Vice President @ Strada Education Foundation

Salary Range: 130000 to 140000 (Currency: USD) (Pay period: per-year-salary)

The following functions may not be comprehensive in scope regarding work performed by an employee assigned to this position classification. Management reserves the right to add, modify, change, or rescind the work assignments of this position. Management also reserves the right to make reasonable accommodations so that a qualified employee(s) can perform the essential functions of the position.

Overview of the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL):Strada Collaborative, LLC. d/b/a CAEL (referred to in this document as “CAEL”), is a national, nonprofit membership organization dedicated to partnering with educators, employers, and workforce and economic developers to reimagine and create lifelong pathways that integrate learning and work for adults. CAEL helps organizations succeed by providing expertise, resources, and solutions that effectively support adult learners as they navigate the on-and-off ramps between education and employment. We partner with entities across the adult learner ecosystem to help create actionable career pathways along the journey of lifelong learning and meaningful work.

CAEL’s work is rooted in and expresses the organization’s values; we are committed to being an inclusive organization; prioritize equity, diversity, and inclusion in our recruitment, hiring, and retention efforts; look for opportunities to communicate the link between our mission and eliminating systemic inequity; acknowledge and appreciate daily the challenges facing all those in support of justice for these communities; do not accept or condone racism in any form; commit individual and corporate resources to the pursuit of justice; require employee training on topics such as racial equality and unconscious bias toward maintaining an inclusive culture; provide a library of media and organizational resources to our staff to increase understanding of racial inequality; and incorporate business agreement language that reinforces our anti-racism stance.

CAEL is a virtual organization; all employees work remotely out of their homes.

Note: Although CAEL is a remote organization, there are several states that we are not set up to do business in. Those states are: AK, AL, AR, CT, DE, HI, IA, ME, MO, MS, MT, NE, NV, NH, ND, RI, SC, SD, VT, WV, and WY. Any applicant residing in any of the states mentioned above will not qualify to move forward in our hiring process.

Overview of Position: The Vice President of Initiatives is a full-time position responsible for leading the CAEL Initiatives Team in delivering high-quality client projects. This role is essential for ensuring the effective execution of assigned tasks, allocating resources, and maximizing budgets to achieve annual impact and revenue objectives.

The Vice President will oversee the daily delivery of services, including internal/external meeting planning and facilitation, consulting and technical assistance, research and data analysis, and comprehensive action plans and reports.

This position is crucial for ensuring that the Initiatives Team provides exceptional services and outstanding customer care to diverse stakeholders. These groups may include higher education institutions, workforce development organizations, public workforce system entities—such as local and state agencies and workforce boards—major training providers (Title 1 and Title 2), economic development organizations, industry partnerships, labor-management collaborations, industry associations, chambers of commerce, and employers.

Under the guidance of the Senior Vice President for Initiatives and Membership, the Vice President of Initiatives is responsible for leading a team that includes Senior Directors, Directors, and Managers. This leader will work closely with the team to expand CAEL’s initiatives by building and nurturing strong relationships with various stakeholders. Additionally, the Vice President will collaborate with the Membership team to develop and enhance CAEL’s solutions and services. This role will also be crucial for fostering leadership and collaboration across the organization, working in coordination with Vice Presidents from CAEL’s various departments, including Partnerships, Marketing, Events, Research, and Finance and Administration Teams.

Essential Job Duties

Team Leadership

Drive team success by focusing on our mission, impact, and sustainability. Collaborate with team members to ensure progress toward departmental, organizational, and strategic goals.
Provide a high-quality experience for CAEL’s clients and partners while continuously monitoring client satisfaction to improve our services. Work with the team to develop, implement, and document processes and metrics that contribute to client success.
Mentor, lead, and coach the Initiatives team while managing distribution projects and workload among team members. This project and program management should consider capacity, expertise, and client relationships. Ensure that the Initiatives team can deliver CAEL consulting services in various formats—including on-site sessions, workshops, webinars, and individual consultations—efficiently, on schedule, and within budget. This approach will help us maintain seamless service delivery, operational excellence, and effectiveness.
Collaborate with team members to enhance client service, cross-train staff to expand capacity, identify delivery efficiencies, monitor budgets and project scopes, and improve products and services.
Lead the development and implementation of processes, training programs, and tools to empower staff to confidently and effectively deliver products and services.
Oversee and manage project budgets and internal budget and progress reporting.
Oversee the capacity and staffing of the initiatives team for both contracted and grant-related projects.
Demonstrated ability to create and implement new products and services, including consultative, research, and technical assistance offerings.
Proven track record as an inspiring and galvanizing leader who fosters a positive culture, engages employees, and collaborates effectively with other teams at CAEL.
Tracks time and expenses meticulously to manage project costs while overseeing the Support Operations budget, staffing, and resource allocation.

Client Management

Demonstrated ability to devise innovative solutions that meet client needs and interests through consultative, research, and technical assistance offerings.
Proven track record of supporting teams with customer service and problem-solving, effectively addressing issues to reach satisfactory resolutions, and delivering complex services to clients whenever possible.
Meticulously track time and expenses to manage all project aspects: time, staff, and materials.
Coordinate interactions among all CAEL departments as needed to ensure that Initiatives projects meet client expectations.
Assist in the development of concepts, products, and services including corresponding quotes and estimates.
Review draft contracts from the Partnerships and Strategy teams.
Support Senior Directors in determining staffing needs and project timelines to deliver high-quality services.

Additional job functions

Create and deliver presentations at local, regional, and national conferences, as well as other meetings.
Contribute to thought leadership through internal/external opportunities, blogs, articles, marketing, and sales strategies.
Support the creation of job aids, toolkits, and resources.
Support research and measurement of the impact of CAEL’s initiatives.
Perform additional duties, assignments, and projects as required and projects as required.
Manage complex, multiple projects/priorities at a time including high-profile and time-sensitive issues/items.

Education and Experience

Bachelor’s Degree in a related field required; Master’s Degree preferred.
Minimum of 7 – 10 years of related and progressively responsible work experience in some combination of: higher education; workforce development programming or leadership; coalition building and partnership development; federal, state, and regional government relations; consulting; local and regional economic development; and education or training.

Performance Requirements

Knowledge and experience collaborating with higher education institutions, education providers, industry, and labor to meet workforce and economic development needs.
Ability to communicate and develop rapport with high-level leaders and stakeholders in workforce development, economic development, and allied areas such as community colleges, chambers of commerce, industry associations, and employers. Also able to build bridges between these leaders and Senior Directors and Directors on the Initiatives Team to maintain strong relationships and rapport with these stakeholders during project delivery.
Create and implement a project management program.
Ability to coach, lead, and manage a team.
Superior written and oral presentation skills.
Superior client relationship and organizational skills.
Strong listening skills and the ability to identify a range of client needs and synthesize targeted and multi-pronged solutions.
Ability to create and manage project budgets and plans.
Attention to detail and ability to guide a project from inception to conclusion, including timely submission of final reports.
Desire to exceed expectations and show initiative and creativity.
Ability to collaborate and work as part of a team including teams comprised of various combinations of CAEL staff, consultants, and client representatives.
Ability to innovate, drive change, and lead teams through the change management process.
Ability to build and maintain strong relationships with customers and stakeholders.
Superior knowledge of public workforce investment systems, economic development, higher education, and public sector investment in education and training.
Excellent time management skills and ability to balance multiple projects in a fast-paced environment.
Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
Proficiency in Gmail, Google Suite Docs, Sheets, and Presentations.
Excellent online presentation skills using web conferencing platforms.
Proficiency with CRM platforms.
Ability to quickly learn new technology platforms.

Travel Requirements: This position will require the incumbent to travel between twenty-five to fifty percent (25-50%) of the time for business meetings with overnight travel required. The amount of travel and expectations for the same are subject to change based on business needs and demands.

Typical Physical & Mental Demands: Requires prolonged sitting with some bending, stooping and stretching; eye-hand coordination and manual dexterity sufficient to operate a keyboard, telephone, and other office equipment. Requires normal range of hearing and eyesight to record, prepare and communicate appropriate reports. Also requires moderate to intense concentration due to complexity and/or need to meet deadlines, and flexibility to readily adapt to a changing environment.

Security is Everyone’s Responsibility: In order to protect Strada’s personnel, affiliates, customers, assets, and mission, security is the responsibility of every employee. To maintain security, employees are required to read, understand, and follow company security policies including but not limited to the WISP and Employee Handbook. In addition, security training supporting those policies is required at least annually.

CAEL is an equal-opportunity employer. We celebrate and support diversity in our workforce and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We thrive on diversity and inclusion for the benefit of our employees, our products and services, and our stakeholders. CAEL advocates for equitable treatment and support of both adult learners and other underserved populations. CAEL is proud to be an equal-opportunity workplace.

When applying, please include a resume and a cover letter. Thank you!

Vice President

Initiatives

Strada Education Foundation

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