Director of Career Connected Learning and Workforce Innovation

Director Of Career Connected Learning And Workforce Development

The Director of Career Connected Learning and Workforce Development serves as a key program leader within the Department, coordinating the vision for the CO-WIL Community of Practice and supporting statewide alignment to ensure career-connected learning is integrated into the postsecondary experience in Colorado. This position provides administrative oversight to the Colorado Work Integrated Learning (CO-WIL) Program Manager and collaborates to align higher education's career services and workforce development units to meet the economic needs of the state of Colorado.

This position supervises one (1) employee: CO-WIL Program Manager

This is an intermediate-level management position responsible for the implementation, cross-agency coordination, and operational oversight of the career-connected learning and workforce development efforts for the Department of Higher Education. The incumbent manages complex, systemic program initiatives involving administrative accountability and collaborative decision-making responsibilities, including tracking program evaluations, assisting with state-level policy implementation, and executing defined strategic objectives. The duties require a strong level of independence, initiative, and professional discretion within established statutory guidelines.

Job duties include:

• Coordinate with the Chief Educational Impact Officer and Director of Industry Partnerships to support the statewide agenda for workforce mobility and social equity.
• Provide day-to-day leadership and guidance to the CO-WIL Program Manager, ensuring the CO-WIL Community of Practice effectively connects with the broader CO-WIL Consortium and state workforce goals.
• Manage the statewide CDHE Career Connected Campus Designation review process, ensuring institutional submissions align with established state criteria and providing professional feedback to institutional staff.
• Convene and facilitate meetings with Colorado's 2-year and 4-year career services and workforce development managers to coordinate institutional efforts into a cohesive statewide strategy.
• Collaborate with the DHE Student Success and Academic Affairs team to help integrate career and academic advising structures across postsecondary systems.
• Engage and provide institutions of higher education access to relevant statewide workforce development resources, data, and reports.
• Participate in cross-agency meetings to discuss higher education's role in developing talent for the state and advocate for the role of higher education career services units in workforce development.
• Support policy development and handle the practical implementation of workforce and career-connected learning initiatives.
• Represent the Department on the State Apprenticeship Agency's State Apprenticeship Council as a non-voting ad-hoc member.
• Represent the Department at Education and Training meetings with the Colorado Workforce Development Council.
• Connect resources available to postsecondary students and local workforce development centers.
• Work with institutions of higher education and other state agencies to apply for federal and state grants related to workforce development.
• Support and participate in the Department's efforts to align with career-connected learning and workforce development, including leveraging outside intermediaries, associations, and vendors to maximize work-based learning and employment opportunities for Colorado's higher education students.
• Proactively explore, evaluate and apply AI tools to build efficiencies into unit systems, processes and workflows; accelerates analysis and reporting; and support ideation and innovative program design, while modeling responsible and ethical AI use consistent with department and state guidance.
• Champion the adoption of effective and responsible AI practices within the unit and among institutional career services and workforce development partners, in alignment with the department's AI related initiatives.
• Network with and utilize resources from national organizations.
• Other duties, as assigned.

Qualifications include:

Education:

Bachelor's degree from an accredited university or college in education, higher education, public policy, human resources, business administration, or a related field.

Experience:

Five (5) years of supervisory and leadership experience working within postsecondary career services or workforce development within an educational organization or state agency of higher education

Licenses and

Certifications:

Valid Colorado driver's license and compliance with all requirements for driving a state vehicle are required throughout term of employment.

Knowledge of:

• Comprehensive understanding of career advising within postsecondary systems, including the ability to intentionally connect career development to academics, co/curricular experiences, faculty partnerships.
• Understanding of current topics in postsecondary career services and workforce development including…