Workforce & Community Partnerships Manager

KBR Technical Services; Richmond (VA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

KBR Sustainable Technology Solutions (STS) seeks a Workforce & Community Partnerships Manager to develop and execute stakeholder engagement strategies, fostering positive relationships with local communities, elected officials, government agencies, and educational institutions.

This role builds regional workforce development programs, partners with colleges, trade schools, apprenticeship programs, and economic development organizations to create pipelines of skilled crafts, technicians, and

Qualifications

• 10+ years in community relations or stakeholder management.
• Experience on capital projects >$500M.
• Strong knowledge of government processes and public engagement.
• Excellent written and verbal communication.

Responsibilities

• Develop workforce development strategy for construction, startup, and operations.
• Forge partnerships with universities, colleges, trade schools, and workforce orgs.
• Engage local communities, economic development agencies, and chambers of commerce.
• Coordinate local workforce participation, internships, apprenticeships, and targeted recruitment.
• Monitor labor market trends and provide forecasts to leadership.
• Establish KPIs and reporting for workforce outcomes.

Skills

Interpersonal communication

Verbal communication

Written communication

Presentation skills

Stakeholder management

Project management

Organizational skills

Education

Bachelor's degree in Public Administration / HR / Communications / Political Science / Public Relations / Community Development / Business Administration or related field

Job description

Workforce & Community Partnerships Manager

KBR Sustainable Technology Solutions (STS) provides holistic and value-added solutions across the entire asset life cycle. These include world-class licensed process technologies, differentiated advisory services, deep technical domain expertise, energy transition solutions, high-end design capabilities, and smart solutions to optimize planned and operating assets.

KBR is seeking a Workforce & Community Partnerships Manager to develop and execute stakeholder engagement strategies that foster positive relationships between the project, local communities, elected officials, government agencies, economic development organizations, educational institutions, and other key stakeholders. The Workforce Development Manager is responsible for establishing and managing a regional workforce development program that supports both project execution and the client's long-term operational staffing objectives. This role develops partnerships with local colleges and universities, local trade schools, apprenticeship programs, workforce development agencies, VEDP, and community organizations to create sustainable pipelines of skilled craft professionals, technicians, engineers, and future operations personnel. Responsibilities include workforce forecasting, labor market analysis, recruitment coordination, local workforce participation initiatives, apprenticeship integration, diversity and inclusion programs, workforce performance reporting, and coordination of training and workforce readiness programs that support project labor requirements throughout execution.

Functional job responsibilities will include but are not limited to:

• Develop and implement a comprehensive workforce development strategy to support project construction, commissioning, startup, and operational staffing requirements, aligning talent needs with project growth and business objectives.
• Establish and manage partnerships with universities, community colleges, technical schools, apprenticeship programs, and workforce development organizations to create talent pipelines for skilled trades, technical, engineering, manufacturing, and operational roles.
• Build and maintain collaborative relationships with local community organizations, economic development agencies, workforce boards, non-profit organizations, chambers of commerce, and public‑sector partners to support project objectives and community engagement goals.
• Coordinate initiatives that promote local workforce participation, workforce readiness, internships, apprenticeships, co‑op programs, and targeted recruitment efforts designed to meet project staffing demands and maximize local economic benefits.
• Monitor labor market conditions, workforce availability, demographic trends, training capacity, and competitive hiring risks. Provide workforce forecasts and recommendations to project leadership to support resource planning and workforce sustainability.
• Develop and manage community outreach initiatives, educational programs, workforce awareness campaigns, STEM engagement activities, and community investment programs that strengthen the project's reputation and long‑term community impact.
• Support workforce diversity objectives by collaborating with educational institutions, professional organizations, community groups, and recruitment partners to expand access to employment and training opportunities for underrepresented populations.
• Coordinate workforce readiness activities that support the transition from construction to operations, including training coordination, onboarding support, skills development initiatives, and workforce mobilization programs.
• Establish key performance indicators (KPIs) and reporting mechanisms to track workforce development outcomes, recruitment effectiveness, local hiring participation, community engagement activities, partnership performance, and workforce readiness metrics.

Required Education, Experience, & Skills:

• Bachelor's degree in Public Administration, Human Resources, Communications, Political Science, Public Relations, Community Development, Business Administration, or a related field.
• Minimum 10 years of experience in community relations, government affairs, public engagement, external affairs, corporate communications, or stakeholder management.
• Demonstrated experience supporting large capital projects exceeding $500 million in total installed cost.
• Strong understanding of government processes, public engagement practices, and stakeholder management principles.
• Excellent written, verbal, presentation, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Proven ability to build and maintain relationships with diverse stakeholder groups, including elected officials, community leaders, regulatory agencies, and business organizations.
• Experience managing complex public issues and stakeholder concerns in highly visible project environments.
• Strong organizational, planning, and project management capabilities.
• Familiarity with EPC/