Program Director- Workforce Development

Volunteers of America Massachusetts; Boston, Northern (MA, KY); Hybrid; USD 95,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

403(b) retirement plan with employer/3

Paid holidays

Generous vacation

Loan forgiveness (PSLF)

Wellness reimbursement

Employee discount program

Job summary

Volunteers of America Massachusetts (VOAMASS) is seeking a Program Director for Workforce Development to lead and expand our workforce programming. You will supervise staff, guide program goals and grant deliverables, and ensure robust documentation and outcomes across partnerships with VOAMASS leadership, employers, and education providers.

The role focuses on creating employment readiness and skill-building opportunities for clients, aligning services with licensing and funding requirements,

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree preferred but not required.
• Knowledge of and experience with justice-involved populations, veterans, and/or individuals with mental health and/or substance use disorders.
• Minimum of two years of relevant experience in supportive case management, community outreach, or equivalent services.
• Experience with staff supervision and training, budget and fiscal management, contract monitoring and audits, and reporting to funders and regulatory agencies.
• Strong written and verbal communication and presentation skills, and demonstrated leadership experience.
• Ability to obtain clearance to enter correctional facilities and a valid driver’s license.

Responsibilities

• Lead and grow VOAMASS workforce development programming to connect clients with employment, education, training, and skill-building opportunities.
• Supervise a dedicated team; drive program goals and grant deliverables; ensure documentation, compliance, and outcomes.
• Collaborate with VOAMASS leadership, community partners, employers, and education/training organizations to strengthen workforce pathways.
• Use program data and outcomes to identify opportunities for improvement and build sustainable workforce programs.
• Develop program policy and procedures, manuals, training, supervision, and monitoring for workforce teams.
• Develop employer partnerships to create internships, transitional employment, job-placement, and pathways to sustainable employment.
• Complete reports, records, and documentation as required by VOAMASS and program office.
• Lead joint staff meetings and trainings and promote team-based collaborative planning; provide program supervision.

Skills

Leadership

Program management

Staff supervision

Budget management

Contract monitoring

Funders reporting

Communication

Driver's license

Facility clearance

Education

Bachelor’s degree preferred

Job description

All Jobs > Program Director- Workforce Development

The Opportunity: Program Director- Workforce Development

Job Type: Full-Time, On-site

Hours: Mon-Fri 9-5pm

What We Do || Through our powerful integrated behavioral health care model, we bring together vast resources from a diverse team of caring staff to help each client meet their personal goals. The care we provide paves the way for greater opportunity and second chances by focusing on the critical pillars towards a healthy life: behavioral health, financial stability, and safe housing.

Our GRIT (Growing Resilience, Independence, and Transformation) Program is our newly established hands-on education and employment training program designed to help our clients access the resources they need to succeed.

As Program Director you’ll lead and grow our workforce development programming, helping ensure clients have access to meaningful employment, education, training, and skill-building opportunities. You’ll supervise a dedicated team, drive program goals and grant deliverables, and ensure strong documentation, compliance, and outcomes. You’ll work closely with VOAMASS leadership, community partners, employers, and education and training organizations to strengthen workforce pathways and expand opportunities for the people we serve. Using program data and outcomes, you’ll identify opportunities for improvement and help build sustainable, impactful workforce development programs across the organization.

Some of your critical responsibilities:

• Ensure that all workforce staff operate in compliance with the rules and regulations of licensing and funding agencies, in accordance with VOAMASS Policies and Procedures.


• Integrate workforce services into existing programs, working with program leadership and frontline staff to establish referral pathways and ensure employment and education goals are incorporated into service planning.


• Develop and oversee workforce programming that provides clients with employment readiness, skills development, education, training, transitional employment, and career advancement opportunities


• Develop and promote awareness of critical barriers to attaining or maintaining employment and generate rapid responses to those barriers.


• Communicate with funder at all levels: program office, technical support, and grant officers in accordance with grant guidelines.


• Collaborate with community partners, VA, clinics, BHS, co-occurring residential treatment programs, and collateral agencies to address barriers related to employment, education, wellness, family, and socialization; ensure a consistent flow of client referrals and maintain a documented network of outreach resources.


• Set up and manage systems to measure and assess the impact of services for workforce programs during service delivery and afterwards.


• Develop program policy and procedures, together with manuals, training, supervision, and monitoring for workforce teams.


• Develop employer partnerships to create internships, transitional employment, job-placement opportunities, job-shadowing experiences, and sustainable employment pathways for participants.


• Complete reports, records, and documentation as required by VOAMASS and program office.


• Ensure program and professional supervision of program staff. Lead joint staff meetings and trainings and promote team-based collaborative planning.


• Administer Transfer VR career exploration and training tools and deliver employment services consistent with the Individual Placement and Support (IPS) model.

The Program Director role is about making a difference in the lives of the people we serve. You’ll bring the following qualifications:

• A bachelor’s degree in a related human services field or equivalent experience is preferred but not required.


• Ideal candidates should have knowledge of and experience working with individuals who are justice-involved, veterans, and/or individuals with mental health and/or substance use disorders.


• Candidates should have a minimum of two years of relevant experience providing supportive case management, community outreach, or equivalent services.


• Experience with staff supervision and training, budget and fiscal management, contract monitoring and audits, and reporting to funders and regulatory agencies is required.


• Candidates must demonstrate strong written and verbal communication and presentation skills, as well as effective leadership experience.


• The position also requires the ability to obtain clearance to enter correctional facilities and a valid driver’s license.

Since 1934, VOAMASS has provided critical services to the residents of the Commonwealth. From pioneering early residential treatment programs in the 1960’s to leading today in the field of mental health programming, VOAMASS can be counted on to tackle our greatest challenges.

For full-time employees, including our Program Director, our comprehensive and generous benefits package includes:

• Excellent health, vision, and dental insurance with 90% of medical deductible and certain co-pays paid by employer


• Multiple opportunities to use pre-tax dollars to save for expenses such as health care (flexible spending account), child care, transit, and parking


• 403(b) retirement plan with employer match


• 24/7 nurse hotline for urgent health questions


• Employee assistance program to provide help with family concerns, stress management, legal issues, and more


• Employer-paid long-term disability and life insurance


• Loan forgiveness (Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program)


• Generous vacation benefits, starting at three weeks and moving to four weeks after three years of employment


• 14 paid holidays, higher than industry average


• Fitness/wellness reimbursement to cover expenses such as gym membership


• Employee discount program on hundreds of items such as computers, cell phone plans and accessories, furniture, hotels, vacation home rentals, etc.


• Cash bonus, with no annual cap, for referring other qualified candidates for employment

VOAMASS is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. We do not discriminate based upon race, religion, color, national origin, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, or other applicable legally protected characteristics.