Program Manager, Workforce & Industry Initiatives

Role Description

The Program Manager is responsible for the planning, implementation, oversight, and continuous improvement of workforce development programs serving Youth and other designated populations. These programs primarily support students, including:

• Prospective students from feeder schools and partner organizations
• Youth and students from K-12 school districts, community colleges, and community-based organizations throughout the Greater San Diego Metropolitan Region

Programs are designed to support individuals facing barriers to education and employment, including:

• Low-income individuals
• Students with disabilities
• Justice-involved individuals
• Foster youth
• Pregnant or parenting youth
• Individuals experiencing homelessness
• Other priority populations identified by funding partners

This position supports participant success through:

• Career development
• Workforce readiness
• Work-based learning
• Education and employment pathways
• Supportive services
• Industry engagement

The Program Manager oversees program implementation across multiple locations and teams, supports program staff in achieving performance and compliance goals, and ensures all project activities align with organizational, contractual, regulatory, and funding requirements.

Responsibilities

• Program Management & Administration: 40%
  • Serve as the primary representative, spokesperson, and lead point of contact for the grant, funding partners, stakeholders, and assigned programs.
  • Provide leadership, oversight, and direction to the program team.
  • Maintain accountability for the overall success of the project, including performance outcomes, contractual deliverables, compliance requirements, risk management, operational effectiveness, and participant success.
  • Oversee program operations, service delivery, and workforce development activities across assigned locations, populations, and teams.
  • Provide leadership, supervision, guidance, and workflow coordination for Program Managers and assigned staff.
  • Assign, prioritize, adjust, and reallocate responsibilities, resources, and project activities to support program goals and operational needs.
  • Ensure compliance with funding requirements, policies, regulations, reporting standards, documentation requirements, and quality assurance expectations.
  • Identify, assess, mitigate, and resolve operational, programmatic, compliance, fiscal, and participant-related risks and challenges.
  • Monitor project performance, participant outcomes, budgets, data integrity, and contractual requirements, implementing corrective actions and continuous improvement strategies as needed.
  • Represent the project in meetings, presentations, audits, monitoring reviews, compliance reviews, and stakeholder engagements.
  • Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned.
• Workforce Solutions: 25%
  • Oversee and support participant-facing service delivery, including eligibility, enrollment, case management, career development, workforce readiness, training, work-based learning, employment, and supportive service activities.
  • Ensure participant services are aligned with program goals, contractual outcomes, funding requirements, and individual participant needs.
  • Monitor participant progress, service quality, engagement, retention, outcomes, and barriers to success, implementing corrective actions or service adjustments as needed.
  • Coordinate workforce development activities across assigned locations, populations, and teams to support participant success and program performance.
  • Build and maintain relationships with participants, educational institutions, community organizations, workforce development stakeholders, and other partners that support participant access, success, and outcomes.
• Industry Relations: 25%
  • Support employer engagement, job development, industry partnerships, and workforce learning opportunities aligned with participant and labor market needs.
  • Build and maintain relationships with employers, industry partners, business associations, workforce boards, chambers, funders, and other workforce development stakeholders.
  • Identify and cultivate employment, internship, work-based learning, training, and industry-aligned opportunities for participants.
  • Represent the project in employer, industry, partner, and stakeholder engagements to promote program goals and expand opportunities for participants.
  • Ensure industry relations activities are aligned with labor market needs, participant goals, employer expectations, and grant outcomes.
• Other Duties as Assigned: 10%

Qualifications

• Knowledge and Abilities
  • Workforce development program coordination
  • Case management practices
  • Job development, business services, and employer relations
• Education & Experience
  • Bachelor's degree and/or equivalent training and administration work experience involving study, analysis, and/or evaluation leading to the development or improvement of administrative policies, procedures, practices, or programs.
  • Five years of progressively responsible experience in office or administrative environment.

Additional Applicant Information

• Candidate must reside in California and live within a commutable distance from SDSU at time of hire.
• Job offer is contingent upon satisfactory clearance based on background check results (including a criminal record check).