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 Office of Community Empowerment and Opportunity (CEO) provides leadership on issues of economic justice by advancing racial equity and inclusive growth to ensure that all Philadelphians share in the city’s prosperous future and by alleviating the immediate impact of poverty on individuals, families and communities. CEO is Philadelphia’s Community Action Agency (CAA); CAAs are private or public agencies created by the 1964 Economic Opportunity Act and federally designated to receive Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) funding.

CEO’s Guiding Principles

• We believe city government has the responsibility to provide opportunities to and promote the well-being of all citizens while representing their best interests.
• We believe the people of Philadelphia deserve the opportunity to live happy, healthy, and full lives.
• We believe people can offer meaningful insights into both their personal experiences and how the systems around them function.
• We believe poverty is a systemic issue and city government can lead in dismantling the barriers that often prevent opportunities.

CEO’s Values

• Dignity: How we treat the community we serve is reflective of how we treat each other.
• Inclusivity: People at all levels of CEO are invited to participate in every way.
• Persistence: When we get discouraged, we find ways to lift each other up and push forward.
• Accountability: We are transparent and honest about our plans, our actions, and our results.
• Honesty: We create a safe space without judgment to have healthy and honest dialogue about systems, people and misconceptions.

The Director of Youth and Adult Workforce Strategies is responsible for providing direction and strategic leadership for CEO’s Youth and Adult Workforce initiatives and implementing projects that span across multiple areas of the Youth and Adult Workforce systems, along with ensuring efficiencies and consistencies globally across all service providers. This position is responsible for ensuring expectations are met in fulfilling the strategic mission of CEO and are aligned with local, state, federal funding compliance.

Key responsibilities include working independently on difficult tasks associated with program operations or complex projects while demonstrating leadership, professionalism, and confidentiality in addressing all matters. Interacting with CEO executive leadership, directors, managers, and subcontractor staff on behalf of the Family Support and Basic Needs unit; addressing direct inquiries and helping troubleshoot and resolve requests; and participating in activities designed to enhance engagement and build subcontractor and organizational capacity.

Essential Functions

Program Management

• Provide strategic direction and leadership to advance and expand Youth and Adult Workforce strategies to ensure successful program systems, operations, and outcomes.
• Grow the strategic approach and collaborative capacity to support successful Youth and Adult Workforce investments, operations, academic growth and/or retention for individuals served by CEO Youth and Adult Workforce partners/grantees.
• Develop Youth and Adult Workforce programming informed by those with lived experiences, while being responsive to the needs and expectations of the School District of Philadelphia (and the high schools CEO serves through Promise Corps), employer partners to best serve the targeted population(s).
• Establish a clearly defined continuum of services, from social and mental health services through permanent employment for workforce partners (i.e., Same Day Work Pay), while identifying social and support services for students and/or parents in the schools served by CEO.
• Coordinate with existing programs already serving targeted population(s).
• Develop workforce assessment and retention strategies that can be adopted by existing workforce partners.
• Establish a standard set of defined metrics of success that can be evaluated and integrated within the larger workforce and student outcome metrics.
• Collaborate and coordinate with the public workforce system and partners serving vulnerable individuals to support operational structures that effectively serve vulnerable individuals.
• Acknowledge success of program partners and promote opportunities for growth.
• Exhibit leadership and guidance to supervised staff that is reflective of extending opportunities for professional growth, including staff in related functions inclusive of recruitment and selection, performance coaching and evaluation, training, staff development, motivation, communication and building a shared vision.
• Manage program contracts, develop budgets, including allocating resources appropriately towards program goals through purchase orders and professional contracts as needed.
• Responsible for funder requested/ mandated reporting including all progress and final reports
• Recruit and manage staff, interns, and VISTAs as necessary.
• Perform other duties as assigned in accordance with the position.

Advocacy

• Advance a Youth and Adult Workforce advocacy agenda on a local, state and national level.
• Identify best practices from other regions that could be tailored to Philadelphia; serve as example/resource to other cities on CEO practices
• Lead Youth and Adult Workforce economic justice policy initiatives stemming from policy agenda in coordination with CEO Policy staff and HHS.

Communications

• Through Communications Manager, refine communications strategy for the CEO’s Youth and Adult Workforce economic justice development strategies.
• Through Communications Manager, manage media to support awareness raising and advocacy around Youth and Adult Workforce issues and program success.
• Assist in the development of public awareness and advertising campaigns relative to Youth and Adult Workforce strategic initiatives.
• Assist in maintenance of website and social media tools in presenting information on Youth and Adult Workforce programming/initiatives.
• Manage and support special events promoting youth essential services, education, and employment.

Convening & Engagement

• Create government, nonprofit, and corporate partnerships to expand and foster new programming opportunities.
• Coordinate a program participant (youth and/or workforce) council/coalition to inform and advance project goals.
• Work with Communications and Policy staff to provide Youth and Adult Workforce community representation at roundtables, conferences and/or summits.

Data & Evaluation

• Advance CEO’s racial equity goals by considering bias, racial disparities and disproportionate impact in all research and evaluation activities relative to CEO’s Youth and Adult Workforce Strategies.
• Pursue key research and evaluation opportunities connected to Youth and Adult Workforce empowerment objectives.
• Assist in supporting the publishing of white papers, reports, and evaluation findings and other creative reporting vehicles on Youth and Adult Workforce strategic initiatives.
• Lead the Data Manger in managing data collection and analysis on Youth and Adult Workforce strategies funded through/by the City of Philadelphia.

Competencies, Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Knowledge of education and social services programs and funding sources compliance
• Experience with human centered program design and implementation
• Excellent written, verbal, interpersonal, presentation, planning, and organizational skills
• Ability to adapt to a changing work environment and possess the flexibility to meet departmental needs
• Ability to train, motivate and build a cohesive team
• Ability to build solid relationships that engender trust
• Ability to interact effectively with various levels of staff, management, government officials, and the public
• Ability to generate innovative ideas and effectively communicate them verbally and in writing
• Ability to comprehend system wide strategy/vision and communicate it to stakeholders
• Demonstrated ability to move ideas and vision to implementation successfully
• Ability to travel to various locations throughout the city
• Project Management driven
• Possess solid Office 365 and SharePoint experience
• Ability to maintain confidential information

• 
  At least 10 years of professional level experience in the field of employment, human services, education, and/or training
• A Master’s or other higher education degrees are preferred, but not required
• Experience developing or adapting academic programming, workforce development programs (particularly with vulnerable groups, TANF workforce funds, or other WIOA (Workforce Initiatives and Opportunity Act)) resource programs strongly preferred
• Experience working directly with people from a diverse racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic background
• Experience working with people at high risk of being homeless, justice involved and/or direct lived experience
• Experience developing and implementing a strategic framework/plan
• Experience as a program manager, including, but not limited to, managing projects on-time and on-budget, managing consultant services, and drafting scopes of work and requests for proposals (RFPs)
• Experience managing program evaluation
• Experience building coalitions of diverse stakeholders
• Experience managing communications

Supervisory Responsibilities

This position will oversee and directly supervise the following positions:

• Youth Strategies Operations Manager
• College Access and Career Pathways Manager
• Academic and Partnerships Manager
• Work Ready and Workforce Operations Manager

Other Specialties, Certifications, Physical Requirements, and Work Conditions

• Regular, predictable attendance is required
• This position operates in an office setting and routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, filing cabinets and fax machines
• Exertion of physical strength to lift, carry, push, pull, or otherwise move objects up to 10 pounds. Work involves sitting most of the time. Walking and standing is often necessary in carrying out job duties
• Successful candidate must be a city of Philadelphia resident within six months of hire

TO APPLY: Interested candidates must submit a cover letter, references and resume.

Did you know?

• We are a Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program qualified employer
• 25% tuition discount program for City employees (and sometimes spouses and dependents as well) in partnership with area colleges and universities
• We offer Comprehensive health coverage for employees and their eligible dependents
• Our wellness program offers eligibility into the discounted medical plan
• Employees receive paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays
• Generous retirement savings options are available

• The successful candidate must be a city of Philadelphia resident within six months of hire

Please note that effective September 1, 2021 the City of Philadelphia is requiring all new employees to present proof of vaccination against COVID-19.

The City of Philadelphia is an Equal Opportunity employer and does not permit discrimination based on race, ethnicity, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, marital status, source of income, familial status, genetic information or domestic or sexual violence victim status. If you believe you were discriminated against, call the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations at 215-686-4670 or send an email to faqpchr@phila.gov.

For more information, go to: Human Relations Website: http://www.phila.gov/humanrelations/Pages/default.aspx