Job Overview:

The Economic Empowerment Program Manager will build a workforce development program for IRC Montana from the ground up — designing service delivery, establishing employer and community partnerships, and expanding the program into new geographic areas across the state. This role combines program design, direct relationship-building, and public-sector engagement, with a particular focus on establishing IRC Montana's presence within local workforce development boards as a sustainable, long-term funding and partnership strategy. Helena is a strategic priority for this role, given its location as the seat of Montana's workforce development board and several key donors — offering an early opportunity to establish IRC's presence and build a lasting network there.

Key Responsibilities

Program Development

• Design and launch a workforce development program from the ground up — including service design, eligibility criteria, intake and referral processes, case management, and success metrics.

• Develop program policies, procedures, and client-facing materials suited to Montana's rural and geographically dispersed population.

• Conduct outreach and recruitment of prospective participants, screening and assessing for program eligibility.

• Collaborate with the development team on new program design and grant proposals to grow services; contribute to program and office-wide strategic planning, with measurable goals for placements, partnerships, and reach.

Workforce Development Board Engagement

• Identify and regularly attend the workforce development board(s) covering each Montana community IRC serves, securing access through partner relationships where meetings are not readily public.

• Position IRC Montana as the local expert on serving English Language Learners and diverse low-income job seekers, adapting framing by community.

• Build sustained relationships with board members and system partners over time, recognizing that trust- and funding-influence take months or years to develop.

• Work to influence board funding priorities, positioning IRC Montana to draw down multi-year, public-sector workforce funding as a stable complement to grant-based revenue.

Community & Employer Relationship Building

• Identify, cultivate, and maintain relationships with employers, donors, career service providers, registered apprenticeship providers, small business and corporate entities, educational institutions, and financial experts and mentors to expand client opportunities.

• Build relationships with the Montana Department of Labor & Industry, community colleges, and vocational training providers.

• Represent IRC Montana at community events and coalitions; maintain an up-to-date partner map and relationship status across the state, in coordination with office leadership.

Geographic Expansion

• Develop a strategy for identifying and prioritizing new geographic areas for program expansion, informed by population needs, labor market data, and funder priorities.

• Travel regularly to new and existing communities to conduct outreach, needs assessments, and relationship-building ahead of program launch.

• Adapt program design to local conditions and build local partnerships before or alongside rollout in each new area.

Client Services & Outcomes

• Oversee delivery of job readiness training, placement support, and retention services, ensuring they are culturally responsive and accessible (addressing language, transportation, and documentation-related barriers)

• Track individual client outcomes and aggregate program data for funder and organizational reporting.

Team & Operational Leadership

• Hire, train, and manage staff supporting the program as it grows; collaborate as an active member of the office leadership team.

• Represent IRC Montana in public, professional, and governmental forums; lead planning of special events such as partner engagement events and client workshops.

• In coordination with office leadership, develop and monitor department, program, and grant budgets, and implement process improvements as the program grows.

• Ensure compliance with funder requirements across federal, state, and foundation-funded grants.

Leadership, Coordination & Role Clarity

• Serve as the Executive Director's point person for workforce development programming and priorities.

• Implement decisions and priorities set by the Executive Director and technical team input as they relate to workforce development.

• Ensure clear role boundaries, shared planning, and consistent communication with site leadership and other program staff to avoid duplication of effort.

• Participate in regional leadership meetings and organizational forums as requested.

• Comply with all IRC policies, procedures, and protocols.

• Perform other duties as assigned by the Executive Director.

Data, Reporting & Continuous Improvement

• Establish data collection systems suited to a new program, and regularly report performance to leadership and funders.

• Document lessons learned as the program expands, to make replication in new geographic areas progressively easier.

Key Working Relationships

Position Reports to: Executive Director, IRC Montana

• Manages: Program staff, interns, and volunteers supporting workforce development services, as the program grows.

• Internal: IRC Montana program staff and leadership, Operations, Finance, HR, Mountain West regional leadership, and relevant HQ teams.

• External: Workforce development boards, employers, community colleges, apprenticeship providers and training providers, community partners, and local stakeholders.

Job Requirements

• University degree (four-year, B.A.) required; advanced degree in a related field preferred.

• Minimum 3-5 years of related program experience, including program development, monitoring, and evaluation.

• Experience designing or launching workforce development, employment, or job readiness programs, ideally within a nonprofit or public-sector context.

• Experience engaging with public workforce systems (e.g., workforce development boards, WIOA-funded programs) strongly preferred.

• Previous fundraising and grant writing experience.

• Demonstrated success building and sustaining relationships with employers, government agencies, or community institutions, with comfort in relationship-building processes that unfold over months or years.

• Highly organized self-starter able to manage multiple priorities and deliver results independently in a fast-paced environment — particularly suited to building a new program from scratch.

• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including comfort representing the organization publicly; fluent in English, with a second language desirable.

• Location: Open to candidates across Montana, with priority given to those based in Helena or Missoula. If based in Missoula, this role will work from IRC's Missoula office. If based in Helena, this role will work remotely, with some in-person work and regular travel required

• Willingness to travel regularly across Montana; proficiency with MS Office applications, including a strong command of Excel.

• Demonstrated commitment to IRC's core values of service, accountability, integrity, and equality; experience working with refugee, immigrant, or other diverse low-income populations preferred.

Working Environment:  

• Standard, professional office environment (flexible remote and in-office)

• Access to reliable transportation to travel regularly throughout the service delivery area

Compensation: ($79,326 - $85,000 annually). Ranges are based on various factors including the labor market, job type, internal equity, and budget.  Exact offers are calibrated by work location, individual candidate experience and skills relative to the defined job requirements