Director of Workforce Development

Children's Alliance of Kansas; Topeka (KS); Hybrid; USD 85,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Children's Alliance of Kansas (CAK) seeks a Director of Workforce Development to lead our workforce portfolio, including KanCoach, Resilience Alliance, and the Workforce Academy. You will shape strategy, guide staff and partners, and ensure measurable outcomes aligned with grants and contracts.

You will supervise workforce staff, coordinate across programs, and advance professional coaching initiatives while adapting to evolving opportunities and priorities.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Social Work, Human Services, Organizational Development, Education, Business, or related field.
• Background in child welfare or closely related human services field.
• Minimum five years of progressively responsible leadership experience, including supervising and developing staff.
• Experience leading workforce development, professional development, training, coaching, or related programs and initiatives.
• Experience managing complex priorities, program implementation, grants or contracts, deliverables, and stakeholder relationships.
• Strong communication, relationship-building, strategic thinking, organizational, and problem-solving skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead development, implementation, growth, and continuous improvement of CAK’s workforce development portfolio, including KanCoach, Resilience Alliance, the Workforce Academy, and emerging initiatives.
• Translate organizational priorities, grants, contracts, and partnerships into clear program goals, implementation plans, staffing needs, deliverables, and measurable outcomes.
• Provide leadership for program outreach, recruitment, enrollment goals, and expansion strategies in partnership with program staff.
• Identify opportunities to strengthen or expand workforce development services and contribute to funding, proposal development, and sustainability planning.

Skills

Leadership

Staff development

Strategic planning

Communication

Relationship building

Program management

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Master’s degree

Job description

Position Summary

The Children’s Alliance of Kansas (CAK) drives systems-level change to strengthen children and families through advocacy, networking, education, and workforce development. A key organizational priority is strengthening the child welfare workforce through coaching, training, leadership and professional development, and other supports that build individual and organizational capacity.

The Director of Workforce Development provides strategic, programmatic, and personnel leadership for CAK’s workforce development portfolio, including KanCoach, Resilience Alliance, the Workforce Academy, and emerging workforce development initiatives. The Director leads the development, implementation, growth, and continuous improvement of workforce strategies that align with organizational priorities, member needs, funding requirements, and evolving child welfare workforce needs. The position offers an opportunity to shape and strengthen CAK’s evolving workforce development strategy, building on established programs while contributing expertise to emerging areas of opportunity.

The Director reports to the Executive Vice President and provides direct supervision and leadership to designated workforce development staff. The role works in close partnership with the EVP and program managers to advance high-quality workforce development and professional coaching initiatives. Specific areas of strategic emphasis may evolve based on organizational priorities, available capacity, emerging opportunities, and the complementary experience, strengths, and expertise of the Director and EVP.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Workforce Development Strategy and Program Leadership

• Lead the development, implementation, growth, and continuous improvement of CAK’s workforce development portfolio, including KanCoach, Resilience Alliance, the Workforce Academy, and emerging initiatives.
• Translate organizational priorities, grants, contracts, and partnerships into clear program goals, implementation plans, staffing needs, deliverables, and measurable outcomes.
• Provide leadership for program outreach, recruitment, enrollment goals, and expansion strategies in partnership with program staff.
• Identify opportunities to strengthen or expand workforce development services and contribute to funding, proposal development, and sustainability planning.

Staff Leadership and Workforce Capacity

• Provide direct supervision, leadership, performance management, professional development, and ongoing support to workforce development staff.
• Manage workforce capacity, including coach assignments, schedules, caseloads, workloads, training coverage, and staffing priorities.
• Foster a strengths-based, collaborative learning culture that promotes accountability, reflective practice, professional growth, and sustainable workloads.
• Partner with the EVP to coordinate staffing needs across KanCoach, Resilience Alliance, the Workforce Academy, Professional Coaching Service, Group Coaching, and emerging initiatives.

Program Quality and Professional Development

• Ensure workforce development programs and coaching services are implemented with quality, consistency, accountability, and attention to measurable outcomes.
• Use evaluation findings, participant feedback, data, research, and emerging best practices to guide continuous improvement.
• Partner with the EVP and workforce development team to strengthen professional coaching practice, staff development, reflective learning, and opportunities for credentialing and continued growth.

Member and Stakeholder Engagement

• Build and maintain strong relationships with member agencies, child welfare partners, funders, and other workforce stakeholders.
• Engage child welfare leaders and professionals in identifying workforce needs and developing responsive strategies and services.
• Represent CAK workforce development initiatives in meetings, presentations, learning events, and stakeholder discussions, including selected statewide opportunities.
• Collaborate across CAK and provide leadership with timely information regarding program performance, staffing capacity, funding needs, risks, and opportunities.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Social Work, Human Services, Organizational Development, Education, Business, or a related field.
• Background in child welfare or a closely related human services field.
• Minimum five years of progressively responsible leadership experience, including experience supervising and developing staff.
• Experience leading workforce development, professional development, training, coaching, or related programs and initiatives.
• Experience managing complex priorities, program implementation, grants or contracts, deliverables, and stakeholder relationships.
• Strong communication, relationship-building, strategic thinking, organizational, and problem-solving skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in a related field.
• Significant experience within the Kansas child welfare system.
• Experience with professional coaching, KanCoach, Resilience Alliance, or other coaching-based workforce development approaches.
• Familiarity with ICF Core Competencies and professional coaching standards.
• Advanced leadership, workforce development, or coaching credentials.

Working Conditions

This is a hybrid position requiring regular in-person collaboration, meetings, supervision, and training activities, with regular in-state and occasional domestic travel. Some flexibility in working hours may be required based on program and partner needs.