Regional Market Leader (West Coast)

OVERVIEW:

The Regional Market Leader is a critical Senior Director role responsible for advancing Year Up United’s (YUU) mission, partnerships, and market presence within key geographies. This leader will ensure Year Up United is strategically positioned as a workforce development leader by fostering high-impact relationships, expanding opportunities for talent, and driving regional growth.

Reporting directly to the National Market Leader, this role will execute YUU’s strategy, support long-range planning, and cultivate opportunities to expand work-based experiences and job placements. This role requires leveraging cross-functional relationships within YUU and externally, engaging in strategic relationship management, and gathering market intelligence to inform execution and future direction.

As a key ambassador, the Market Leader will represent YUU among local governments, community partners, and workforce development organizations, advocating for policies and initiatives that support equitable workforce opportunities. By building and strengthening these relationships, this role will enhance Year Up United’s visibility and impact within the broader workforce ecosystem.

Additionally, the Regional Market Leader will play a vital role in fostering student engagement, connecting students with their peers, community leaders, corporate partners, and YUU staff to create meaningful professional development and networking opportunities.

Aligned with YUU’s values, the Regional Market Leader will also engage with students as a coach, group facilitator, and advocate, contributing to a supportive learning environment built on trust and collaboration among students, faculty, and site leaders.

This is a hybrid and location flexible role open to candidates on the West Coast. You must live within a commutable distance to one of our West Coast locations where we serve students (https://www.yearup.org/job-training/locations). Preference will be given to strong candidates in the Bay Area.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Market Presence and Stewardship

• Serve as Year Up United's key representative in designated markets, streamlining connections between internal teams and external partners.
• Responsible for deeply understanding YUU’s services and offerings, market initiatives, and impact
• Identify and pursue regional growth opportunities, positioning Year Up United as an adaptable and responsive workforce development leader.
• Evaluate workforce trends, employer needs, and public sector initiatives to determine the most impactful engagement opportunities.
• Engage with policymakers and local government agencies to advocate for funding, regulatory support, and policy alignment with YUU’s programs.
• Stay informed on local and federal workforce policies, including WIOA, registered apprenticeships, and higher education funding.
• Represent YUU in policy discussions, roundtables, and workforce summits.
• Strengthen relationships with funders, donors, and community organizations to drive engagement and support stewardship of existing partnerships.

Regional Strategy & Market Growth:

• Develop and execute a regional strategy to expand YUU’s reach within assigned markets.
• Identify and evaluate new market opportunities based on workforce trends, economic data, and local labor needs.
• Explore how to increase YUU's impact to close the opportunity divide by engaging in intensive on-the-ground efforts to learn, understand, and leverage knowledge to secure partnerships and offer programming to support opportunity talent
• Cultivate opportunities to increase talent employment, explore and vet revenue generation opportunities for YUU, leverage cross-functional relationships, and engage in relationship management within markets.
• Share information and create strategic alignment internally, developing market insights to explore innovation to include apprenticeships, educational institutions, and workforce entities to expand YUU’s blueprint, reach, and influence  
• Meet with peers in other markets to share learnings and best practices
• Work closely with internal teams, including YUPro, corporate engagement, and student services, to ensure market strategies align with national priorities.
• Collaborate with YUU Advisory Boards to validate local market strategies and offerings

Partnership and Community Building:

• Strengthen relationships with community colleges, corporate partners, and local organizations to meet partnership targets aligned with the 2025 strategic roadmap.
• Actively engage with market workgroups defining the rapidly changing future of work, showcasing YUU’s expertise as a forward-thinking workfo