Program Director - Trades

Working Partnerships USA; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Working Partnerships USA is seeking a Trades Programs Director to lead the Santa Clara/San Mateo County orientation and introduction programs. The role focuses on strategic partnerships, program operations, funding, and outcomes that advance the organization's mission.

The candidate will oversee staff, collaborate with unions, agencies, and funders, and ensure program success while maintaining alignment with WPUSA’s broader campaigns and goals.

Qualifications

• 5-7 years as a program director, program manager, or project manager leading a team.
• Commitment to social, racial, economic, environmental, and gender justice.
• Experience in worker or community organizing, economic justice, and social justice movements.
• Exceptional communication, conflict resolution, problem-solving, and project management skills.
• Experience in building trusting relationships with diverse individuals from many backgrounds.
• Proven ability to meet mission-driven goals and funder deliverables.
• Outstanding organizational and time management skills and the ability to guide a team to manage multiple workstreams simultaneously.
• Ability to work nights and weekends regularly as needed.
• Strong work ethic, project management skills, and personal commitment to excellence.

Responsibilities

• Strategic Leadership: Set goals and plan long-term program strategy aligned with WPUSA’s campaigns and community organizing.
• Staff & Team Management: Hire, train, mentor staff, and lead the Trades Leadership Team.
• Community Engagement & Partnerships: Build relationships with unions, councils, contractors, and agencies.
• Operational Management: Direct daily operations, job coaching, and placement within construction careers; ensure grant compliance.
• Financial & Grant Oversight: Develop budgets with finance; manage 5-6 government/foundation grants.
• Strategic Communications: Lead communications strategies for outreach, donors, and campaigns.
• Performance Monitoring: Track outcomes like placement, retention, and wage increases.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Staff management

Partnership building

Community engagement

Operations oversight

Grant & funding oversight

Strategic communications

Performance monitoring

Commitment to justice

Multi-stakeholder collaboration

Job description

Company Description

Working Partnerships USA is a community organization bringing together the power of grassroots organizing and public policy innovation to drive the movement for a just economy. Based in Silicon Valley, we tackle the root causes of inequality and poverty by leading collaborative campaigns for family-sustaining jobs, stable and affordable housing, healthy communities, and a democracy where all our voices are heard.

Role Description

The Trades Programs Director oversees the success of the Santa Clara County Trades Orientation Program (TOP) and San Mateo County Trades Introduction Program (TIP), apprenticeship readiness programs that prepare participants from underrepresented communities for careers in the construction trades. This role focuses on strategic partnerships, program operations, funding, and outcomes that advance the organization’s mission.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Strategic Leadership: Work with the team and organizational leadership to set strategic goals and objectives for programs. Engage in long-term strategic planning linking programmatic work to WPUSA’s broader mission and campaigns, including community organizing and building power for working people. Create and execute work plans to meet program deliverables.
• Staff & Team Management: Hire, train, and mentor staff, fostering a culture of accountability and professional growth. Convene the Trades Leadership Team, planning effective team meetings and retreats communicating the vision and goals of the program to staff.Working with team members to set individual and team goals, create and track workplans, balance workloads, and manage vacancies or extended absences.
• Community Engagement & Partnerships: Act as an external face of the organization, building relationships with building trades unions, Central Labor Councils, construction trades contractors, workforce and educational agencies, State and local government agencies, CBOs and other community partners.
• Operational Management:Direct daily operations, including outreach and assessment, intensive job coaching and case management, training courses, and placement in family-supporting, skilled construction careers. Resolve problems between program teams and other internal stakeholders. Ensure compliance with grant requirements and legal standards.
• Financial & Grant Oversight:Alongside WPUSA’s finance team, develop or approve budgets and operations ensuring resources are allocated efficiently and grant deliverables are strictly met. Alongside WPUSA’s fundraising team, building relationships with funders and supporting fundraising efforts; reviewing grant submissions and reporting for an average of 5-6 government and/or foundation grants.
• Strategic Communications:Alongside WPUSA’s communications team, develop and lead Trades Programs communications strategies for a variety of audiences and outcomes, including outreach and recruitment, funder and donor relations, and narrative shift work.
• Performance Monitoring:Track, analyze, and report on key program outcomes, such as priority populations served, placement rates, retention, and wage increases.

In addition to their Trades Programs leadership, the Trades Program Director will participate in Working Partnerships USA’s all-staff activities and in the Directors Team, supporting and developing strategy for major organizational campaigns and projects.

Qualifications

• 5-7 years as a program director, program manager, or project manager leading a team.
• Commitment to social, racial, economic, environmental, and gender justice.
• Experience in worker or community organizing, economic justice, and social justice movements.
• Exceptional communication, conflict resolution, problem-solving, and project management skills.
• Experience in building trusting relationships with diverse individuals from many different backgrounds.
• Proven ability to meet mission-driven goals and funder deliverables.
• Outstanding organizational and time management skills and the ability to guide a team to manage multiple workstreams simultaneously.
• Ability to work nights and weekends regularly as needed.
• Strong work ethic, project management skills, and personal commitment to excellence.