The Workforce Development Coordinator supports the City of Somerville’s Economic Development team as it scales up its rapidly growing workforce development practice. The City released its first workforce development strategic plan, the Talent Equity Playbook, in 2018 to help guide future investments and programs and formed the Job Creation and Retention Trust in 2019 to raise funds through jobs linkage fees. Employee will assist with program development, data analysis, administrative functions, and community outreach to help manage and advance these exciting and innovative new initiatives.

Essential Functions:

The essential functions or duties listed below are intended only as illustrations of the various type of work that may be performed. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related, or a logical assignment to the position.

Grant Management

• Manage RFP processes and contracts funded with Jobs Trust, state and federal grants, and City budget;
• Assist economic development staff with board management of the Job Creation and Retention Trust board of trustees including contract evaluation, budgeting, and research;
• Manages and implements development projects;
• Manages consultant contracts and budgets, monitors project progress, evaluates consultant work and ensures contract deliverables;
• Prepares written project analysis/response;
• Prepares staff reports for a variety of Boards and Commissions;

• Presents case information at Board and Commission meetings;
• Works in close cooperation with the other divisions (e.g., Planning and Zoning, Transportation and Infrastructure, Housing) that comprise the Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development (OSPCD).

Strategy

• Participate in strategic planning conversations with City staff and stakeholders including training providers, residents, and employers;
• Build strategic relationships within the workforce development and employer ecosystem.
• Provides technical assistance to senior staff and elected officials regarding planning and development activities in the city;
• Organize regular discussions and data gathering with and between Somerville education and training providers, employers, and other relevant stakeholders to understand, share, and coordinate workforce demand and supply in Somerville;
• Coordinates community outreach and public participation processes for workforce development initiatives;
• Interfaces with local community, other city departments, and state/federal agencies.

Data Collection

• Assist in developing and implementing methods of data collection and tracking for local hire at Somerville anchor institutions;
• Collects and analyzes quantitative and qualitative data;  updates spreadsheets, databases and inventories with statistical, financial and non-financial information;
• Assists with managing a (CRM) Customer Relationship Management System;

• Other duties as assigned by the Director.

Supervision Required

Under general direction, employee plans and prioritizes the majority of work independently, in accordance with standard practices and previous training. Employee is expected to solve most problems of detail or unusual situations by adapting methods or interpreting instructions accordingly.  Instructions for new assignments or special projects usually consist of statements of desired objectives, deadlines and priorities.  Technical and policy problems or changes in procedures are discussed with supervisor.  Work is generally reviewed only for technical adequacy, appropriateness of actions or decisions, and conformance with policy or other requirements; the methods used in arriving at the end result are not usually reviewed in detail.

Supervisory Responsibility

Position does not require the regular supervision of employees, but may supervise the work of volunteers or interns.

Accountability

The nature of the professional or technical work means that errors in analysis, techniques or recommendations would probably be difficult to detect.  Consequences of errors, missed deadlines or poor judgment could result in excessive costs, delay of service delivery, or legal repercussions to the municipality.

Judgment

The work requires examining, analyzing and evaluating facts and circumstances surrounding individual problems, situations or transactions, and determining actions to be taken within the limits of standard or accepted practices.  Guidelines include a large body of policies, practices and precedents which may be complex or conflicting, at times.  Judgment is used in analyzing specific situations to determine appropriate actions.  Employee is expected to weigh efficiency and relative priorities in conjunction with procedural concerns in decision making.  Requires understanding, interpreting and applying federal, state and local regulations.

Complexity

The work consists of employing many different concepts, theories, principles, techniques and practices relating to an administrative field.  Assignments typically concern such matters as studying trends in the field for application to the work; assessing services and recommending improvements.

Nature and Purpose of Personal Contacts

Relationships are constantly with co-workers, the public and with groups and/or individuals who have conflicting opinions or objectives, diverse points of view or differences where skillful negotiating and achieving compromise is required to secure support, concurrence and acceptance or compliance.  The employee may represent to the public a functional area of the municipality on matters of procedures or policy where perceptiveness is required to analyze circumstances in order to act appropriately.

Confidentiality

Employee has access to confidential information obtained during the performance of the regular duties of the position.

Recommended Minimum Qualifications

Education and Experience: Bachelor’s Degree and three to five (3-5) years’ experience, particularly as it pertains to workforce development, economic development, urban planning, public policy; or any equivalent combination of education, training and experience which provides the required knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the essential functions of the job.

Knowledge, Abilities and Skill

This position requires a person to be detail oriented, to be self-motivated and able to handle multiple assignments at the same time.

Knowledge: Knowledge of community, action groups, neighborhoods and business concerns; considerable knowledge of economic development and workforce development. Considerable knowledge of the economic, sociological and environmental aspects of workforce development.

Abilities: Proven ability in complex project management; ability to organize and direct the preparation of comprehensive research studies, analyze problems, prepare technical reports and formulate recommendations; ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing with boards, contractors, developers, business owners, entrepreneurs, supervisors, employees, and the public.  Abilities in grant writing preferred.

Skill: Skilled public speaker; excellent customer service, data analytics, planning and marketing skills; complete mastery of Microsoft Office suite, specifically Word, Excel and PowerPoint.  Bilingual ability in Spanish, Portuguese, Haitian-Creole and/or Nepali is preferred but not required.

Work Environment

The work environment involves everyday discomforts typical of offices, with occasional exposure to outside elements.  Noise or physical surroundings may be distracting, but conditions are generally not unpleasant.  Employee may be required to work beyond normal business hours in response to attend evening meetings or complete work assignments.