Director of Workforce Strategy and Industry Alignment

Salary: Depends on Qualifications
Location : York County, SC
Job Type: Temporary Grant - Full-Time
Job Number: 192074
Agency: York Technical College
Opening Date: 08/28/2026
Closing Date: Continuous
Class Code:: UZ01
Position Number:: TBD
Normal Work Schedule:: Other
Normal Work Schedule (Other):: Monday - Friday (8:00 - 5:00)
Pay Grade: Unclassified

Job Responsibilities
LEAD THE WORKFORCE STRATEGY THAT WILL POWER THE REGION'S FUTURE.

York Technical College is seeking a Director of Workforce Strategy and Industry Alignment to lead the implementation of the workforce development portfolio for an NSF Regional Innovation Engine focused on grid modernization and advanced energy.

As the Engine's workforce development lead institution, York Technical College is responsible for helping the region anticipate how emerging technologies will change occupations, required skills, credentials, and talent needs. The Director will turn that responsibility into action by coordinating employers, education providers, workforce organizations, economic development partners, and Engine leaders around a shared regional workforce strategy.

This is an opportunity to shape workforce development at a regional scale. The Director will not simply manage individual programs. This position will build the structures, partnerships, work plans, and accountability systems needed to prepare the region's workforce before talent shortages limit industry growth.

What You Will Do

Reporting to the President of York Technical College, who also serves as the Engine's Director of Workforce Development, the Director will lead the day-to-day implementation of the Engine's workforce development portfolio and serve as its primary project manager.

The Director will:

• Translate the Engine's workforce strategy into clear work plans, timelines, assignments, budgets, and deliverables.
• Lead the York Technical College workforce development leadership team and coordinate work across staff, contractors, and regional partners.
• Monitor implementation, identify emerging risks or delays, resolve barriers, and maintain accountability for partner commitments.
• Analyze employer input, labor-market information, occupational data, and findings from the Engine's research and commercialization activities.
• Identify emerging occupations, changing job functions, required competencies, credential needs, and workforce shortages related to grid modernization and advanced energy.
• Translate industry needs into occupational profiles, competency frameworks, education and training recommendations, career pathways, and talent-pipeline strategies.
• Establish meaningful processes for employers to validate workforce priorities, competencies, credentials, equipment needs, and program outcomes.
• Build and support regional partnerships involving employers, colleges and universities, K-12 systems, workforce boards, economic development organizations, state agencies, and community organizations.
• Expand employer participation in curriculum development, apprenticeships, internships, incumbent-worker training, faculty externships, and other work-based learning activities.
• Maintain accountability for workforce metrics, milestones, budgets, deliverables, and reporting requirements.
• Develop dashboards, reports, presentations, and leadership briefings that communicate progress, risks, outcomes, and resource needs.
• Coordinate workforce development with the Engine's research, technology translation, entrepreneurship, industry engagement, community engagement, and economic development activities.
• Represent York Technical College and the Engine in regional workforce, industry, education, and economic development discussions.

Who We Are Looking For

The successful candidate will be able to move complex work from strategy to implementation. This person will know how to bring organizations with different interests and responsibilities together, establish clear expectations, maintain momentum, and address implementation problems before they jeopardize results.

The role requires someone who can engage credibly with employers, educators, researchers, government agencies, and community partners while also managing the details of work plans, budgets, performance measures, reports, and federal requirements. The strongest candidates will be equally comfortable facilitating a regional strategy discussion, analyzing workforce data, briefing executive leadership, and following up on an overdue deliverable.

Minimum and Additional Requirements

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution in business, education, public administration, economic development, organizational leadership, workforce education and development, or a related field.
• At least five years of progressively responsible experience in workforce development, education, economic development, industry engagement, or a related field.
• Experience leading complex projects involving multiple organizations or partners.
• Experience working with employers to identify workforce needs and develop talent solutions.
• Experience establishing performance measures, monitoring outcomes, and preparing formal reports.
• Ability to interpret labor-market, occupational, industry, and program data.
• Strong project management, communication, facilitation, and relationship-building skills.
• Ability to travel throughout the Engine's region and occasionally outside the region.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree in a relevant field.
• Experience supervising staff or leading a cross-functional project team.
• Experience with advanced energy, grid modernization, utilities, advanced manufacturing, engineering technology, or a related field.
• Experience working with community or technical colleges.
• Experience managing federally funded grants, cooperative agreements, or regional workforce initiatives.
• Experience developing industry-validated credentials, career pathways, apprenticeships, or work-based learning programs.

• Familiarity with research translation, technology commercialization, or regional innovation ecosystems.

Additional Comments

• Applicants indicating degree(s) on the application may be required to provide unofficial copies of transcripts in the application process and official transcript upon hire.
• Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until the position is filled, with the first review of applications beginning September 16, 2026.
• Candidates are encouraged to attach a statement of interest in the online application describing how their unique qualifications align with the position.
• This is a grant-funded position contingent upon the continued availability of funding. Regular regional travel and occasional travel outside the region are required. Evening or weekend work may be necessary to support partner meetings, industry events, Engine activities, and reporting deadlines. Other duties may be assigned based on the operational needs of the Engine and the College.

Benefits for State Employees
The state of South Carolina offers eligible employees generous benefits, including health and dental insurance; retirement and savings plan options; and paid vacation and sick leave. Plus, work-life balance programs such as telecommuting and flexible work schedules are available to employees of some state agencies.

Insurance Benefits
Eligible employees may enroll in health insurance, which includes prescription coverage and wellness benefits. Other available insurance benefits include dental, vision, term life insurance, long term disability and flexible spending accounts for health and child care expenses.

Retirement Benefits
State employees are also offered retirement plan options, including defined benefit and defined contribution plans. Additionally, eligible employees may elect to participate in the South Carolina Deferred Compensation Program, which is a voluntary, supplemental retirement savings plan offering 401(k) and 457 plan options.

Workplace Benefits
State employees may also be eligible for other benefits, including tuition assistance; holiday, annual and sick leave; and discounts on purchases, travel and more.

Note: The benefits above are available to most state employees, with the exception of those in temporary positions. Employees in temporary grant and time-limited positions may be eligible for all, some or none of these benefits as benefits are associated with each position type. For these positions, contact the hiring agency to determine what benefits may be available.
01

Do you possess a bachelor's degree or higher from an accredited institution in business, education, public administration, economic development, organizational leadership, workforce education and development, or a related field?

• Yes
• No

02

This position requires at least five years of progressively responsible experience in workforce development, education, economic development, industry engagement, or a related field. Please describe how your experience meets this requirement in a statement of interest, including specific examples of: (1) Leading complex projects involving multiple organizations or partners (2) Working with employers to identify workforce needs and develop talent solutions (3) Establishing performance measures, monitoring outcomes, and preparing formal reports (4) Using labor-market, occupational, industry, or program data to guide decisions (5) Applying strong project management, communication, facilitation, and relationship-building skills.Please identify your role in each example and the results achieved. You may provide your response in the space below or upload an attachment. A complete response is required; directing the committee to your résumé in place of a response or attachment will not be accepted.
Required Question