Assistant Executive Director, Postsecondary and Talent Development - Federal Programs

Position Vacancy:
Assistant Executive Director, Postsecondary and Talent Development - Federal Programs Characteristics of Work

The Assistant Executive Director serves as the agency’s lead resource on federal postsecondary policy changes impacting Career and Technical Education, including Workforce Pell eligibility, outcomes-based accountability, curriculum alignment, Eligible Training Provider List alignment, and related federal compliance requirements. This position also provides support and coordination to Mississippi’s community colleges in areas where Career and Technical Education intersects with Adult Education, Title IV eligible programs, Workforce Pell, the Eligible Training Provider List, and federal accountability requirements.

This position interprets and communicates applicable federal legislation, regulations, and guidance, and supports colleges with implementation as it relates to federal grants and programs administered through the Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education, including relevant requirements under the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Labor.

The Assistant Executive Director also provides statewide leadership, coordination, and support for professional development, technical assistance, curriculum-related initiatives, programs of study, and instructional delivery models serving Career and Technical Education faculty, staff, and administrators. This position works collaboratively with appropriate team members, the Director of Adult Education, secondary CTE leadership, workforce partners, and industry stakeholders to strengthen alignment across secondary education, postsecondary education, Adult Education, workforce training, and employment pathways.

As federal priorities increasingly emphasize stronger coordination among Carl

D. Perkins V, WIOA, Adult Education, and DOL-managed workforce programs, this position supports the development of a more cohesive talent development system that connects learners to industry-driven career pathways leading to high-skill, high-wage, and in-demand occupations. This work helps reduce fragmentation between K-12 CTE, post‑secondary CTE, Adult Education, DOL’s Title 1 and III programs and the public workforce development system, while supporting Mississippi’s community colleges in responding to evolving workforce, industry, and federal accountability expectations.

This role supports the State’s workforce vision by strengthening alignment among education, adult education, workforce development, and industry partners to prepare students for high-skill, high-wage, and in-demand occupations; support sustainable talent pipelines; and contribute to improved employment, earnings, and labor force participation outcomes.

Examples of work performed in this position include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Supervise Curriculum staff and provide leadership, direction, and support to advance agency priorities related to curriculum alignment, technical assistance, professional development, and postsecondary Career and Technical Education initiatives.
• Provide leadership, guidance, and technical assistance to the community colleges to strengthen program design, instructional delivery, curriculum alignment, and documentation practices in support of evolving federal program requirements, the State’s workforce vision, and continued program eligibility.
• Serve as a key resource for interpreting and communicating federal postsecondary policy changes impacting Career and Technical Education, including Workforce Pell eligibility, outcomes-based accountability, intersections with WIOA, Eligible Training Provider List requirements, and related federal compliance expectations, and develop practical resources and technical assistance tools to support college implementation.
• Collaborate with Accelerate MS, local workforce development areas, Adult Education, secondary CTE partners, Registered Apprenticeship partners, industry representatives, and other workforce stakeholders to support stronger alignment among education, training, and workforce system priorities.
• Support the alignment of postsecondary programs of…