Ascend - Sr. Manager, Workforce Strategies

CEOs of Indiana Corporate Partnership; Indianapolis (IN); Hybrid; USD 85,000 - 125,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

100% paid healthcare & dental premiums

Pre-tax and Roth 401(k) with employer

Generous PTO & 17 holidays

Job summary

Ascend Indiana is seeking a Senior Manager of Workforce Strategies to advance initiatives across its portfolio. The role will support project execution, engage state and regional partners, manage workstreams, and develop high-quality research, strategies, tools, and resources.

Ideal candidates bring knowledge of workforce and education systems and strong project-management and stakeholder-engagement skills.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree in business, education, public policy, or related field preferred.
• At least five years of experience in workforce, education, economic development, public policy, or related systems; experience managing complex projects/workstreams.

Responsibilities

• Workstream Execution: lead defined workstreams from planning through completion with clear work plans and timelines.
• Conduct research and analyze policy, data, and stakeholder input to identify workforce challenges and opportunities for action.
• Build understanding of Indiana’s regional workforce systems and apply insights to Ascend’s strategies.
• Plan and support meetings, interviews, and learning sessions with state and regional partners.
• Develop practical strategies and tools to strengthen coordination between regional implementation and statewide priorities.
• Produce high-quality research briefs, landscape analyses, and implementation tools for internal and partner audiences.
• Translate research and stakeholder perspectives into clear findings and actionable recommendations.
• Manage timelines, external partners, consultants, deliverables, risks, and follow-up across projects.

Skills

Project management

Stakeholder engagement

Research & analysis

Policy & workforce systems

Written & verbal communication

Cross-functional collaboration

Strategic planning

Presentation skills

Technology literacy

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Advanced degree preferred

Job description

Overview

Ascend Indiana (Ascend) is a nonprofit focused on strengthening Indiana’s workforce system so that individuals and employers are equipped to thrive in Indianas evolving economy. As an initiative of the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership (CICP), Ascend is positioned to work across Indiana’s workforce ecosystem and address complex challenges that require coordination among state and regional partners. Ascend works with education, workforce, economic development, and community partners to understand how Indiana’s workforce system operates across regions, identify shared challenges and opportunities, and connect regional realities to statewide strategy and action. Through research, stakeholder engagement, and the development of practical strategies and resources, Ascend helps strengthen alignment and implementation across the system.

Senior Manager of Workforce Strategies

The Senior Manager of Workforce Strategies will work with Workforce Strategies leadership to advance initiatives across this portfolio. The Senior Manager will support project execution, engage state and regional partners, manage defined workstreams, and develop high-quality research, strategies, tools, and resources. The ideal candidate will bring knowledge of workforce and education systems, strong project-management and stakeholder-engagement skills, and the ability to translate complex information into action.

Key Responsibilities

• Workstream Execution: Support multiple Workforce Strategies initiatives and lead defined workstreams from planning through completion. Translate strategic direction into clear work plans, timelines, deliverables, decisions, and next steps
• Workforce Systems Research and Analysis: Conduct research and analyze policy, data, regional conditions, and stakeholder input to identify workforce challenges, implementation gaps, and opportunities for action
• Regional and Statewide Insight: Build an understanding of how workforce systems operate across Indiana’s regions, including the roles and relationships of K-12 education, workforce boards, intermediaries, economic development organizations, state agencies, and other partners. Apply that context to Ascend’s strategies and recommendations
• Stakeholder Engagement: Plan and support meetings, interviews, working groups, and learning sessions with state and regional partners. Understand the needs and perspectives of different audiences and incorporate their input into the work
• Strategy Development and Implementation: Help develop practical strategies that respond to workforce needs and strengthen coordination between regional implementation and statewide priorities
• Tools, Resources, and Research: Produce high-quality research briefs, landscape analyses, stakeholder maps, implementation tools, presentations, meeting materials, project plans, recommendations, and other internal and partner-facing deliverables
• Synthesis and Communication: Translate complex research, policy, data, and stakeholder perspectives into clear findings, practical guidance, and actionable recommendations for different audiences
• Project Coordination: Manage timelines, external partners, consultants, deliverables, risks, and follow-up across assigned projects. Maintain strong attention to detail while balancing multiple priorities
• Team Contribution: Work closely with Workforce Strategies leadership and colleagues across Ascend to advance shared priorities, strengthen the quality of the team’s work, and respond to emerging needs

Requirements

Education

• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree in business, education, public policy, or a related field preferred

Experience

• At least five years of experience working within workforce, education, economic development, public policy, or related systems, with demonstrated experience managing complex projects and initiatives
• Demonstrated understanding of workforce and education systems, including how state and regional partners work together to address workforce needs
• Experience managing complex projects or workstreams involving multiple partners, priorities, and deliverables
• Experience translating research, policy, strategy, and stakeholder input into practical resources, tools, or recommendations
• Experience working with state, regional, or community-based partners preferred

Skills

• Strong project management and organizational skills, with the ability to move multiple initiatives from planning through execution
• Strong research, writing, and synthesis skills, including the ability to translate complex information into clear, actionable recommendations
• Ability to understand regional context and apply partner perspectives to statewide strategies and solutions
• Strong stakeholder-engagement skills and the judgment to work effectively with varied audiences across Indiana’s workforce system
• Ability to plan and support partner meetings, working groups, interviews, and other stakeholder-engagement activities
• Ability to develop high-quality presentations, research briefs, implementation tools, meeting materials, project plans, and other deliverables
• Ability to work from broad strategic direction, structure the work, identify next steps, and follow through with appropriate support
• Comfort learning and using technology and project-management tools

Attributes

• Committed to Ascend Indiana’s mission and values
• Curious and motivated to understand complex workforce challenges and how systems operate
• Proactive, dependable, and able to work independently while collaborating effectively with others
• Thoughtful and responsive to the needs and perspectives of different partners and audiences
• Adaptable and comfortable working across multiple initiatives in an evolving environment
• Detail-oriented, with a strong commitment to producing high-quality work
• Solutions-oriented and committed to continuous learning and improvement

Details

• Manager: Senior Director of Workforce Strategies, Ascend Indiana
• Office location: 16 Tech, downtown Indianapolis, with hybrid work (in office on Tuesdays and Wednesdays each week)
• Work week: 40+ hours/week
• Travel: Statewide (25%)

Benefits

• 100% paid healthcare and dental premiums for both individuals and families.
• Pre-tax and Roth 401(k) Retirement Plan with generous match. 5% contribution by the employer regardless of employee contribution and up to an additional 5% employee voluntary contribution eligible to be matched by the employer.
• Paid Group Life, Short-Term, and Long-Term disability insurance benefits.
• New office location and facilities at 16 Tech Innovation District.
• Generous Paid Time Off (PTO), including 17 holidays

CICP grants equal opportunity to all qualified persons without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, pregnancy, disability, age, national origin, military service obligations, veteran status, citizenship, sexual orientation or any other category protected by law. CICP provides equal opportunity in wages, promotions, benefits, and all other privileges, terms, and conditions of employment.

Responsibilities for this role include interacting with student personally identifiable information (PII). As a condition of access, you are responsible for taking steps to protect the confidentiality of student PII in both electronic and physical form. All responsibilities relating to student PII must be conducted within the parameters of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).