Executive Director of Work-Learning Advantage - Grant Funded

McHenry County College; Crystal Lake (IL); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

McHenry County College in Crystal Lake, Illinois, seeks an Executive Director of Work-Learning Advantage to lead the collegewide WBL ecosystem, align programs with workforce needs, and advance equitable student success.

You will oversee Title III Strengthening Institutions grant activities, build partnerships with faculty, employers, and community partners, and drive durable systems embedding career readiness beyond the grant period.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution.
• Significant leadership experience in workforce development or higher education.
• Experience with WBL models, grants, and college systems.
• Strong project management and stakeholder engagement abilities.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership for the Title III Work-Learning Advantage grant and WBL ecosystem.
• Supervise staff and ensure program objectives are met, including access to career-connected learning.
• Build transformative partnerships with regional employers, community leaders, and workforce boards.
• Coordinate with Academic Affairs, Student Affairs, and Workforce Development to integrate WBL across programs.
• Develop tracking/reporting systems for participant outcomes and program effectiveness.
• Guide development of grant policies, procedures, and compliance documentation.

Skills

Excellent organizational skills

Strategic planning

Communication skills

Data analysis

Collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Tools

Microsoft Office Suite

Job description

40 hours | Flexible schedule to meet department needs, which may include evenings and weekends | This is a grant-funded position.

The Executive Director of Work-Learning Advantage provides strategic leadership and oversight for the development, implementation, and scaling of a comprehensive, collegewide work-based learning (WBL) ecosystem. The Executive Director will inspire and mobilize faculty, staff, employers, and community partners to reimagine how the College prepares students for purposeful careers, lifelong learning, and success in a rapidly changing world.

This leader will plan, organize, direct functions and activities of the Title III Strengthening Institutions Program Grant: Work-Learning Advantage. This role ensures alignment between MCC academic programs, regional workforce needs, and equitable student success outcomes.

• Develop and execute a collegewide vision and strategic plan for work-based learning aligned with MCC’s institutional priorities
• Provide overall supervision of Title III activities and ensure accomplishment of Work-Learning Advantage project objectives, including advancing access to career-connected learning opportunities.
• Lead initiatives that remove barriers between education and opportunity, ensuring that students from all backgrounds have access to the experiences, relationships, and skills that support career success and economic mobility
• Supervise and direct staff. This involves hiring, training, motivating, managing, and evaluating so the team performs at the highest level possible
• Oversee the design, implementation, and continuous improvement of WBL models, including apprenticeships, internships, and cooperative education
• Partner with Academic Affairs, Student Affairs, and Workforce Development to ensure integration of WBL across academic programs
• Develop, implement, and maintain tracking and reporting systems to monitor student participation in Work-Based Learning (WBL) opportunities, and assess program outcomes and effectiveness
• Work with faculty on the recruitment of students and employers across the WBL spectrum
• Cultivate transformative partnerships with regional employers and community leaders that enrich student learning, strengthen the regional workforce, and create mutually beneficial opportunities for students and businesses
• Monitor the implementation of the Work-Learning Advantage project objectives and ensure the evaluation of their effectiveness
• Direct the preparation and maintenance of detailed and comprehensive records, reports and files; ensure the collection, recording and reporting of required performance data
• Develop and distribute project management guidelines presented in the Title III Policies and Procedures Handbook
• Develop, and maintain files, reports, and documentation to comply with the grant requirements, as well as College policies and procedures
• Guide the development of innovative, sustainable systems and practices that embed career readiness and work-based learning throughout the College, ensuring the initiative's impact extends well beyond the federal grant period
• Ensure WBL’s alignment with curriculum, credentials, and labor market needs
• Collaborate with faculty on standards for learning outcomes and employer engagement
• Foster partnerships with employers, workforce boards, and economic development organizations
• Support faculty in embedding experiential learning and additional grant goals
• Assume additional duties as assigned by immediate supervisor

• Bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution
• Evidence of increasing levels of administrative responsibilities in workforce development or higher education
• Experience with WBL models, community college systems, and/or workforce trends
• Project management experience

Desired Qualifications:

• Previous experience with building and/or leading a successful WBL program
• Previous experience with grant management

Skills and Specifications:

• Excellent organizational skills and the ability to establish and grow internal and external strategic partnerships
• Strong strategic planning, communication, and data analysis skills
• Ability to work independently, yet have a strong collaborative spirit with the ability to develop productive working relationships at all levels
• Strong analytical, interpersonal, and communication skills
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite
• Commitment and respect for diversity
• Commitment to the College’s mission, vision, values, and goals

Supervisory Relationships/Direct Reports:

• Program Assistant
• Work-Learning Coaches (3)