Tech Workforce Program Manager

Center on Rural Innovation; Remote; USD 75,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading rural innovation organization seeks a Program Manager for Tech Workforce to implement tech workforce and skilling initiatives. This fully remote role requires managing various programs, coordinating with partners, and ensuring quality delivery of tech and AI skilling programs. Ideal candidates are skilled in program coordination, data management, and community engagement. Salary ranges from $75,000 to $80,000 with benefits including 401(k) match and professional development opportunities.

Benefits

Competitive salary

Annual professional development allowance

401(k) with employer match

Medical, dental, vision insurance

Fifteen days accrued PTO

Qualifications

• Experience in program coordination and implementation.
• Ability to facilitate and engage with community partners.
• Strong data collection and documentation skills.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate day-to-day logistics for tech workforce programs.
• Support relationships among employers and training providers.
• Analyze learner and partner feedback for program improvement.

Skills

Program coordination

Facilitation and community engagement

Data collection and reporting

Relationship management

Inclusive workforce development

Familiarity with AI tools

Job description

About The Organization

The Center on Rural Innovation (CORI) is a social enterprise driving economic prosperity in rural America through entrepreneurship and tech job creation. Focused on the 500 U.S. micropolitan communities with populations between 10,000 and 50,000, our Rural Innovation Network spans 40 regions across 25 states. At CORI, we believe rural America can lead in the innovation economy. Our 35‑person team works alongside local leaders to build thriving, tech‑enabled ecosystems, combining community strategy, research, and talent development with the CORI Innovation Fund, our venture arm investing in scalable rural startups. Together, our programs and capital create a powerful model for unlocking innovation and inclusive growth across rural America.

The Opportunity

The Program Division is undergoing a transformational restructuring to better serve and expand the Rural Innovation Network, ensuring rural America thrives in the tech and AI era. We are aligning around a seamless community journey and a unified portfolio spanning tech workforce development, entrepreneurship and startup support, and strategic leadership capacity building. This integrated approach enables learners, leaders, and founders to access equitable pathways to skills, quality jobs, and venture‑ready company building.

Our north star is a more inclusive and resilient tech economy, one where rural people have a seat at the table. As these impacts take root and grow, they naturally strengthen founder pipelines and create the conditions for investable opportunities within the CORI Innovation Fund.

The Programs team will play a vital role in advancing CORI’s strategic goals: Growing the Network while deepening engagement and peer connections; Accelerating the startup pipeline by expanding innovation spaces, founder support, and access to capital; and Leading AI skilling in rural America. We will achieve these goals by innovating our delivery model through better use of technology, AI, and data to deliver greater value and impact for the communities we serve.

Requirements

The Program Manager, Tech Workforce supports the implementation of CORI’s technology workforce and skilling initiatives. Reporting to the Director, Tech Workforce, this role manages day‑to‑day program operations, coordinates partners and participants, and ensures timely delivery of tech and AI skilling programs such as bootcamps, roundtables, and pilot initiatives. The Program Manager is focused on execution, facilitating learner success, managing logistics, and collecting data to evaluate outcomes.

This position is accountable for high‑quality, on‑time program delivery, learner participation and completion, and effective coordination with community and training partners.

Essential Job Responsibilities

Program Delivery

Implements CORI’s tech and AI workforce programs to ensure a high‑quality learning experience and measurable Learner and Leader success.

• Coordinate day‑to‑day logistics for workforce programs, including scheduling, communications, materials, and event support
• Facilitate virtual and in‑person sessions to engage learners and community partners
• Provide learner support through regular check‑ins, progress tracking, and resource referrals
• Assist with adaptation and deployment of curriculum materials, workshops, and career readiness sessions
• Track learner participation, attendance, and completion metrics across multiple cohorts

Employer and Partner Engagement

Supports relationships among employers, training providers, and community organizations to strengthen rural workforce ecosystems.

• Communicate regularly with partners to coordinate program implementation and gather feedback and ensure quality execution and that program components run smoothly
• Support employer engagement efforts that connect learners to work‑based learning, internships, and employment opportunities
• Assist in identifying and onboarding local delivery partners and training providers
• Collaborate with community leaders to promote programs and recruit diverse learners
• Represent CORI at regional and national events, forums, and partner convenings to advance rural workforce goals

Program Data, Evaluation, and Improvement

Ensures continuous learning, accountability, and collaboration through strong data management and cross‑team coordination.

• Collect and maintain accurate program data for dashboards, evaluation, and funder reporting and supports compliance with deliverables
• Support documentation of program outcomes and preparation of impact stories, and case studies
• Analyze learner and partner feedback to identify opportunities for improvement and inform program iteration
• Document program outcomes, lessons learned, and promising practices for internal and external sharing
• Coordinate with other CORI teams to align workforce programs with broader community strategies and innovation initiatives
• Support integration of AI tools and approaches into workforce delivery and reporting systems
• Contribute insights from field experience to strengthen organizational learning and best practices
• Assist Project Manager with budget tracking, resource allocation, and compliance with grant deliverables
• Coordinate logistics for site visits, workshops, and regional events

Qualifications

The ideal candidate will have the following professional and personal qualities, skills and characteristics:

Skills

• Program coordination and implementation support
• Facilitation and community engagement
• Learner support and participant communication
• Project and deliverables tracking
• Data collection, reporting, and documentation
• Relationship management and collaboration with partners
• Inclusive workforce development and digital skills literacy
• Familiarity with AI tools or willingness to learn and apply them in program contexts

Personal Qualities

• Passion for rural economic development and inclusive innovation
• Empathetic, service‑oriented relationship‑builder
• Strong communicator with attention to detail and follow‑through
• Adaptable problem solver who thrives in dynamic, fast‑paced environments
• Curious, proactive, and eager to learn

Location

This role is fully remote, but will require travel 30% of the time to rural communities across the United States and/or 3‑4 times a year for in‑person staff / team meetings.

Benefits

• Competitive salary $75,000 - $80,000
• Annual professional development allowance
• Medical, dental, vision, life and short‑term disability insurance
• 5% employer matched 401(k) after 90 days
• Home office set‑up allowance
• Employee Assistance Program
• Fifteen days accrued PTO, plus eight floating holidays