Farm Education & Workforce Programs Manager

College of Lake County; Waukegan (IL); On-site; USD 71,000 - 80,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Tuition support for employees and qual

Health, dental, and vision insurance

Paid holidays and generous vacation

Flexible spending accounts and 14 paid

Job summary

College of Lake County seeks a Program Manager for Lancer Farms to lead instructional, operational, and experiential learning across three sites including the Campus Farm in Grayslake, the Greenbelt Farm, and the Urban Farm Center in Waukegan. The role requires coordinating curriculum, supervising staff, and aligning activities with workforce development goals.

The position emphasizes building external partnerships, evaluating program outcomes, ensuring safety, and managing budgets to support

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a related field.
• Minimum of three (3) years of experience in agricultural instruction, program coordination, experiential learning, or workforce training environments.
• Minimum of two (2) years of experience supervising staff.
• Demonstrated experience coordinating or supervising instructional activities, staff, or program participants.
• Experience integrating hands-on learning with curriculum or workforce development objectives.
• Strong organizational, communication, and instructional skills.

Responsibilities

• Oversees curriculum development and implementation to ensure alignment with defined learning outcomes, workforce competencies, and program objectives.
• Coordinates instructional schedules, materials, and resources to support effective and consistent program delivery across all Lancer Farms sites.
• Supports alignment of noncredit programming with existing credit opportunities and established workforce pathways.
• Works with staff to plan and execute farm-based instructional activities that support hands-on learning, skill development, and workforce readiness.
• Engages with and informs crop production and farm activities at each site as instructional tools aligned with curriculum goals.
• Directs the instructional use of farm facilities, greenhouses, and equipment to ensure alignment with workforce development objectives and operational needs.
• Establishes, implements, and enforces safety protocols and best practices for all instructional and field activities.
• Develops and maintains partnerships with external farm, food systems, and agricultural education organizations to support paid, supervised work experiences aligned with instructional outcomes.
• Coordinates the placement of Farm Fellowship participants into paid work experiences in collaboration with partner organizations, ensuring alignment with learning objectives, program expectations, and college policies.
• Establishes expectations, schedules, learning objectives, and evaluation frameworks for partner-hosted work experiences in coordination with Lancer Farms leadership.
• Maintains accurate records related to participant engagement, work experience outcomes, and program performance metrics.
• Supports budget management for assigned areas, including tracking revenues and expenses and maintaining cost awareness.

Skills

Organizational skills

Communication skills

Instructional skills

Data tracking

Education

Bachelor's degree in horticulture, agriculture, food systems, education, workforce development, or related field

Tools

Office software

Data tracking systems

Job description

College of Lake County seeks a Program Manager for Lancer Farms to lead instructional, operational, and experiential learning across three sites including the Campus Farm in Grayslake, the Greenbelt Farm, and the Urban Farm Center in Waukegan. The role requires coordinating curriculum, supervising staff, and aligning activities with workforce development goals.

The position emphasizes building external partnerships, evaluating program outcomes, ensuring safety, and managing budgets to support