Director of Workforce Development

Boys & Girls Club of North Central Illinois; South Elgin (IL); On-site; USD 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Boys & Girls Club of North Central Illinois is seeking a Director of Workforce Development to lead strategic planning, project management, and continuous improvement of the club’s workforce readiness initiatives, including Industry Clubs and the Up Next program.

The role drives end-to-end execution, from timeline and budget management to outcomes tracking, ensuring youth gain skills, credentials, exposure, and networks for success in today’s workforce.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree preferred with 2+ years in youth or workforce development or 5+ years in related fields.
• Proven ability to manage projects, timelines, and budgets.
• Strong communication and relationship-building skills with partners and stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Lead workforce readiness programs, manage scope, timelines, budgets, staffing, and deliverables.
• Establish KPIs and drive continuous improvement with data-driven reporting.
• Cultivate partnerships with industry associations, educational institutions, and community organizations.
• Coordinate community engagement activities like guest speakers, site visits, and field trips.
• Support grant applications and sponsorships with program outcomes and data.

Skills

Communication

Strategic thinking

Collaboration

Program delivery

Self-starter

Education

Bachelor’s Degree preferred

Youth/workforce development experience

Tools

Microsoft Office

Data collection tools

Job description

Description

Job Summary:

The Director of Workforce Development leads the strategic planning, project management, and continuous improvement of the BGCNCIL’s workforce readiness portfolio, with a primary focus on our high-yield signature initiatives — Industry Clubs and the Up Next program. This role owns the end-to-end execution of these programs, from timeline and budget management to outcomes tracking, ensuring that Club youth are equipped with the skills, credentials, exposure, and networks needed to succeed in today's workforce.

The Director will also cultivate and manage strategic partnerships with industry associations, educational institutions, and community organizations to expand opportunities, resources, and real-world experiences that complement and strengthen the Club's workforce development programming.

Program & Project Management

• Serve as the lead project manager for Industry Clubs and the Up Next program, overseeing scope, timelines, budgets, staffing, and deliverables from planning through implementation and evaluation.
• Establish and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) and outcome metrics for each program, using data to drive continuous improvement and demonstrate impact to funders and leadership.
• Using the strategies and methods, operationalize through annual, monthly, weekly, and daily program plans using proven curriculum for the school year and summer programs.
• Design and implement program plans and initiatives to ensure consistent, high quality workforce development program delivery across all sites.

Partnerships & Collaboration

• Identify, cultivate, and steward strategic partnerships with local organizations, industry associations, workforce boards, community colleges, trade schools to expand programming and mentorships opportunities.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for community and business partners, building long-term, mutually beneficial relationships that enhance workforce development programs and resource access.
• Coordinate community engagement activities including but not limited to guest speakers, site visits, and field trips to complement and enhance WFD programming.
• Represent the Boys & Girls Club at community events, coalitions, and workforce development committees to raise visibility and identify new partnership and funding opportunities.
• Collaborate with the development team to support grant applications and sponsorships that fund workforce programming, providing partnership data and program outcomes as needed.
• Ensure partners and collaborators are raving fans of Boys & Girls Clubs.

Collect Data & Analyze Results

• Work alongside the Senior Director of Continuous Quality Improvement and the entire operations team to ensure proper metrics are in place to collect the data that will demonstrate the results of the Workforce Development program and activities in place.
• Educate and train the site teams on what data needs to be collected, the methods for collecting the data, and what they need to be doing on a regular basis to support the efforts.
• Conduct regular check-ins with Club staff to gather information on any obstacles that site teams are encountering and offer helpful solutions through coaching and providing resources that result in them achieving success.
• Collect, analyze, and create a report that can be presented to the Operations Team, Leadership Team, Board of Directors, and partners.
• Use the data collected to modify and enhance workforce development programs moving forward.
• On a monthly basis, collect specific stories, pictures, and mission moments that can be used to market stakeholders the impact the WFD focus is having on particular members

Requirements

• A Bachelor’s Degree is preferred with a minimum of 2 years’ experience or 5 years’ experience in youth development, workforce development, project management or a related field.
• Valid driver’s license and ability to drive a 12-passenger van
• Demonstrated critical competencies in communication, strategic thinking, collaborating, and program delivery are a must.
• Ability to translate broad goals into achievable steps. Anticipates and solves problems and takes advantage of opportunities, is a self-starter and team player.
• As a BGCNCIL leader, this position requires an individual with knowledge of and experience in management and administration.
• Knowledge in the following areas is required: volunteer and partnership engagement, college and career readiness resources, Microsoft Office, program development and implementation, and youth development.