Salary: $122,469.88 - $164,951.96 Annually
Location : Lakeland
Job Type: Full-Time
Job Number:
Org: President
Opening Date: 08/24/2026

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Description

The Executive Vice President for Workforce Development & Strategic Initiatives serves as a senior member of the President's executive leadership team and provides institution-wide leadership for workforce development, strategic partnerships, economic and community development, and high-priority institutional initiatives.

Reporting directly to the President, the Executive Vice President (EVP) translates institutional strategy into measurable initiatives, partnerships, and outcomes that strengthen the institution's position as a workforce and economic-development leader.

The EVP is a member of the executive leadership team and serves as a strategic advisor to the President on emerging workforce development needs, employer and industry priorities, regional economic trends, strategic opportunities, and initiatives that advance institutional growth and impact.

This position has significant responsibility for developing external partnerships, identifying new opportunities, mobilizing resources, leading complex cross-functional initiatives, and ensuring measurable results.
Essential Functions/Duties

Workforce Development Strategy:
Provide executive leadership for the institution's workforce development strategy and position the institution as a premier partner for employers, industry partners, workforce organizations, and regional economic-development partners.

• Develop and implement an institution-wide workforce development strategy aligned with regional and state workforce needs.
• Identify emerging occupations, skills gaps and employer needs and evaluate opportunities for expansion into emerging industries and workforce markets.
• Lead strategies for workforce solutions to increase employer engagement and demonstrate measurable value to workforce partners.

Program Oversight:
Provide oversight of workforce development departments and programs to ensure efficient operation for exceptional customer service, strategic advancement, and student, client, and budgetary success.

• Oversee the College's Advanced Technology Center (Clear Springs/Bartow) including the Corporate College and other programs and personnel at the center.
• Oversee the JD Alexander Center (Lake Wales) and its personnel.
• Provide leadership and supervision for the College's Learning Technology and Online Education department.
• Provide administrative oversight for the Kenneth C. Thompson Institute for Public Safety (KCTIPS) and the National Public Safety Innovation Academy (NIA).
• Oversee the College's apprenticeship, internship, and experiential learning programs and personnel.

Strategic Initiatives :
Lead major strategic initiatives that require coordination across multiple organizational units and community partners.

• Implement strategic initiatives on behalf of the President, including special events and programming focused on civic engagement and civil discourse, as well as the expansion of systems and processes to track, coordinate, and facilitate student community-service engagement.
• Translate institutional priorities into clearly defined initiatives, implementation plans, milestones, and outcomes.
• Serve as executive sponsor for major cross-functional initiatives within the EVP's portfolio coordinating with appropriate internal and external stakeholders to move initiatives from concept to implementation.
• Identify barriers, dependencies, resource requirements, opportunities, and develop and implement solutions to advance with strategic initiatives.
• Monitor progress of programs and initiatives to ensure that strategic initiatives produce measurable institutional, workforce, economic, or community outcomes, and provide regular reports to the President and executive leadership.

Strategic Partnerships and Economic Development:
Develop high-value partnerships that advance the institution's strategic priorities to position the institution as a significant contributor to regional economic growth and community vitality.

• Cultivate and maintain strategic relationships with major employers, industry associations and leaders, workforce development boards, economic development organizations, non-profit organizations, and community partners and identify opportunities for strategic alliances, joint ventures, sponsored programs, and other collaborations.
• Develop partnership strategies that generate opportunities for students, employers, communities, and the institution.
• Align institutional workforce development programming with regional economic development priorities by identifying opportunities to support business attraction, business expansion, entrepreneurship, innovation, and talent development.
• Lead or support major regional initiatives in which the institution can serve as a workforce/economic development partner.
• Communicate the institution's economic and workforce impact to internal and external stakeholders.

Innovation and New Opportunities:
Identify and evaluate opportunities that advance the institution's mission, reach, relevance, and financial sustainability.

• Monitor emerging markets, occupations, industries, technologies, and workforce needs.
• Identify opportunities for new programs, services, partnerships, and delivery models, and partner with appropriate internal stakeholders for academic or operational implementation.
• Develop business cases and recommendations for new strategic opportunities.
• Encourage entrepreneurial and innovative approaches to institutional challenges.

Grants, Contracts, and External Resources:
Lead strategic efforts to secure resources that advance workforce development and institutional priorities.

• Work collaboratively with the Vice President for Institutional Effectiveness, Accreditation and Research to identify available grant funding opportunities and develop strategies to support the workforce development initiatives and programs.
• Collaborate with the grants team for the tracking, coordinating and management of the Perkins Grant and Workforce Pell initiatives.
• Identify appropriate personnel to serve as subject matter experts for workforce development and strategic initiatives that are pursued through grants, contracts, or external funding.
• Provide strategic direction regarding workforce needs, employer partnerships, program outcomes, and external opportunities to inform grant and contract development.
• Oversee contractual partnerships including articulation agreement and memorandums of understanding with postsecondary partners and develop relationships with potential resource partners.
• Monitor the strategic outcomes and institutional impact of funded initiatives and collaborate with the appropriate institutional offices to ensure alignment with institutional priorities and effective, sustainable implementation.

Data, Market Intelligence, and Institutional Impact:
Establish a strong evidence base for workforce development and strategic decision-making.

• Analyze labor-market information, employer feedback, economic data, enrollment trends, and other intelligence to identify opportunities and risks.
• Establish and implement appropriate performance measures for workforce development and strategic initiatives.
• Supervise the development of executive-level dashboards and reports that communicate progress and impact.
• Evaluate and present the effectiveness and return on investment of major initiatives.
• Recommend adjustments, expansion, or discontinuation of initiatives informed by data.

Executive Leadership and Presidential Advising:

• Serve as a strategic advisor and executive partner to the President.
• Advise the President on workforce development, economic, partnership, innovation, and strategic opportunities.
• Participate actively in institutional decision-making and bring forward emerging issues and opportunities requiring executive attention.
• Provide leadership on complex issues that cross organizational boundaries.
• Represent the President and institution, as appropriate.

Typical Qualifications

Required Skills:

• Demonstrated success leading complex, cross-functional initiatives.
• Experience working with business, industry, government, nonprofit, and community organizations.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and execute strategies that produce measurable outcomes.
• Strong financial, analytical, communication, negotiation, and relationship-management skills.
• Evidence of using appropriate software and technology to analyze data, communicate virtually, make decisions, and implement programs and initiatives.
• Fostering collaborative, consultative, and meaningful internal and external partnerships through various and adaptable leadership styles.
• Strong interpersonal skills, including the ability to communicate effectively, in both written and oral forms.

Working Conditions/Additional Information:

• This position is a full-time on-campus position located at our Lakeland campus but will travel between College and community locations as necessary. (Remote/hybrid options are not available.)
• Weekend and evening work may be required.
• Position may be required to work during College closures (such as winter/spring break, holidays, and inclement weather closures).
• Reliable transportation is required for travel to campuses, centers, and community locations. Possession of a valid Florida's Driver's License is required (or must be eligible to obtain a Florida's license within 30 days).
• Standard office work environment with potential for long periods of sitting and extended time at a computer.
• This position will require the ability to lift at least 10 lbs.

Salary and Benefits Information:

• This position is level P23.

We offer a comprehensive benefits package that includes medical, dental, and vision coverage; short-term disability; paid holidays and sick leave; vacation (excluding faculty positions); retirement benefits for eligible employees; and college fee waivers.

Required Education:

• Master's degree from an accredited institution.

Required Experience:

• Substantial executive leadership experience in workforce development, higher education, economic development, business/industry partnerships, organizational strategy, or a closely related field.

Preferred Experience:

• Doctoral degree or equivalent.
• Senior leadership experience in a higher education or workforce development environment.
• Experience leading regional or statewide workforce development initiatives.
• Experience with employer-sponsored training, apprenticeships, credentials, or customized workforce solutions.
• Experience securing and managing major grants, contracts, or public-private partnerships.
• Partnership with economic development, talent development, entrepreneurship, or innovation initiatives.
• Demonstrated experience working with boards, presidents/CEOs, senior executives, and other high-level stakeholders.

Supplemental Information
Submissions that do not include all parts of the following required information will not be considered:

• a resume
• cover letter
• an electronic job application (all sections MUST be completed)

We offer a comprehensive benefits package that includes medical, dental, and vision coverage; short-term disability; paid holidays and sick leave; vacation (excluding faculty positions); retirement benefits for eligible employees; and college fee waivers.

To learn more details, visit our benefits pag