Program Director

Project:              Massachusetts Cliff Effect Pilot Program

Term:                 2 years, additional years expected with growth of program

About the Program:

As a part of the Economic Development Bill passed in November 2022, ( Session Law - Acts of 2022 Chapter 268 , Line 4403-2001) the Commonwealth of Massachusetts approved a three-year pilot program to test the use of a financial incentive for employees who experience the public benefits “cliff effect.” The program aims to enroll up to 100 participants and guide their progression through a workforce development process. Applicants who receive public benefits and are enrolled in the program will be employed in entry-level/near entry-level jobs. Throughout the course of the three-year program, participants will receive training, education, and employment to allow them to gain economic mobility and become financially stable. Throughout this process, their public benefits will likely decrease, and the program will reimburse the participants for any loss of “net financial resources” throughout the process. Additionally, at the end of the program, the legislation calls for a participant completion bonus of up to $10,000.

The program will deliver required reports to the General Court on its progress, as written in the legislation governing the program. 

Desired outcomes:

• Use the financial incentive – a Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) payment – to ensure a family is no worse off because of public benefit cliffs 
• Test the use of the DTA incentive to enable economic mobility and upward career advancement
• Use data to prove that this policy reduces public benefit costs to the Commonwealth
• Enable families to reduce dependency on public benefits and earn a living wage

Responsibilities:

• Create and manage statewide relationships to plan, operationalize, and monitor the pilot
• Facilitate the statewide teams to ensure program integrity, quality, and continuity
• Solidify and expand employer career advancement and career pathway commitments
• Coordinate the program’s implementation with service partner organizations, including DTA, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, educational partners such as community colleges, philanthropic and nonprofit organizations
• Work with the Healey Administration to solidify administration partnerships needed to deliver the pilot such as DTA, EEC, Housing, etc.  
• Hire and develop a team to support the work 
• Facilitate the formal evaluation process, led by a third-party evaluator.
• Prepare periodic/annual progress reports.
• Secure additional funding for the program through the legislative process and grants and individual donors and manage ongoing relationships with funders
• Manage policy recommendation development creating
• Manage and promote external pilot program communications, positioning EDC as a thought leader
• Other activities as required

Job Requirements:

• Bachelor’s Degree in public policy, urban planning, management, nonprofit management or related discipline
• Knowledge of policy and legislation and/or lived experience related to public benefit cliffs
• 4 years of program management experience in a leadership role
• A passion for social justice and enthusiasm for working with and supporting low-income populations, women, and racial and ethnic minority groups
• Exceptional oral and written communication skills
• Experience and/or knowledge of fiscal management, including project monitoring and compliance
• Experience using data to monitor and evaluate program effectiveness
• High level of knowledge/familiarity with public benefits programs such as SNAP, TANF/TAFDC, Section 8, MRVP, SSI and SSDI, Head Start and Childcare Vouchers, etc.

Preferred:

• Master’s degree in public policy, urban planning, management, nonprofit management, or related discipline from an accredited college or university.
• Experience working at the DTA or other state- or federal-level departments or agencies.
• Successful grant writing and/or fundraising experience

How to Apply:  Please email careers@westernmassedc.com with a resume and cover letter by 5 pm, November 22, 2024.   

About us:

Springfield WORKS is an initiative of the Western Massachusetts Economic Development Council. Our Vision is for Springfield to have thriving communities, where economic opportunity, growth, and resilience is possible for all. Achieving that vision requires ongoing, collaborative work to remove systemic and racial barriers and create pathways to economic opportunity and well-being. Learn More.

Economic Pathways Massachusetts, a statewide coalition co-led by Springfield WORKS and the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, is comprised of over 100 federal, state and city leaders, employers, anti-hunger, education, training, community-based, philanthropic organizations and people with lived cliff effect experience. We are dedicated to promoting economic advancement for working families and removing income cliffs that keep people from advancing their careers.

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The Western Mass Economic Development Council provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, ancestry, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, religious creed, age, pregnancy or related conditions, ability or disability, mental illness, genetics, military or veteran status or any other protected class under Federal, State, or local law. Equal employment opportunity applies to all facets of employment, including but not limited to hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leave of absence, compensation, and training.