Workforce & Economic Mobility Director

Location: Iowa

At YSS, we believe a job can be more than a paycheck. Meaningful employment can build confidence, create stability, strengthen connections, and open the door to a future a young person may not have imagined for themselves.

The Director of Workforce & Economic Mobility will lead the development of that future.

This position provides strategic leadership for YSS’s workforce development, career readiness, and economic mobility initiatives—creating pathways that connect youth, young adults, and families to education, training, employment, career advancement, and financial stability.

You’ll bring together programs, people, employers, educators, workforce systems, and community partners to create opportunities that are practical, innovative, and built for the real-world barriers many of the young people we serve face.

This is a role for a builder—someone who sees possibilities, connects the dots, and knows that sometimes the most powerful thing we can do is help someone see a future they didn’t think was possible.

What You'll Do...Workforce Strategy & Program Leadership Develop and lead an organization-wide workforce and economic mobility strategy aligned with YSS’s mission and strategic priorities.

Build a continuum of workforce opportunities that supports participants from career exploration and workforce readiness through education, training, credential attainment, employment, and career advancement.

Integrate workforce development into existing YSS programs and service models.

Develop innovative approaches that address barriers to employment, including housing instability, homelessness, recovery, mental health, and system involvement.

Identify emerging workforce trends, industries, and opportunities that can expand career options for YSS participants.

Economic Mobility & Career Pathways Develop career pathways that promote long-term employment, financial stability, and economic independence.

Connect participants to internships, apprenticeships, work-based learning, job shadowing, training, credentialing, and employment opportunities.

Help participants build the skills, confidence, professional relationships, and experience needed to enter and advance in the workforce.

Partner with YSS programs to connect participants with education, training, employment, and economic mobility resources.

Ensure workforce initiatives are strengths-based, trauma-informed, accessible, and responsive to participant needs.

Organizational Collaboration & Partnerships Collaborate with YSS program leaders to identify workforce needs, opportunities, and gaps across the organization.

Provide leadership, coaching, accountability, and professional development to build a strong workforce development team.

Supervise workforce development staff, coordinators, peer mentors, interns, and future program personnel

Serve as a strategic resource to leadership on workforce development and economic mobility.

Develop and maintain partnerships with employers, workforce boards, educational institutions, training providers, community organizations, and philanthropic partners.

Create employer engagement strategies that expand access to internships, apprenticeships, work-based learning, career exploration, and employment pipelines.

Coordinate across programs and departments to create a cohesive, organization-wide approach to workforce development.

Represent YSS in community and regional workforce initiatives.

Lived Experience Workforce Development Develop and oversee pathways that support former YSS participants in pursuing employment within YSS and related human service fields.

Create opportunities for individuals to progress from participant to peer mentor, workforce participant, staff member, and future leader.

Establish training, mentoring, supervision, and professional development supports for individuals entering the workforce through lived experience pathways.

Partner with YSS programs to meaningfully incorporate youth voice and lived experience into program development and service delivery.

Identify opportunities to strengthen YSS’s workforce and organizational culture through lived experience.

Program Evaluation & Sustainability Establish measurable…