Director, Field Implementation Team (Inclusive Talent Practice) 

Position Location: Flexible 

Apply by: July 12, 2024

About JFF

Jobs for the Future (JFF) drives transformation of the U.S. education and workforce systems to achieve equitable economic advancement for all. Seeing that millions of people are unfairly shut out of quality jobs and the chance for a better life, our goal is to align education, workforce, and employment changemakers toward a shared North Star: In 10 years, 75 million people facing systemic barriers to advancement will work in quality jobs. 

To achieve that goal, we design solutions, scale best practices, influence policy and action, and invest in innovation. With a staff of more than 300 people across the country working remotely and in offices in Boston (headquarters), Washington, DC, and Oakland, California, we operate at the national, state, and local levels, forging deep partnerships with employers, investors, entrepreneurs, policymakers, and education and workforce development providers to break down barriers and reimagine what’s possible.

We’re on a path of ongoing growth and expanding impact. We have an operating budget of $105 million, and we’re funded by dozens of leading government agencies, foundations, and corporations. Learn more about JFF and join us as we build a future that works—for everyone. 

DEIBW at JFF

Diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging, and well-being (DEIBW) are core to JFF’s North Star and mission. We employ and build diverse teams across race, ethnicity, sex, gender identity and expression, age, and lived experiences and are constantly working toward ensuring these differences are celebrated and included. We aim to cultivate a culture that centers the overall care, well-being, and success of the employee through flexible work hours, balanced workloads, professional development, and equitable career advancement opportunities. Learn more about what DEIBW looks like in practice at JFF.

We seek to invest and learn from those who represent the communities we serve, particularly individuals from populations who have been explicitly or implicitly excluded from the workforce. Knowing its importance to the success of our work and the engagement of our staff members, we aspire to attract and retain a diverse team and welcome people of all backgrounds to apply to our open roles. JFF is a fair chance employer and in alignment to our North Star, we strongly encourage individuals whose highest level of education attained is less than a 4-year degree; People of Color; and people with records to apply.

About the Team

As a part of JFF’s Solutions Design and Delivery unit, the Field Implementation Team (FIT) plays a central role in advancing JFF’s mission by applying capabilities, expertise, and talent to implement field-facing programs, initiatives, and strategic solutions. The Field Implementation Teams, the largest functional team at JFF with more than 150 members, consist of key project personnel who design and deliver technical assistance, coaching, asset mapping, community of practice facilitation, design of convenings or events, and other key lines of service. FIT members may be largely dedicated to projects and programs sponsored or led by a specific Center or Practice or JFFLabs team.

About the Position

As a Director on the Field Implementation Team, you will be assigned to specific portfolios of project work across JFF, based on the organization’s evolving needs and your skill sets and interests. In this role, you will be a key project leader supporting JFF”s strategy for the Employer Mobilization Practice portfolio of work, aimed at assisting employers in embracing inclusive talent practices. Your focus will be on leading projects geared towards helping large and often corporate employers adopt "skills-based talent practices" throughout the talent management lifecycle, which encompass activities from pre-hiring processes to onboarding, training, and career advancement. JFF is currently engaged in several ongoing and forthcoming projects in this area, and we seek a leader capable of developing and executing top-tier programming, organizing events, and providing direct guidance to companies keen on adopting skills-based talent approaches within their operation

Directors on the FIT, serve as a leader of and contributor to JFF projects and initiatives, including leading project teams, and defining workstreams and projects that align with team priorities and JFF’s mission and vision. As a subject matter expert in the employer and/or workforce development ecosystem, you’ll be poised to help our partners transcend the traditional education and workforce space to connect and expand efforts on the ground. You’ll work collaboratively with your manager, Senior Directors, and other FIT team members to set and fulfill ambitious and achievable goals and deliver high-quality outputs and measurable results. Additionally, you’ll steward and champion DEI across JFF by ensuring that individual differences are respected, decisions, teams, and processes within our programs and initiatives have centered equity at all stages, and that our mission, values, and DEI commitments are connected and reflected in our field work. 

This role is ideal for an experienced and client-centered project and program leader, with experiences across the talent management lifecycle, who is eager to empower and inspire large employers to drive inclusive career mobility strategy through skills-based talent practices. 

What You'll Do

Lead impactful project and program efforts

• Develop and lead complex projects from concept through implementation around skills-based talent practices, with an emphasis on driving inclusive career mobility strategies within large employers.
• Leverage your domain knowledge and expertise of working with large corporate employers to provide guidance and strategic support to partners, and maximize JFF’s impact and success in the field 
• Direct project workstreams and ensure on-time completion of deliverables including managing timelines, budgets, work plans, program staff, and partners.
• Facilitate and lead small and large group meetings, trainings, and presentations for diverse stakeholders in the corporate employment space
• Contribute to, and shape the development of frameworks, models, and repeatable solutions or service lines applicable to the Employer Mobilization Practice, and JFF’s work 
• Identify, and recommend creative solutions to mitigate risks projects are on track and driving toward meaningful impact 

Foster a culture of collaboration, inclusion and results

• Proactively build relationships and trust with internal and external stakeholders and employment partners encouraging them to share their collective expertise and knowledge. 
• Understand, and offer innovative solutions to the challenges that leaders and systems face in fostering inclusive talent practices; conceptualize and develop tools, resources, and strategies to effectively solve problems and eliminate barriers to progress for our partners 
• Develop and coach others through feedback, to ensure effective and consistent delivery of JFF’s programs and services, while expanding the capacity and expertise of the team
• Center diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging at all stages of designing and executing programmatic initiatives and projects
• Empower and mentor project teams and ensuring they have the tools and resources needed to execute work, meet expected deliverable deadlines and produce high-quality project outcomes 

Contribute to JFF's programmatic strategy

• Foster collaboration with various teams across JFF to shape and implement bodies of work that support JFF strategic goals/mission and respond to and influence developments in the field 
• Synthesize and communicate insights and patterns from engagements and data, offering creative solutions and innovations to inform program strategy and execution
• Develop and champion operational and impact plans for future work based on learnings over time 
• Design, launch, and scale work rooted in closing equity gaps and driving systemic change in partnership with Practices, Centers, or JFF Labs 

Who You Are 

The qualifications listed within the job description are intended as a guide and we do not expect candidates to bring all experiences and skills listed. Research supports that self-selecting out of potential professional opportunities is particularly common among individuals with identities that are marginalized in professional spaces. So, if you believe that you can meet the overall expectations of the position, we encourage you to apply so that we have an opportunity to learn more about you and the unique strengths you would bring to the work.

• You bring project and program expertise relevant to JFF’s mission and strategy and a track record of success leading and contributing to large, complex capacity-building efforts with partners across the workforce development, education or employer ecosystem (New hires at the Director II level at JFF typically bring 12 years of prior professional experience through a combination of full-time, part-time, internship, and/or freelance positions). 
• You possess extensive experience working within, or consulting to corporations, with a focus on creating more inclusive talent practices and equitable career opportunity and advancement
• You have experience with strategic talent management and diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging strategies; and you know how to apply these strategies in a corporate or employer setting. 
• You have designed and implemented skills-based talent management approaches, such as practices and policies that support skills-based recruiting and hiring, skills-based internal mobility, and skills-based learning and development. 
• You have a track record of supporting partners and clients in solving challenges, with the ability to help them build solutions that both meet business needs as well as social impact goals. 
• You are an engaging communicator and know the importance of tailoring both your written and verbal communications to your audience 
• You possess the ability to engage and influence senior and executive leaders and have guided them to drive change in their organizations. 
• You demonstrate the ability to lead complex projects, select business partners, draft contracts, and participate in activities aligned with your organization's strategic goals and priorities. 
• You are a strategic thinker with the ability to identify competency and performance gaps across teams and identify and implement professional development opportunities to build the capacities of your direct or indirect reports. 
• You propose creative ideas and innovative solutions to advance current thinking for your team while also ensuring that decisions, teams, and processes respect individual differences and support diversity across the team. 
• You engage stakeholders in sharing their collective knowledge and expertise to deliver valuable contributions and can build relationships with and proactively include people

What We Offer

At JFF, we’re fueled by the desire to create a world where everyone has equal opportunity for economic advancement. Our team works hard to push the boundaries of what is possible, and in return, we provide a gratifying work experience, competitive salaries, and a comprehensive benefits program that includes flexibility and choice as core values in order to support people wherever they are in their lives and careers. 

JFF has offices in Boston, Oakland, and Washington, DC; employees are welcome to use JFF office space to work in-person or hybrid, or completely remote. To improve the employee experience and promote productivity while working remotely, JFF offers an annual home office stipend to all regular full-time and part-time employees. In addition, new employees receive office equipment as needed.

The hiring range for this role is $120,000 - $150,000 annually, in alignment to JFF’s Director II salary band and our compensation philosophy. Starting salaries for new hires will be determined based on a combination of the new hire’s relevant experience and market demands. 

To Apply

As part of your application, please include your resume and a thoughtful cover letter, addressed toMartha Arias, Senior Director, Resource Management, outlining how your skills and experience meet the qualifications of the position.

We are accepting applications through close of business Friday July 12, 2024. Applications submitted by that date will be reviewed, and candidates will receive updates on their candidacy by the week of July 22, 2024.

At JFF, we’re also committed to accessibility and want to ensure that everyone, including people with disabilities, can fully access and engage with our application and hiring process. 

If you are unable to complete this application due to a disability and/or have specific access/accommodation needs in order to fully participate in our hiring process, please contact us at hiringaccommodations@jff.org.

Positions at JFF are not eligible for employer-visa sponsorship or open to F-1 student visa holders.