Senior Director, Employer Engagement

Strada Education Foundation’s Employer Alignment pillar is driven by the belief that all individuals should have access to postsecondary programs that lead to quality jobs and mobility. 

The Senior Director of Employer Engagement is a vital operational role designed to execute on Strada’s strategic employer facing partnerships. Reporting to the VP of Employer Alignment, the Senior Director will act as the operational engine for the team. The Senior Director will be instrumental in executing, managing, and administering the projects and a number of day-to-day activities that advance Strada’s Employer Alignment strategy. 

The ideal candidate is a meticulous project manager, a strong communicator, and a self-starter who thrives in a task-oriented environment. You will be given clear objectives and the autonomy to figure out how to best execute them. If you love building systems, managing internal and external projects and programs, drafting actionable resources, and nurturing relationships with stakeholders, this role is for you. 

Context

Strada Education Foundation supports programs, policies, and organizations that strengthen  connections between postsecondary education and employment in the U.S., with a focus on  helping those who face the greatest challenges. Our strategic plan centers on five keys to strengthen the link between education and opportunity: Clear Outcomes, Quality Coaching,  Affordability, Work-Based Learning, and Employer Alignment. We leverage several impact lever  teams to advance our work, including actionable research, catalytic grantmaking, nonpartisan  policy solutions, strategic communications, strategic investments, and affiliates (e.g., CredLens).  We work collaboratively with hundreds of partners across the U.S., including educators,  employers, policymakers, learners, and other nonprofits and trade associations. Strada offers a  dynamic, collaborative professional environment that provides many learning and professional  development opportunities.

Key Responsibilities 

1. Partnership Management & Execution (45%) 

● Take ownership of the day-to-day management of relationships with business intermediaries, including state chambers of commerce, economic development organizations, and trade associations. 

● Serve as the primary point of contact for ongoing partner needs, ensuring relationships are nurtured, responsive, and aligned with Strada’s mission. 

● Work independently to identify opportunities to improve the efficiency and impact of our partner interactions. 

2. Content Creation, Playbooks & Tools (30%) 

● Transform high-level strategies and data insights into tangible, actionable tools for the field. 

● Draft, edit, and project-manage the creation of playbooks, toolkits, and best-practice guides for scaling data work across states and regions. 

● Ensure all resources are highly accessible and tailored to the needs of state and regional talent-focused organizations. 

3. Project Management & Administrative Operations (25%) 

● Own the administrative lifecycle of strategic partnerships, including managing contracts, tracking deliverables, and processing grants to partner states and organizations. 

● Build and maintain organized systems to track project progress, ensuring nothing falls through the cracks.

● Provide regular, straightforward, and real-time updates on project statuses, escalating roadblocks before they become larger issues. 

The Person: 

Qualifications 

● Execution-Focused: You are a "doer" who takes pride in crossing things off the list. You are highly organized, process-oriented, and enjoy the administrative and project management tasks that keep an initiative running smoothly. 

● Relationship Builder: You have experience working with employer-oriented organizations or state agencies. You possess strong communication skills and are skilled at managing stakeholder relationships deferentially and effectively. 

● Collaborative & Direct: You enjoy working in a highly collaborative environment. You are comfortable sharing ideas and engaging in healthy, respectful debate. You communicate updates straightforwardly and in real-time. 

● Self-Directed: While this is a highly tactical role, your day will not