Director, CareerLink Operations

Philadelphia Works Inc•Philadelphia, PA

About The Position

This position drives strategy to maximize the effectiveness, efficiency, and quality of PA CareerLink® operations and related employment initiatives, supporting Philadelphia Works’ role as the Workforce Development Board. The role provides leadership over workforce development programs—typically under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA)—including oversight of CareerLink® operations, contract management, budgets, and regulatory compliance. Responsibilities include supervising management-level staff, leading program development and evaluation, aligning services with employer and labor market needs, and ensuring performance goals are met. The position also represents the organization with key stakeholders at the city, state, and federal levels.

Requirements

Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited college or university in Public Policy, Public Administration, Organizational Development, or related field with at least 7 years of experience in Human Services, with a minimum of 2 years in workforce development and at least 5 years of management experience, preferably at a director level. Experience working with complex human services systems is a plus. Or, any combination of education and experience determined to be acceptable.
Knowledge of social services and workforce development programs and funding sources, such as TANF and WIOA
Experience with human-centered design and program implementation
Experience with direct service for adult clients involved in social welfare programs
Experience with successful development and implementation of human services delivery strategies
Experience with overseeing case management in an employment or human services program
Excellent written, verbal, interpersonal, presentation, planning, and organizational skills
Excellent management and leadership skills
Ability to adapt to a changing work environment and possess the flexibility to multitask and meet departmental needs
Ability to train, motivate, and build a cohesive team
Ability to build solid relationships that engender trust
Ability to interact effectively with various levels of staff, management, government officials, and the public
Ability to generate innovative ideas and effectively communicate them verbally and in writing
Ability to comprehend system-wide strategy/vision and communicate it to stakeholders
Demonstrated ability to move ideas and vision to implementation successfully, ensuring the quality and continuity of programs and services
Ability to assess the strengths of others and maximize them to accomplish goals and work objectives
Ability to travel to various locations throughout the city
Demonstrated proficiency with Microsoft Office suite: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook

Responsibilities

Provide strategic leadership and oversight of the adult and dislocated workforce operations, ensuring high-quality service delivery is aligned with organizational priorities, regional labor market needs, and performance goals.
Lead the development and execution of data-informed strategies to maximize contractor effectiveness, operational efficiency, and outcomes.
Collaborate with peer directors to ensure effective operational systems, policies, and internal controls that support compliance, accountability, and performance.
Partner with program managers to design and manage the implementation of internal programmatic controls to ensure compliance with funding requirements and local workforce board goals.
Collaborate with peer directors in the planning and implementation of new grants and projects, including supporting the grant writing process.
In partnership with the COO and the Finance department, develop, manage, and monitor the Workforce System budget in alignment with the organization's investment strategy and ensure proper fiscal controls.
Oversee the development, negotiation, and management of contracts with program providers, MOUs, and subrecipient agreements, including scope of work, performance goals, and budgets from an operational perspective.
Coordinate and oversee the full RFP process for the procurement of Title I CareerLink vendors, ensuring compliance, transparency, and timely execution of RFPs.
Ensure full compliance with WIOA, state workforce policies, and applicable federal and local regulations through strong oversight, monitoring, and corrective action processes.
Develop and maintain policies, procedures, and operational plans to ensure effective and compliant program implementation
Provide strategic leadership and direction to departmental management staff, including performance coaching and evaluation, training, staff development, motivation, communication, building shared vision, and all personnel-related functions such as recruitment, selection, and retention strategies.
Manage the relationships and contracts of additional partners providing services within the workforce systems.
Oversee internal program monitoring activities, including file reviews, worksites, service delivery, quality assurance, operational compliance, and continuous improvement planning.
Partner with the data team to evaluate contract program performance metrics and outcomes, forecast trends, and make strategic program adjustments aligned with the organization's investment strategy.
Provide strategic direction to support continuous improvement efforts using data and performance analysis.
Advise, consult, and coordinate with internal business units to proactively identify and address operational, compliance, or performance-related issues.
Ensure effective communication, coordination, and integration of services across departments within the organization.
Prepare and present reports for the executive team, board, funders, and regulatory agencies as required.
Represent the organization in meetings with the funder and program boards/committees, and oversee the preparation, coordination, and facilitation of board committee meetings.
Contribute operational content and data to the development and updates of the WIOA Local Plan.
Perform other job-related duties as assigned.