Director of Workforce Development

Director of Workforce Development (Hybrid) 

Are you passionate about making a positive impact in your community? Do you possess the skills and drive to lead initiatives that empower individuals through workforce development? If so, we have an exciting opportunity for you to join our dynamic team!

About Our Client:

DBEDC is a Community Development Corporation (CDC) and a certified Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI). Founded in 1979, we work to build a strong, thriving, and diverse community in Boston’s North Dorchester and Roxbury neighborhoods. We develop, preserve, and sustain affordable rental and ownership housing. We lend capital to and coach small businesses and prepare job seekers for well-paying sustainable employment. We stabilize tenancies and foster community leadership. We’re focused on equitable development without displacement and providing opportunities for economic mobility.

We are one of Boston’s oldest and most established community development organizations, with an annual operating budget of approximately $11 million and a staff 36.

Your Role:

As the Director of Workforce Development (DWD) at Dorchester Bay Economic Development Corporation (DBEDC), you will enhance and expand the organization's workforce development initiatives. Reporting to the Director of Operations and Programs (DOP) and serving on the leadership, you will develop a workforce development strategy and execute comprehensive outcomes-focused workforce programs, including the Re-Entry program. You will be expected to lead, inspire, and grow the Workforce Development team, which is currently comprised of a Re-entry Case Manager. You will also collaborate with internal and external stakeholders to ensure the effective delivery of services, promote awareness of the program, and partner with our Resource Development and Operations teams to secure funding and evaluate programs.

To succeed, you should have:

• Ability to jump in and exercise leadership to strengthen our services, collaborate well, embrace our mission, and bring enthusiasm and humility to their work.
• A deep commitment to racial equity and serving marginalized communities, with a strong understanding of and dedication to advancing these principles.
• 7+ years of progressive experience in workforce development program management, preferably within a community-based organization.
• 2+ years’ experience supervising, motivating, and mentoring staff, interns, or volunteers.
• Proven track record of successfully managing grants, budgets, and program evaluation processes, focusing on achieving measurable outcomes and impact.
• Solid leadership and supervisory skills, with experience managing and developing a team to achieve ambitious goals.
• Experience articulating strategy, creating roadmaps, implementing programs, and measuring outcomes.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to engage effectively with diverse stakeholders and audiences.
• Highly organized and detail-oriented, with experience managing complex projects with varied deliverables and competing priorities and timelines.
• Highly motivated, nimble, and comfortable navigating change and ambiguity. Ability to function autonomously and be a strong collaborator.
• Actively learns through experimentation when tackling new problems, using successes and failures as learning and growth opportunities.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, including experience with spreadsheets and CRM systems.
• Entrepreneurial mindset with a proactive approach to problem-solving and innovation.
• Knowledge of barriers to employment for individuals re-entering their communities from incarceration and familiarity with workforce development networks and employer landscapes in Dorchester, Roxbury, and Mattapan.
• Ability to travel within Greater Boston.
• A flexible schedule to meet program needs.

It would also be phenomenal if you have, but it’s not required:

• Fluency in Spanish, Haitian Creole, Cape Verdean Creole, or Vietnamese.
• 3+ years of experience tracking and reporting outcomes and meeting grant deliverables.
• Strong knowledge of and relationships in Dorchester, Roxbury, and Mattapan.

What you can expect to do as the Director of Workforce Development:

• Lead the strategic planning, design, and execution of the Dorchester Bay Workforce Development Program, including initiatives for workforce development focusing on workforce development best practices and innovative approaches.
• Manage grants and budgets related to workforce development programs, ensuring fiscal responsibility.
• Collaborate with the DOP and Data and Evaluations Manager to evaluate programs, identify areas for improvement, and drive continuous enhancement.
• Collaborate with the Resource Development team to secure funding for program sustainability and growth, leveraging relationships and opportunities.
• Grow the scope of DBEDC’s workforce development initiatives through strategic partnerships, innovation, and resource development. Motivate, coach, and lead the Reentry team to achieve individual and collective goals, fostering a culture of excellence and accountability.
• Representing Dorchester Bay at conferences, industry sector workgroups, and education and workforce coalitions
• Track and report program performance data and outcomes to funders and stakeholders, ensuring transparency and accountability.
• Understanding and building on the intersecting elements of educational programming and career development
• Participating in organizational strategic planning and advocacy to accelerate DBEDC’s goals to
• expand the impact of our work.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Best-in-Class Benefits and Perks:

Our client values their employees’ time and efforts. They offer non-negotiable compensation of $90,000 - $100,000 annually, depending on experience, and an extensive benefits package, which enhances their commitment to your success. Our client’s benefits package includes: 

• Comprehensive benefits package with no waiting period, including 5 medical packages and employer-paid dental and vision insurance.
• Robust retirement planning: 403(b) plan available with generous employer contribution
• Flexible financial options: Dependent care assistance program and flexible spending account offered.

• Financial security: Short-Term Disability, Long-Term Disability, Life and Accident Death insurance for added protection.

• Generous time-off policies: 3 personal days, 3 weeks’ vacation, 15 sick days, 17 paid holidays, and birthday leave
• Opportunities to give back: 5 volunteer days.
• Well-being and work-life balance: Commuter benefits program, employee wellbeing on-demand services, flexible hybrid work program

Plus, they work to maintain the best possible environment for their employees, where people can learn and grow with the company. They strive to provide a collaborative environment where everyone feels encouraged to contribute to their processes, decisions, planning, and culture.

Our client views diversity, inclusion, and cultural competence as vital principles in all their work with clients and communities. They welcome and encourage applications from visible minority group members, indigenous persons, members of the LGBTQ community, persons with disabilities, and others who may contribute to the organization's diversity and reflect the diversity of the communities we serve.