Workforce Development Manager - MDO - Transportation and Infrastructure

Company Description

A best-in-class city that attracts best-in-class talent, Philadelphia is an incredible place to build a career. From our thriving arts scene and rich history to our culture of passion and grit, there are countless reasons to love living and working here. With a workforce of over 30,000 people, and more than 1,000 different job categories, the City of Philadelphia offers boundless opportunities to make an impact.

As an employer, the City of Philadelphia values inclusion, integrity, innovation, empowerment, and hard work above all else. We offer a vibrant work environment, comprehensive health care and benefits, and the experience you need to grow and excel. If you’re interested in working with a passionate team of people who care about the future of Philadelphia, start here.

What we offer

• Impact - The work you do here matters to millions. 
• Growth - Philadelphia is growing, why not grow with it? 
• Diversity & Inclusion - Find a career in a place where everyone belongs.
• Benefits - We care about your well-being.

Agency Description

The Managing Director’s Office of Transportation and Infrastructure Systems (OTIS) is charged with driving change through our transportation and infrastructure systems. OTIS leads a portfolio of departments, including Streets Transportation, Streets Sanitation, Philadelphia Water Department (PWD), and the Office of Sustainability to provide cost-effective quality services with a focus on the resident. OTIS collaborates with a wide variety of organizations such as Amtrak, DVRPC, PATCO, PennDOT, SEPTA and the Philadelphia Parking Authority. OTIS coordinates policy, planning, and decision-making among the entities that manage local transportation and utilities infrastructure.

OTIS is the home department for the Infrastructure Solutions Team (IST). The IST is a cross-departmental effort with a mission to grow economic mobility for Philadelphians through the strategic use of infrastructure investments. This will include increasing the amount of City contracts that go to historically underutilized businesses, while ensuring that infrastructure workers, from planning to construction, look more like the population of Philadelphia. As an office environment, OTIS provides a unique opportunity for individuals who want to make meaningful and visible change in the place where they live. OTIS is staffed by people who believe that investments in the built environment can lift up communities and prepare our city for a vibrant, sustainable and equitable future.

Working hours are generally 37.5 hours per week. Effective July 15, 2024, all City workers are required to be in the office full time. Some evening and weekend work may be required. 

Job Description

Position Summary

The Workforce Development Manager will serve as the lead workforce strategist for infrastructure-related workforce development initiatives across the City of Philadelphia. As a member of the Infrastructure Solutions Team (IST), the Manager will help advance the City’s mission to use infrastructure investments to expand access to good-paying jobs, strengthen workforce pipelines, and increase economic mobility for Philadelphians. This role will lead a portfolio that connects workforce policy, program implementation, strategic partnerships, data reporting, and grant-funded initiatives. The Manager will focus especially on public works construction, union pathways in the building trades and heavy highway sectors, apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs, hiring strategies, and systems that improve access to jobs at all stages of public works project delivery. 

Workforce Policy and Strategic Reporting:  
The Manager will lead workforce policy implementation, data tracking, and strategic reporting related to City infrastructure investments. In this role, the Manager will develop a working knowledge of the systems, policies, and compliance tools the City uses to track and enforce workforce participation requirements on public infrastructure projects. 

A core responsibility will be overseeing implementation of the City’s pilot Geographic and Economic Hiring Preferences program. The GEHP pilot is anticipated to apply to approximately 15 public works contracts, representing roughly $150 million in contract value, during FY26–FY27. The Manager will supervise and support the Jobs Coordinator, who will serve as a key staff for this work area. 

The Manager will also build familiarity with relevant state and federal workforce programs, including PennDOT’s On-the-Job Training program and Section 25019(a) of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, “Local Hiring Preference