Associate Director, Initiative

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The Commercial Club of Chicago and Civic Committee Overview

The Commercial Club of Chicago is a membership organization of senior leaders in the region. Our members span the business, education, civic, cultural, and philanthropic sectors - unified by excitement for the future of Chicago. We believe cooperation and an open exchange of ideas are fundamental to success.

Throughout our history, the Commercial Club of Chicago and our affiliated organizations have played a leading role in shaping the Chicago region. We have helped tackle the most pressing issues facing Chicago and have been instrumental in some of the City’s most visionary efforts.

Today, the Commercial Club continues to address social and economic issues of importance to the Chicago region.

The Civic Committee’s mission is to make the Chicago region a great place for everyone to live, work, and do business. Originally formed in 1983, the Civic Committee is tasked with identifying key issues facing the State of Illinois and the greater Chicago region and providing leadership, high-quality research, long-term policy recommendations and programmatic actions for the benefit of the city, region, and state and all who live here.

The Civic Committee is composed of the leaders of the Chicago region’s leading private sector employers and works with public officials and other civic organizations on transformational initiatives to promote our region's social and economic well-being. The Civic Committee generally serves as the Club’s lead on policy and programmatic initiatives and our focus areas currently include efforts in public safety, business opportunity, transportation and infrastructure, and state and local finance.

We also work alongside, and partially fund, the organizations established by us to tackle key issues head-on:

• Civic Consulting Alliance
• Kids First Chicago
• P33

Terms of Employment

This is a full-time position with benefits, reporting to the Director, Hiring Initiative. Initial employment will be on an introductory basis, with detailed evaluations and feedback at the 30-, 60-, and 90-day marks.

Civic Committee’s Hiring Initiative Overview

The Civic Committee seeks an Associate Director to support its Hiring Initiative, a key component of the Civic Committee’s strategic focus on “growth for all” in Chicago.

The Initiative aims to create 20,000 jobs over five years on Chicago’s South and West Sides, with a particular focus on supporting pathways to employment for participants in Community Violence Intervention (CVI) programs. The Hiring Initiative works on both sides of the labor market—helping companies attract and retain talent while strengthening the capacity of workforce development organizations. The Initiative supports local hiring through place-based investing, apprenticeships, direct hiring, and third-party partnerships.

The Civic Committee’s focus on job placements for CVI participants connects the Hiring Initiative to major investments the Civic Committee has made to increase the scale and reach of those programs in selected neighborhoods.

Essential Functions

Reporting to the Director of the Hiring Initiative, the Associate Director will play a key role in strengthening relationships with community-based workforce development organizations, with a special emphasis on those working in Community Violence Intervention (CVI). The Associate Director will help align workforce partners with hiring opportunities, ensure community-based organizations are responsive to employer needs, and facilitate stronger coordination between companies and implementation partners.

This role will require a deep understanding of the workforce development landscape on Chicago’s South and West Sides, including the barriers facing job seekers impacted by violence or the criminal legal system and the resources needed to overcome them. The Associate Director will serve as a connector between employers and the Civic Committee’s network of workforce development partners, helping to ensure that hiring pathways are inclusive, sustainable, and rooted in community expertise.

Primary Responsibilities

• Build…