against, call the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations at 215-686-4670 or send an email to pchr@ phila.gov. For more information, go to: Human Relations Website: http://www.phila.gov/humanrelations/Pages/default.aspx