Director of Economic Empowerment - FT

Description

We are currently looking for a Director, Economic Empowerment with a passion for human services. This is an exciting opportunity to be involved with an organization focused on a transformative path towards social change, creating pathways for rehabilitation, reintegration, and redemption.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

The Director of Economic Empowerment provides strategic leadership and operational oversight for Pioneer Human Services' workforce development, career pathway, and entrepreneurship programs designed to expand economic opportunity for individuals impacted by the criminal legal system and other barriers to employment.

This position oversees a growing portfolio of programs, including the Aerospace Manufacturing Academy, a production-integrated training and career pathway within Pioneer Industries, and INVEST, Pioneer's entrepreneurship development program. The portfolio may expand to include the INVEST Culinary Lab and other workforce development and economic mobility initiatives aligned with the organization's mission and strategic priorities.

The Director is responsible for program strategy, operational execution, financial management, partnership development, curriculum and training coordination, and performance outcomes. Working collaboratively with organizational leadership, industry partners, and community stakeholders, this position ensures programs are effectively implemented, financially sustainable, and aligned with workforce demands, participant success, and grant or funding requirements.

The Director establishes scalable operational processes, strengthens program infrastructure, and drives continuous improvement to support program growth, measurable participant outcomes, and long-term economic mobility. The role provides centralized leadership and accountability for program delivery, allowing executive leadership to focus on strategic growth and new initiatives while direct service teams remain focused on participant engagement and success.

PRIMARY/ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Economic empowerment strategy and leadership
• Provides strategic and operational leadership for the Aerospace Manufacturing Academy and INVEST, aligned with Pioneer's mission, Theory of Change and the five strategic criteria.
• Sets clear program goals, performance measures and accountability for results in both programs.
• Identifies opportunities to strengthen, expand or add economic mobility strategies based on participant needs, industry trends and where Pioneer is uniquely positioned; bring venture-shaped ideas to the Innovation pipeline for scoring.
• Connects both programs with Pioneer's reentry, housing, treatment and social enterprise work.

Aerospace Manufacturing Academy
• Provides strategic leadership and operational oversight for the development, implementation, and expansion of the Aerospace Manufacturing Academy and related workforce training initiatives, integrating pre-apprenticeship, on-the-job training, classroom instruction, and industry-aligned career pathways to support participant success and workforce readiness.
• Refreshes curriculum, training materials and program structure to current manufacturing practice and Pioneer Industries' production needs, starting from Core Plus Aerospace.
• Works with Pioneer Industries leadership, production supervisors and training staff so the Academy supports the business, fits the production schedule and minimizes disruption; the plant's leader signs the training plan before Gate 1.
• Builds a reliable pipeline of entry-level talent for Pioneer Industries, with skills that transfer to other regional aerospace and advanced manufacturing employers; graduates not hired by the plant enter the AeroBridge pool already Floor-Verified.
• Runs structured instruction, practical experience, competency-based skill development and industry-recognized credentials (OSHA-10, forklift, CPR, NIMS), with competence records kept to AS9100; establish training pathways in workplace safety, blueprint reading, shop math, precision measurement, quality systems, Lean and equipment operation.
• Supervises the Academy lead and head trainer; manage the training site, bench and materials; hold the cohort calendar and the selection process with reentry partners.
• Secures and manage the Academy's grant funding with Development (Job Skills Program, WIOA, Microsoft, Boeing ECF, BECU Foundation, reentry grants) and apply the funding gates: tranche 2 after cohort 1 completes at 70 percent or more; the fourth cohort waits for the remaining funding.
• Prepares the L&I apprenticeship-preparation application and the AJAC articulation for 2028.
• Leads the development, coordination, and submission of apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship program applications, including Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) requirements, and establishes articulation agreements with industry partners, including AJAC, to support recognized training pathways, credential attainment, and career advancement opportunities.
• Keeps the Academy compliant: ITAR US-person checks at selection, OSHA-10 before floor work, L&I class 3402 and payroll for trainees as Pioneer employees, WAC 137-56 for partial-confinement residents, 42 CFR Part 2 consent for treatment referrals.

INVEST entrepreneurship program
• Provides strategic and operational leadership for INVEST: four cohorts a year, quality of curriculum, facilitation and participant support.
• Supervises the Venture Coach, facilitators and external partners; keep fidelity to Pioneer's program model, standards, intellectual property and brand.
• Owns the partner MOUs, guest-speaker program, classroom materials, graduation and event logistics that now fall to others.
• Strengthens pathways for graduates to mentorship, technical assistance, capital, customers and Pioneer's own ventures; use outcomes and feedback to improve the program each cohort.

INVEST Culinary Lab (on approval of the CEO's October 30 concept)
• Leads the Lab as the third program in the portfolio: the 12-week paid culinary cohort, the catering enterprise and the six-month Ownership Accelerator, with the Lab's Program Manager and Culinary Operations & Sales Lead reporting to this role.
• Runs accelerator admissions and the monthly business reviews day to day; the VP chairs the selection panel and owns the link to the INVEST Capital Fund.
• Holds the Lab to its own measures: completion, Food Worker Card and ServSafe Manager credentials, verified outside sales, businesses legally launched, catering contribution margin and 24-month survival; internal Pioneer catering reported separately from earned revenue.
• Coordinates with Central Food Services on menus, food safety systems and the kitchen, and with the Venture Manager on the enterprise launch.

Partnerships and external engagement
• Builds and maintains relationships with aerospace and advanced manufacturing employers, industry associations (PNAA, AJAC), training and apprenticeship partners, community organizations and funders.
• Represents Pioneer in economic mobility, entrepreneurship and industry forums; work with Development on proposals, reports and funder relationships for both programs.

Program operations, performance and measurement
• Develops annual operating plans, budgets and performance targets for both programs; manage program budgets and grant resources to funder requirements.
• Builds and keeps the outcomes scorecard for both programs: enrollment, completion, credentials, placement, wages at entry and in the next job, retention at 90 days, 6 and 12 months, housing stability and recidivism, measured the same way as Pioneer's quarterly impact report; monthly to the VP, quarterly to SLT.
• Coordinates with Pioneer's data analyst and the outside evaluation partner; supply the outcome data the board, funders and the venture scorecards need.
• Ensures compliance with contracts, grants, certifications and participant privacy and consent rules; recruit, supervise and develop staff, facilitators, consultants and partners.

QUALIFICATIONS:
REQUIRED
• Bachelor's degree in business, education, economic development, nonprofit management or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
• Five or more years of progressively responsible experience leading programs, initiatives or business functions, with responsibility for both strategy and execution.
• Demonstrated experience building, relaunching or significantly strengthening a program or operation, and project management skills that take complex work from concept to delivery.
• Experience developing and managing partnerships across businesses, community organizations and education or training providers.
• Demonstrated ability to set measurable goals, use data to evaluate performance and turn results into program improvements.
• Experience managing budgets, grants or other significant program resources, and supervising staff.
• Strong written, verbal and interpersonal communication skills; able to work across functions and with people from diverse backgrounds and experiences.

• Commitment to Pioneer's mission and to expanding economic opportunity for people impacted by the criminal legal system. Lived experience of the justice system is valued.

PREFERRED/DESIRABLE
• Experience in advanced manufacturing, aerospace, manufacturing training or another industry-based career pathway.
• Experience with entrepreneurship, small business development or economic mobility programs, including food businesses or culinary training.
• Knowledge of apprenticeship, pre-apprenticeship, industry-recognized credentials or competency-based training models.
• Experience partnering with operations leaders to integrate training into an active production environment.
• Experience working with people impacted by incarceration or other systemic barriers, and leading grant-funded programs to funder performance and reporting requirements.