Project Director - Gulf Coast

Job Description

Job Description

PROJECT DIRECTOR

POSITION SUMMARY

The Project Director serves as the senior leader responsible for the overall strategy, operational performance, financial stewardship, organizational effectiveness, and successful execution of the Workforce Solutions region.

This position requires a proven business and operations leader who can lead at scale, establish effective organizational systems, develop accountable leadership teams, manage significant budgets and resources, and translate strategic priorities into measurable results.

The successful candidate will demonstrate strong business acumen, executive presence, financial discipline, systems thinking, organizational leadership, and clear communication. Experience in workforce development, government contracting, publicly funded programs, economic development, or a related environment is preferred; however, demonstrated success leading complex, multi-site operations is essential.

This position requires a leader who can effectively steer a complex organization—setting direction, creating structure, holding leaders accountable, managing resources, and ensuring the organization consistently delivers on its commitments.

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

Executive & Organizational Leadership

• Provide strategic and operational leadership for a complex, multi-site regional operation, ensuring organizational, financial, contractual, and performance objectives are achieved.
• Translate Board, contractual, and organizational priorities into clear strategies, measurable goals, accountability structures, and execution plans.
• Assess organizational structure, reporting relationships, spans of control, leadership capacity, and resource allocation and recommend changes necessary to improve organizational effectiveness.
• Build, lead, coach, and hold accountable a high-performing leadership team capable of effectively managing their respective areas of responsibility.
• Establish a culture of accountability, collaboration, transparency, professionalism, urgency, and continuous improvement.
• Lead effectively through organizational transitions, growth, restructuring, performance challenges, and other periods of significant change.
• Operations, Systems & Execution

• Maintain executive oversight of multi-site operations and ensure consistent execution of organizational policies, procedures, service standards, and contractual requirements.
• Develop and maintain effective management systems that provide visibility into operations, staffing, financial performance, customer service, compliance, and contractual outcomes.
• Establish clear operating procedures, workflows, escalation protocols, communication structures, and management routines that support consistent execution.
• Evaluate business processes and identify opportunities to improve efficiency, strengthen controls, enhance customer experience, and increase organizational effectiveness.
• Utilize data, dashboards, performance indicators, and operational reporting to identify trends, address risks, and drive timely decision-making.
• Ensure facilities, technology, staffing, procurement, administrative functions, and other resources effectively support regional operations.

Financial & Resource Management

• Assume executive responsibility for the financial performance and fiscal stewardship of the region.
• Develop, manage, and monitor significant operating budgets across multiple programs, departments, locations, and funding streams.
• Regularly evaluate expenditures, forecasts, staffing costs, budget-to-actual performance, and other key financial indicators.
• Partner with finance and corporate leadership to identify financial risks, manage cost pressures, develop forecasts, and align resources with organizational priorities.
• Make informed business decisions regarding staffing models, facilities, technology, vendors, and operational investments.
• Ensure expenditures and financial practices comply with applicable contractual, organizational, federal, state, and local requirements.
• Performance & Accountability
• Establish clear organizational, departmental, leadership, and program performance expectations.
• Monitor operational, financial, customer service, compliance, and contractual performance through established metrics and management routines.
• Hold leaders accountable for results and ensure performance concerns are identified and addressed promptly.
• Identify root causes of underperformance and implement sustainable corrective-action strategies.
• Align staffing, organizational structure, leadership resources, and operational investments with business and performance needs.
• Regularly communicate performance, risks, opportunities, and corrective actions to executive leadership and the Board.

Leadership & Talent Development

• Recruit, develop, retain, and lead a strong management team capable of executing organizational strategy.
• Establish clear expectations for direct reports and provide meaningful coaching, feedback, and performance management.
• Identify leadership and organizational capability gaps and implement appropriate development, succession planning, restructuring, or staffing solutions.
• Empower managers to make appropriate decisions within their areas of responsibility while maintaining accountability for outcomes.
• Promote cross-functional collaboration and address organizational silos that impede performance.
• Executive Communication & Stakeholder Management
• Serve as a clear, credible, and effective communicator with the Board, employees, executive leadership, government agencies, employers, community leaders, and other stakeholders.
• Communicate complex operational, financial, and strategic matters effectively to both executive and operational audiences.
• Establish consistent communication channels throughout the organization to ensure priorities, expectations, decisions, and organizational changes are clearly understood.
• Prepare and deliver executive-level presentations, operational reviews, performance reports, and strategic recommendations.
• Serve as a primary senior-level representative of SERCO of Texas with the local Workforce Development Board and maintain a transparent, solutions-oriented relationship with Board leadership.
• Develop and maintain productive relationships with the Texas Workforce Commission, Health and Human Services Commission, employers, educational institutions, economic development organizations, community partners, and other key stakeholders.

Workforce System & Contractual Oversight

• Provide executive oversight of Workforce Solutions/One-Stop operations to ensure services meet contractual, regulatory, performance, and customer-service expectations.
• Ensure effective administration of applicable federal, state, and locally funded workforce programs.
• Maintain sufficient knowledge of WIOA, Texas Workforce Commission requirements, One-Stop operations, and other applicable regulations to effectively oversee compliance and hold program leaders accountable.
• Partner with workforce subject-matter experts, compliance personnel, and program leaders to translate regulatory requirements into effective operational practices.
• Ensure employer and business-services strategies are responsive to regional economic conditions and workforce needs.
• Maintain effective systems for contract compliance, quality assurance, risk management, monitoring, and corrective action.

Innovation & Continuous Improvement

• Promote continuous improvement by evaluating existing practices and implementing more effective approaches when appropriate.
• Leverage technology, process improvement, data, and organizational design to improve efficiency and service delivery.
• Evaluate emerging business and workforce trends and determine their potential impact on regional operations.
• Develop scalable solutions that strengthen organizational sustainability and prepare the region for future growth and change.

Other

• Perform additional duties and executive-level assignments as necessary to support organizational objectives, contractual obligations, and regional workforce needs.

EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in Business Administration, Management, Finance, Public Administration, Organizational Leadership, Operations Management, or a related discipline. Significant executive-level experience may be considered in lieu of the degree requirement where appropriate.
• Minimum of eight (8) years of progressively responsible leadership experience, including significant responsibility for operations, financial management, organizational performance, and people leadership.
• Minimum of five (5) years in a senior leadership capacity with responsibility for leading managers and/or multiple functional areas.
• Demonstrated experience overseeing a complex, mid-to-large-scale, multi-site, multi-department, or geographically dispersed operation.
• Demonstrated experience developing, managing, and monitoring significant operating budgets and making business decisions based on financial and operational data.
• Proven success establishing organizational systems, management processes, accountability structures, performance measures, and operating standards.
• Demonstrated ability to assess organizational structures and make effective decisions regarding staffing, reporting relationships, resource allocation, and leadership responsibilities.
• Strong business acumen with an understanding of the relationship between operations, financial performance, staffing, customer experience, contractual requirements, and organizational strategy.
• Demonstrated success leading organizational change, strengthening operations, or improving organizational performance.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, including demonstrated effectiveness communicating with Boards, executives, managers, employees, clients, and external stakeholders.
• Demonstrated ability to analyze complex information, establish priorities, exercise sound judgment, make difficult decisions, and drive execution.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree in Business Administration, Public Administration, Organizational Leadership, Finance, Management, or a related discipline.
• Senior leadership experience within workforce development, government contracting, economic development, human services, education, publicly funded programs, or another complex or highly regulated environment.
• Knowledge of WIOA, Texas Workforce Commission requirements, One-Stop operations, or similar publicly funded service-delivery systems.
• Experience working directly with governing boards, government agencies, public-sector clients, or other executive-level stakeholders.
• Experience overseeing multiple contracts, funding streams, service locations, and performance requirements.
• Experience leading an organization or business unit through restructuring, growth, leadership transition, performance improvement, or significant operational change.

CORE LEADERSHIP COMPETENCIES

Business Acumen Understands the operational and financial drivers of the organization and makes sound, data-informed business decisions.

Systems Thinking Understands how people, processes, finances, technology, facilities, compliance, and performance interact across the organization.

Organizational Leadership Establishes effective structure, develops capable leaders, delegates appropriately, and creates accountability throughout the organization.

Financial Stewardship Demonstrates strong understanding of budgets, forecasts, staffing costs, financial performance, resource allocation, and fiscal risk.

Execution & Accountability Translates strategy into action, establishes ownership, monitors progress, and ensures commitments are completed.

Executive Communication Communicates clearly, confidently, and appropriately across all organizational levels and with external stakeholders.

Strategic Judgment Makes thoughtful and timely decisions while balancing immediate operational needs, contractual obligations, stakeholder expectations, and long-term organizational objectives.

Change Leadership Successfully leads organizations and teams through change, transition, performance improvement, and organizational growth.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

1. Must possess a valid Texas Driver's License and provide automobile liability insurance as required by the State of Texas.

2. Must have access to reliable transportation and be available to travel throughout the region as required.

3. Must be available to attend Board meetings, community engagements, operational meetings, and other business activities that may occasionally occur outside standard business hours.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS & WORK ENVIRONMENT

Physical Demands: While performing the duties of this position, the employee is regularly required to sit, stand, walk, communicate, and operate standard office equipment. The position requires travel between locations and may involve extended periods of driving. The employee may occasionally be required to lift or move up to 25 pounds.

Work Environment: This is a fast-paced, highly visible leadership position requiring frequent communication, management of competing priorities, sound judgment, adaptability, and the ability to operate effectively in a complex and demanding environment.

This job description is not designed to contain a comprehensive listing of all activities, duties, or responsibilities required of the position. Duties, responsibilities, and organizational needs may change at any time with or without notice.