Executive Director of On Ramp (Grant-Funded)

Mohawk Valley Community College; City of Utica (NY); On-site; USD 102,000 - 138,000; Full time

Job summary

Mohawk Valley Community College in Utica, NY, seeks an Executive Director of On Ramp, a grant-funded role providing strategic leadership and operational oversight for advanced manufacturing non-credit programming and workforce pathway services. The Executive Director sets direction, budget planning, and partnerships with employers, schools, and community organizations.

Responsibilities include supervising On Ramp staff, aligning curricula with workforce needs, and reporting outcomes to the

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required.
• Minimum five years of progressively responsible leadership or program management experience.
• Experience supervising professional staff and leading cross-functional teams.
• Experience administering budgets, grants, or externally funded initiatives.
• Demonstrated experience developing strategic partnerships with employers, boards, and community organizations.
• Strong written, verbal, and presentation communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Provides strategic leadership for the On Ramp initiative, establishing long-term priorities, policy direction, and growth strategies in collaboration with the governing board, Executive Dean, and institutional leadership.
• Leads the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of On Ramp programs and workforce pathway services.
• Supervises, mentors, and evaluates On Ramp staff, fostering a collaborative and inclusive work environment.
• Oversees day-to-day operations, including program delivery, resource allocation, administration of the operating budget and grant-funded resources, expenditure monitoring, and compliance with grant requirements, institutional procedures, and board review expectations.
• Develops and maintains strategic partnerships with community organizations, employers, and training providers to align non-credit curriculum with workforce skill needs.
• Cultivates partnerships with community organizations and support service providers to coordinate student referrals, case management, wraparound supports, and barrier-reduction strategies.
• Monitors program outcomes, workforce placement data, and student success measures; assesses effectiveness, and reports results to the governing board and stakeholders.
• Promotes equitable access to On Ramp services by ensuring inclusive outreach, student-centered support, and accessible workforce development for diverse populations.
• Represents On Ramp and MVCC in employer meetings, community forums, grant-related meetings, town halls, and stakeholder meetings.
• Leads strategic planning and innovation for On Ramp, aligning with MVCC priorities.
• Leads professional development opportunities for On Ramp staff to ensure high-quality service delivery.
• Implements continuous quality improvement strategies based on program outcomes and feedback.

Skills

Leadership

Program management

Staff supervision

Budgets & grants

Partnership development

Communication skills

Strategic decision-making

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree (preferred)

Job description

Executive Director of On Ramp (Grant-Funded)

Location: Utica, NY
Job Type: Full-Time, 12-Month

This is a grant-funded position. Grant-funded positions expire either at the end of the stated term or whenever funding for the position ceases.

Mohawk Valley Community College provides accessible, high-quality educational opportunities to meet the diverse needs of our students. We are the community’s college, committed to student success through partnerships, transfer and career pathways, and personal enrichment.

The College is looking for exceptional colleagues to join the MVCC community. We are currently seeking an Executive Director of On Ramp in our Center for Corporate and Community Education. The Executive Director of On Ramp provides strategic leadership and operational oversight for the On Ramp initiative, including advanced manufacturing non-credit programming, workforce pathway development, employer and community partnerships, and referral networks. This position establishes the strategic direction, policy priorities, and long-term growth of the initiative in collaboration with institutional leadership and the governing board. The Executive Director administers grant-funded resources, supervises On Ramp staff, and ensures inclusive, student-centered programming that supports career pathways, workforce readiness, and lifelong learning. In doing so, the role advances MVCC’s mission to foster equitable access to workforce development and community engagement.

Key responsibilities for this position include:

• Provides strategic leadership for the On Ramp initiative, establishing long-term priorities, policy direction, and growth strategies in collaboration with the governing board, Executive Dean, and institutional leadership.
• Leads the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of On Ramp programs and workforce pathway services.
• Supervises, mentors, and evaluates On Ramp staff, fostering a collaborative and inclusive work environment.
• Oversees day-to-day operations, including program delivery, resource allocation, administration of the operating budget and grant-funded resources, expenditure monitoring, and compliance with grant requirements, institutional procedures, and board review expectations.
• Develops and maintains strategic partnerships with community organizations, employers, and training providers to align non-credit curriculum with workforce skill needs, strengthen placement pathways, and support regional talent pipeline development.
• Cultivates partnerships with community organizations and support service providers to coordinate student referrals, case management, wraparound supports, and barrier-reduction strategies that improve participant persistence and completion.
• Monitors program outcomes, workforce placement data, and student success measures; assesses effectiveness, and reports results to the governing board, Executive Dean of Community and Workforce Development, and other stakeholders.
• Promotes equitable access to On Ramp services by ensuring inclusive outreach, student-centered support, and accessible workforce development for diverse populations.
• Represents On Ramp and MVCC in employer meetings, community forums, grant-related meetings, town halls, and stakeholder meetings.
• Leads strategic planning and innovation for On Ramp, aligning with MVCC priorities.
• Leads professional development opportunities for On Ramp staff to ensure high-quality service delivery and alignment with workforce development goals.
• Implements continuous quality improvement strategies based on program outcomes, employer feedback, student needs, and workforce trends to strengthen On Ramp services and long-term program effectiveness.
• Performs other related duties as assigned by the Executive Dean of Community and Workforce Development.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:30am - 4:30pm
Hours per week: 35

Qualifications:

RequiredQualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree
• Minimum five (5) years of progressively responsible leadership or program management experience
• Experience supervising professional staff and leading cross-functional teams
• Experience administering budgets, grants, or externally funded initiatives
• Demonstrated experience developing strategic partnerships with employers, boards, and community organizations
• Strong written, verbal, and presentation communication skills
• Ability to exercise independent judgment and strategic decision-making

PreferredQualifications:

• Master’s degree
• Experience in workforce development, higher education, economic development, or community-based programming
• Experience in advanced manufacturing, technical education, or employer-driven non-credit programming
• Experience working with governing boards, advisory boards, or councils
• Experience leading large-scale grant-funded initiatives
• Experience with SUNY, state, or federally funded workforce programming

Additional Information:

• Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis. VISA sponsorship is not available for this position.
• Offers of employment are contingent upon the successful completion of a background check.

We encourage applicants who meet the minimum qualifications and have transferable skills to apply. If you have related experience that may not align perfectly with the job description, we’d still like to hear from you.

To learn more about MVCC, our culture, and employee benefits, please visit: https://www.mvcc.edu/about/discover

Special Instructions to Applicants: Official academic transcripts required upon hire.

Salary: $120,000

For full consideration, apply by: 11/2/2026

Mohawk Valley Community College is an affirmative Action,Equal Opportunity Employer deeply committed to a community of excellence,equity, and diversity. MVCC maintains an inclusive learning environment inwhich students, faculty, administrators, staff, curriculum, social activities,governance, and all other aspects of campus life reflect a diverse,multi-cultural, and global worldview. We value the many similarities anddifferences among individuals and groups. We are committed to preparingstudents to understand, live among, appreciate, and work in a world made up ofpeople with different ethnic and racial backgrounds, military backgrounds,religious beliefs, socio-economic status, cultural traditions, differentabilities, sexual orientations and gender identities. All qualified applicantswill receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color,religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran statusor on the basis of disability.