Associate Director, Workforce Strategy

Job Title: Associate Director, Workforce Strategy

Team: New Jersey Regional Team

Location: Newark (NJ)

Employment Type: Full-time

FLSA Classification: Exempt 

Start Date: May 2026

About Braven

Braven is a national nonprofit that prepares promising college students to secure a strong first opportunity after college graduation through a career-accelerating program.

We work with higher education and employer partners to offer a life-changing experience that begins with a semester-long course for college students, followed by support that lasts through graduation.  

Together, our ambition is to help rebuild the middle class and revitalize the American Dream.

About the Role

In order to achieve its ambition of serving 80,000-100,000 Fellows over the next decade, Braven is hiring an Associate Director, Workforce Strategy, who will support students towards strong post-college career outcomes. As a member of the New Jersey regional team, you will serve as a strategic career coach to students attending Kean University who have completed the Braven Career and Leadership Accelerator Course (the Accelerator). This role has the opportunity to accelerate Braven’s regional and national impact.

This role is on the New Jersey regional team and reports directly to the Senior Director, Kean University.

What You’ll Do

Strategy and Career Coaching (45%)

• Develop vision and strategy to support Fellows in securing internships and strong post-college career outcomes
• Manage progress-to-goals tracking/reporting for student internship/job attainment, including monthly dashboard updates and annual survey collection process
• Manage and analyze student-level and program data, as well as track engagement within centralized systems, to determine and implement student support interventions
• Lead the annual Jobs Campaign to ensure graduates land a strong post-college career opportunity
• Provide strategic 1:1 career coaching for Fellows (students who take the Braven course)
• Build, cultivate, and steward relationships at Kean University to gain a comprehensive understanding of opportunities within Kean in order to refer students
• Leverage connections at regional and national Employer Partners to source employment, internship, and volunteer opportunities for Braven Fellows and Post Accelerator Fellows at Kean

Student Programming and Engagement (45%)

• Develop and implement a strategy to build a regional Fellow community
• Create, plan, and execute events for Fellows to support community building, networking, and engagement
• Collaborate with the Career Communities team to promote continued career exploration and skills development for Fellows and to implement in-person workshops in New Jersey
• Collaborate with Employer Partners to execute on career-accelerating events, skill development, and networking opportunities/events
• Facilitate quarterly Employer Partner meetings centered on Post Accelerator Fellow (PAF) employment and career-accelerating opportunities
• Attend Learning Labs to begin Fellow engagement, with some potential for facilitating sections of Learning Labs, such as panel discussions with PAFs

A+ Team (5%)

• Manage a Workforce Development intern and/or coordinator
• Source Fellows to serve as interns and volunteers
• Support in the selection of Braven Fellows to participate in Braven publications and events
• Participate in individual annual and quarterly planning and all team events
• Collaborate across teams and functions to reach Braven’s ambition
• Other duties as assigned

Brand / Sustainability (5%)

• Collaborate cross-functionally to help build the Braven brand
• Represent Braven externally as needed

Requirements

Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree
• 5+ years of experience working with college students

Preferred Qualifications

• You have 5+ years of experience in a manager or director-level role.
• You have a track record of success in managing complex relationships and projects.
• You demonstrate a strong proficiency in early career coaching.
• You have experience in higher education or workforce strategy.
• You build an inspiring vision and strategy that motivates others to action.
• You’re extremely detail-oriented and sweat the small stuff, while also not losing sight of the big picture.
• You build strong internal and external relationships with a variety of stakeholders
• You enjoy bringing together multiple perspecti