Associate Director, Workforce Innovation

Manufacturing Institute

Job Description 

Job Title:                              Associate Director, Workforce Innovation & Policy

Division:                               Manufacturing Institute 

Reports To:                          Senior Director, Workforce Innovation 

FLSA Status/Level:            Exempt, Senior Professional 

Location:                               Washington DC

Salary Range:                     $75,000 - $98,000  

Who We Are:  

The Manufacturing Institute (MI) is the workforce development and education partner of the National Association of Manufacturers (the NAM) with a mission to build, diversify and strengthen the manufacturing workforce for individual opportunity, community prosperity and a competitive manufacturing industry for the future. The MI’s diverse initiatives support all American workers, including emerging workers, women, veterans, and students, through skilled training programs, community building and career growth. As the 501(c)3 nonprofit workforce development and education affiliate of the National Association of Manufacturers, the MI is a trusted adviser to manufacturers, equipping them with resources necessary to solve the industry’s toughest challenges. The Workforce Innovation team works on curating a unique set of solutions for manufacturers to recruit and retain a diverse, skilled, and dedicated workforce. The team does this through different methods (forums, convenings, etc. as well as direct program delivery). You will be joining this team. 

Workforce Innovation is a small team of entrepreneurial problem-solvers designing programs and creating partnerships to attract and prepare the manufacturing workforce of tomorrow and upskilling workers of today. Our team’s portfolio of projects includes, but is not limited to, workforce and education policy, student engagement, second chance hiring, providing subject matter expertise to federal award recipients (such as the Good Jobs Challenge), earn and learn programs like FAME (Federation for Advanced Manufacturing Education), third-party credentialing, and other creative workforce solutions for the manufacturing industry. This team works as part of the larger MI organization to accomplish our mission of closing the skills gap and exciting, educating and empowering the workforce of today and tomorrow. A successful candidate will bring passion and ideas to solving our workforce challenges while also being focused on executing tasks and ensuring program deliverables and goals are met. 

By joining the MI, you become part of a spirited and dynamic team that is driven to succeed. We recognize and reward our staff with competitive pay and annual performance-based bonus programs. We offer an outstanding benefits package that includes health, dental, and vision insurance, life, short-term and long-term disability, flexible spending accounts, SmarTrip, and a 401(k) Salary Deferral plan with employer match and contributions, vacation and sick leave, complimentary on-site gym access and healthy snacks in the break room. Become part of a fast-paced team passionate about keeping the United States the world leader in manufacturing. We value in-person collaboration and the sense of community it brings. Therefore, if hired, you will be expected to be in the office at least 3 times per week. Our office is conveniently located in Washington, DC, just steps away from Gallery Place and Metro Center.

Position Overview:   

The Manufacturing Institute (MI) seeks an Associate Director, Workforce Innovation & Policy, who will be part of the MI's Workforce Innovation team and will serve as the main point of contact for many partnerships and stakeholders across the country. In this role, you will provide all manner of support for new and existing projects and initiatives, using various systems, tools, and related resources to support our initiatives. You will lead in creating, planning, and executing convenings, webinars and conferences; and, to do so effectively, you will communicate and collaborate as appropriate with external partners, which includes employers, non-profits, education institutions, and even government agencies as well as internal support teams.

 Join the MI and Make an Impact in the Following Ways:

The Associate Director will play an important role, as described, and as relates to the following:

• Lead the execution of key deliverables to stakeholders and partners, as related to the Workforce Innovation team’s portfolio of projects.
• Develop reports, collateral, toolkits, and social media content, as needed.
• Drive collaboration with other programs and related activities under the MI Workforce Innovation portfolio, including badging, credentialing, and skills-based hiring initiatives.
• Build and maintain relationships with key policymakers and stakeholders, monitoring legislative and regulatory development, and developing advocacy strategies based on the needs of the manufacturing sector.

This description is representative of the position and not intended to limit or preclude other responsibilities and tasks that may be associated with or added to the position. 

Supervisory Responsibilities:

None

We are looking for Team Players who meet the Following Criteria:

• Experience in workforce development and the federal government (either legislative or executive branches).
• A bachelor’s degree, preferably in a field related to this work.
• Five to seven years of work history, preferably with experience in any of the following areas:
• Education and workforce development policy
• Building and supporting training models for industry
• Experience with industry sector partnership development
• Possess a strong interest and understanding of the political landscape, policy process, education and workforce policy issues, and advocacy strategies.
• Awesome organizational skills and the ability to work well under pressure: you will have to manage your workload to meet deadlines in a hybrid and fast-paced environment.
• A willingness to learn new skills, tools, and processes: you will be performing multiple tasks using a variety of software applications for a variety of projects for a variety of stakeholders—both internal and external.
• A “continuous improvement” mindset: good can always be better and we work each day to learn and improve upon our work.

And finally, it's important that you have...

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills. Relationships are important!
• At least some experience with and a working knowledge of the Microsoft productivity suite—specifically Word, Excel, PowerPoint; but also, SharePoint, Teams, and Outlook. 
• The ability—and importantly, a desire—to learn various web-based applications.
• The ability—this is important—to travel for work. You will likely have 1-2 overnight weekday trips each month. This will vary and we respect that each candidate will have different needs.
• A team-oriented attitude with a customer service focus. We rise and fall as a team and our work is for others (our “customers”) and often informed through relationships.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Salary Range: $75,000 - $98,000 annually. This salary range represents a good faith estimate of the lowest to the highest salary for this position. The final salary offered will be based on qualifications and experience.

Equal Opportunity Employer

The Manufacturing Institute is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action employer that is committed to inclusion and diversity. We welcome and celebrate everyone’s uniqueness here at the MI. We provide equal opportunities to individuals regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, genetic information, political views or activity, or other applicable legally protected characteristics.    

We also consider qualified applicants with conviction histories, consistent with applicable federal, state and local law. At the MI, we believe in Second Chances! The MI is committed to offering equal employment opportunities to ALL. We only require that you have the qualifications, talent and passion to be successful in your role.    

The MI is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans in our job application procedures. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, you may contact us at humanresources@nam.org 

The NAM is the largest manufacturing association in the United States and one of the nation’s most influential advocates for manufacturing. By joining the MI, you become part of a spirited and dynamic team that is driven to succeed. We recognize and reward our staff with competitive pay and annual performance-based bonus programs. We offer an outstanding benefits package that includes health, dental, and vision insurance, life, short-term and long-term disability, flexible spending accounts, SmarTrip, and a 401(k) Salary Deferral plan with employer match and contributions, vacation, and sick leave, and more. Become part of a fast-paced team passionate about keeping the United States the world leader in manufacturing.

Get involved. Make an impact. Join the MI team.

Learn more at   

 www.nam.org/careers