Workforce Programs Manager

The Role

Hadrian is building the most advanced manufacturing platform in the world. As we expand into new markets and launch new factory locations, our ability to develop local talent pipelines through institutional partnerships isn’t a nice-to-have — it’s a prerequisite for a successful factory launch.

We’re looking for a Workforce Programs Manager to own Hadrian’s external training strategy and the institutional relationships that build our talent pipeline across the communities where we operate. This is a new function — you’re the first hire in it — and it’s tied directly to our factory expansion roadmap.

You’ll develop the framework for when Hadrian trains internally versus through external partners, build and manage a portfolio of community colleges, universities, trade schools, veteran programs, and high school partnerships, and ensure external programs meet Hadrian’s standards and integrate cleanly with internal onboarding. This is a role for someone who understands how educational institutions actually operate, can translate complex workforce needs into actionable program designs, and is energized by building something that doesn’t exist yet.

The right person is equally comfortable in a boardroom with a college president and on a factory floor with a Training Lead.

• Develop and maintain a framework for determining whether a training need is best met internally or through an external partner
• Map and prioritize institutional partners by geographic market, program fit, and pipeline potential
• Own the long-term strategy for building Hadrian’s talent pipeline across all markets, including identifying non-traditional pathways through veteran programs and industry associations

• Build and manage a portfolio of active institutional partnerships — community colleges, universities, trade schools, veteran programs, industry associations, and dual-enrollment high school pathways
• Represent Hadrian in partner negotiations, MOU development, and ongoing relationship management with institutional leadership
• Oversee Hadrian’s existing high school internship program and expand similar models into new markets

• Work with external partners to ensure their programs align with Hadrian’s technical and behavioral standards
• Own curriculum review and approval for outsourced training programs, providing specific, actionable feedback and holding partners to defined quality benchmarks
• Collaborate with Training Operations to ensure external program outputs integrate smoothly with internal onboarding and close gaps between what external programs produce and what Hadrian actually needs

• Establish success metrics for each partner relationship and run regular performance reviews against those standards
• Track cohort outcomes for externally trained candidates and use that data to refine partner strategy over time
• Manage grant opportunities and external funding that support partner program development
• Maintain systems and documentation that give internal stakeholders clear visibility into the external training pipeline

• Build Hadrian’s reputation as a partner of choice in the communities where we operate
• Create relationships that support long-term talent development and workforce sustainability across all Hadrian markets

• 7+ years in workforce development, partner success, educational program management, or a related field
• Demonstrated experience managing relationships with educational institutions — including navigating institutional bureaucracy and building durable agreements
• Background in instructional design, curriculum review, or training operations with an ability to evaluate program quality against defined standards
• Track record of building or significantly growing a partnership function, not just maintaining one
• Strong cross-functional communication — you can represent workforce needs to factory leadership and translate operational realities back to institutional partners
• Comfort operating in an environment where the playbook is still being written
• Bachelor’s degree in…