Workforce Engagement Specialist

About Columbus Fashion Alliance

Columbus Fashion Alliance (CFA) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating positive impact for people and the planet through fashion. CFA works to strengthen the fashion economy through workforce development, advanced manufacturing, entrepreneurship, retail, and industry partnerships.

These are the values that guide every decision at CFA—and what we look for in the people who join us.

Candidates should be prepared to demonstrate these values through the hiring process, and performance in this role will be evaluated against them as part of ongoing performance reviews.

• Innovation — We challenge convention to build what fashion needs next.
• Creativity — We turn bold ideas into original, expressive work.
• Equity & Access — We open doors to opportunity for every community we serve.
• Learning — We grow on purpose, and we help others grow too.
• Community — We build belonging through connection and collaboration.
• Impact — We measure success by the lasting change we create.

The Workforce Engagement Specialist is a key member of CFA’s Workforce Development Division (WDD), serving as the critical bridge between job seekers and the fashion industry employers who hire them. This role delivers direct career services to program participants while building and sustaining the employer relationships across the fashion ecosystem that create living-wage job opportunities.

The ideal candidate is a skilled connector with a genuine passion for the fashion industry — equally comfortable coaching a job seeker through a resume and sitting across the table from an HR Director at a fashion brand, manufacturer, or retailer to negotiate a hiring partnership. This person brings a strong commitment to equity, a talent for relationship‑building, and the organizational discipline to manage data and compliance with care.

We are especially interested in candidates who bring real‑world knowledge of the fashion industry — through direct experience, professional networks, or sustained engagement with fashion brands, retailers, or manufacturers — and who can translate that knowledge into stronger program design and employer engagement for CFA’s participants. Candidates whose closest experience is in adjacent disciplines such as HR, talent acquisition, training, or professional development are also encouraged to apply if they bring genuine industry knowledge or networks.

Beyond the qualifications below, three things distinguish a great fit for this role.

• Connector — Genuinely energized by getting out and engaging new employers and partners to uncover opportunity. You go find where the openings are, not just wait for them to come to you.
• Listener/Translator — Able to absorb what employers need and communicate it back to CFA’s programming team, so curriculum evolves to meet real employer demand rather than assumptions about it.
• Communicator/Matchmaker — Able to relay what employers need to participants, help develop them toward those needs, and connect them to the right roles—generalizing what you learn from employers into how CFA approaches workforce development overall, not just one‑on‑one matches.

• Deliver individualized job-readiness services including resume development, interview preparation, and professional skills coaching tailored to fashion industry hiring practices.
• Support participants through the full placement process—from job matching through offer acceptance.
• Provide retention and follow-up services for placed participants for up to one year post‑exit.
• Identify and help address participant barriers to employment in partnership with the broader WDD team.

• Cultivate, develop, and maintain a portfolio of employer partnerships across the fashion ecosystem—including fashion brands, designers, manufacturers, retailers, and supply chain operators—that lead to living-wage job placements for CFA graduates.
• Engage employers as active partners in both talent pipeline development and program development, bringing a…