This year, Corporation for a Skilled Workforce(CSW) will celebrate its 30th year as a national 501(c)(3) non–profit organization that catalyzes change in educational and labor market systems, policies and practices to increase economic mobility, particularly for people of color and others historically excluded from advancement opportunities. CSW focuses on achieving scalable improvements in worker skills, lifelong learning, and job quality. CSW collaborates with change makers to develop strategies, identify evidence to inform strategies, build the capacity of organizations, manage initiatives, and evaluate lessons learned.
Position Summary
CSW is seeking a Senior Policy Associate to join our team on Federal, State &Local Systems Change. This team focuses on transforming multi–level workforce systems (public, nonprofit, and education/training), policy and practice to reduce poverty, increase economic mobility for low–wage workers, and address racial disparities. We work with stakeholders to re–examine the way systems operate and to co–design approaches that strip away outdated assumptions to make them more culturally and economically relevant for today’s labor market.
Examples of our systems–change work include redesigning federal, state and local workforce systems; reframing strategies for key services; introducing new services and tools; building cross–system interconnections including among organizations within workforce, community development, and education; conducting promising practices research; developing metrics and scorecards; and evaluating strategies. Our team’s most recent areas of focus include assisting organizations in their journey toward being trauma–informed and resilience building; advancing career navigation systems robust enough to support workers and jobs seekers in today’s labor market; expanding equitable work–based learning; expanding and improving adult foundational skills building systems; and working with state and local stakeholders to improve public workforce development systems.
The Senior Policy Associate has experience and expertise in systems change and transformation within the workforce development sector, and generates and uses knowledge and skills to co–develop leading–edge ideas and fundable high–impact initiatives focused on producing more just and equitable federal, state and local systems. This position reports to and works closely with CSW’s Director of Federal, State, and Local Systems Change, and will work with team members across the organization on various projects.
CSW is committed to building a diverse staff and strongly encourages applications from candidates of color.
Essential Responsibilities and Competencies
◼Knowledge and Expertise: Demonstrates a comprehensive understanding of the various aspects of the US workforce system, innovative and evidence–based initiatives, particularly those in our current areas of focus as mentioned above, and public policy; stays informed about research, policy, and practice within the field and provides thought leadership for team members, clients, and funders; identifies and recommends how best to implement federal, state and local system change projects and delivers through various entry points such as the development of promising practices, front–end assessment, evaluation, strategy development, reporting, facilitation and advising; and uses expertise, research, data, and information to generate and share knowledge, insights, and learning internally and externally to a variety of audiences.
◼Project Development/Marketing Sales: Co–develops concepts and proposals to promote and expand/build on existing or to generate new projects; identifies potential products or processes that fill a client/community need within and across projects and/or the workforce system; and contributes material (blogs, thought pieces, webinars) to support CSW and strategy area development.
◼Organizational Development: Works within a whole system and contributes to the development of inclusive strategies for organizational change, transformation, and alignment; participates in one or more of CSW’s strategy teams as part of overall organizational development efforts. Identifies ways for CSW to engage in continuous innovation grounded in mission and values; and participates as a positive and supportive team member.
◼Racial Equity and Inclusion: Assesses the degree to which privileged and marginalized status affects program initiatives; participates in strategies to increase equity; threads social justice into program, projects, and goals; and uses reflective thinking to gain insight into assumptions, world views, bias, and beliefs; engages in racial equity and inclusion professional development opportunities.
◼Project Management: Works with Director to establish project teams, roles and responsibilities; leads client projects as required; monitors and ensures client satisfaction and project successes; delivers projects on time, within specifications, and on budget; ensures project learning is articulated and shared within and across CSW teams and programs.
Compensation
Employee compensation includes: 1) cash rewards in the form of base salaries; 2) non–cash rewards, which can include health, dental, vision, life and disability insurances, a 403(b)–retirement savings plan, a Section 125 Cafeteria plan, and a flexible spending account; and 3) other non–monetary benefits, such as flexible work schedules, an informal work environment, and the ability to work part–or full–time from home.
Work Location: Flexible work location. CSW is headquartered in Ann Arbor, MI but CSW team members are located around the world, with most working from home offices. Staff travel is resuming post–pandemic, but staff members are encouraged to limit travel to situations in which it is crucial to the work involved.
Full/Part Time: Full–Time
FLSA Status: Exempt
Posting Dates: July 1to July 30, 2021
Salary: The salary range is $90,000 –$110,000 and is commensurate with the qualifications and experience of the selected candidate.
Submit a resume and cover letter addressing your specific interest in the position and outlining your skills and experience that directly relate to this position. Please email materials to: Debbie Charlton, Senior Support Specialist,dcharlton@skilledwork.org.
