VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT MANAGER- 09222026-81119

State of Tennessee; Cookeville (TN); Hybrid; USD 61,000 - 76,000; Full time

Job summary

State of Tennessee is seeking an experienced supervisor for the VR workforce development program within the Department of Human Services. You will lead staff, drive strategic planning, and oversee training and career pathway initiatives across the VR program.

The role requires a CRC credential and five years of full-time experience in workforce development, training, or related fields, with travel 25% statewide. A hybrid work arrangement is offered to support program objectives.

Qualifications

• Must possess and maintain a CRC credential.
• Five years of full-time professional experience in workforce development, training, employee development, rehabilitation services, human resources, or public program administration.

Responsibilities

• Directs recruitment, workforce development, on- and off-boarding, training support and monitoring, technical assistance, career pathway functions, and succession planning efforts.
• Supervises workforce development staff, assigns and reviews work, evaluates performance, and ensures compliance with state and federal requirements.
• Leads development and implementation of workforce strategies related to recruitment, internships, on- and off-boarding, retention, advancement, staff readiness, and events.
• Establishes and implements strategic goals, policies, priorities, and performance expectations for workforce development initiatives in accordance with RSA standards.
• Develops and maintains partnerships with colleges, universities, vendors, and other workforce stakeholders offering VR courses.
• Utilizes workforce training data to identify gaps and forecast needs; seeks CRCC approval for continuing education hours.

Skills

Staff supervision

Strategic planning

RSA standards

CRCC standards

Workforce development

Education

CRC credential

Job description

State of Tennessee Job Information

Opening Date/Time 09/22/2026 12:00AM Central Time

Closing Date/Time 09/28/2026 11:59PM Central Time

Salary (Monthly) $5,100.00 - $6,373.00

Salary (Annually) $61,200.00 - $76,476.00

Job Type Full-Time

City, State Location Cookeville, TN

Department Human Services

LOCATION OF (1) POSITION(S) TO BE FILLED: DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES, PUTNAM COUNTY

This position requires 25% travel throughout the state to conduct field visits, attend required department meetings, and participate in occasional team meetings.

For More Information, Visit The Link Below

https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/human-services/documents/HRC0022266_VR_WORKFORCE_DEV_MANAGER_Putnam_92826.pdf

This is a hybrid position

This position requires a criminal background check. Therefore, you may be required to provide information about your criminal history in order to be considered for this position.

Qualifications

Must possess and maintain a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC) credential and have completed five years of full-time professional experience in workforce development, training, employee development, rehabilitation services, human resources, or public program administration.

Overview

This classification performs professional workforce development, on- and off-boarding, training support and monitoring, employee development, and career pathway activities specific to the vocational rehabilitation (VR) program at the supervisory level. An employee in this class is responsible for staff supervision, strategic planning, and evaluating VR workforce development functions. This role supports the infrastructure around training and workforce development for VR programs. This class differs from that of a DHS Program Director in that an incumbent of the latter supervises employees within this classification.

Responsibilities

• Directs recruitment, workforce development, on- and off-boarding, training support and monitoring, technical assistance, career pathway functions, and succession planning efforts. Oversees stay and exit interviews, analyzes responses, and briefs leadership on the development and implementation of improved recruiting and retention strategies.
• Supervises workforce development staff, assigns and reviews work, evaluates performance, and ensures consistency and quality. Ensures compliance with state and federal requirements regarding staff qualifications, credentialing, continuing education, and workforce standards.
• Leads the development and implementation of workforce strategies related to recruitment, internships, on- and off-boarding, retention, advancement, staff readiness, and events. Manages the development of training frameworks, on-boarding structures, career pathway models, and technical assistance systems in accordance with Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) supported initiatives.
• Establishes and implements strategic goals, policies, priorities, and performance expectations for workforce development initiatives in accordance with RSA standards. Evaluates effectiveness and directs improvements to strengthen employee experience, organizational capacity, and long-term workforce sustainability.
• Develops and maintains partnerships with accredited colleges, universities, professional organizations, vendors, and other workforce stakeholders offering vocational rehabilitation or other related courses and programs. Establishes pipelines to source VR counselors with academic training supported by the principles of Commission on Rehabilitation Counseling Certification (CRCC) standards.
• Utilizes workforce training and retention data to identify gaps, caseload and service delivery trends, forecast future needs, and guide planning, evaluation, and continuous improvement. Seeks approval of training objectives from CRCC to allow for delivery of training that will meet continuing education hour requirements.
• Collaborates with program leadership and internal/external partners to align workforce development initiatives with agency goals, service delivery needs, and organizational priorities to ensure compliance with Workforce Innovation Opportunity Act requirements. Coordinates with fiscal, legal, and program leadership to establish contracts or agreements with external vendors to support training and programmatic initiatives.
• Ensures staff receive timely and relevant technical assistance support on VR-specific training and case management systems and processes.

Competencies (KSA's)

• Strategic Mindset
• Drives Results
• Builds Networks
• Situational Adaptability
• Builds effective Teams

Knowledges

• Administration and Management
• English Language
• Customer and Personal Service

Skills

• Active Learning and Listening
• Critical Thinking
• Complex Problem Solving
• Judgment and Decision Making
• Negotiation

Abilities

• Deductive Reasoning
• Inductive Reasoning
• Problem Sensitivity

Tools & Equipment

• General Office Equipment
• Computer/Laptop/Tablet
• Audiovisual Equipment
• Adaptive Technology