Director of Workforce Development; Business Partnership Consultant

Department CAMPUS ADMINISTRATION AND FINA (SB-ADAF-IUSBA)
Department Information Indiana University (IU) South Bend is committed to serving as a regional partner in strengthening the workforce and supporting the economic vitality of North Central Indiana and the greater Michiana region. Through collaboration with employers, community organizations, workforce agencies, and academic partners, the university seeks to expand pathways connecting education, talent development, and regional workforce needs.

Job Summary The Director of Workforce Development will lead a new campus-wide workforce development initiative focused on building strategic employer partnerships and connecting regional workforce needs with the educational resources and expertise of IU South Bend. As a new initiative, this position offers an opportunity to help shape IU South Bend's approach to workforce development and establish partnerships that support students, employers, community members, and the economic vitality of the region.

• Proactively engages employers to understand their current and emerging talent needs and develops responsive solutions that may include customized and non-credit training, professional development, certificates and credentials, bachelor's degree completion, graduate education, and other credit-bearing opportunities.
• Develops long-term relationships with employers that create educational pathways for their employees while also generating enrollment, revenue, experiential learning opportunities, and broader strategic value for IU South Bend.
• Works across academic and administrative units, the Director serves as an internal connector who translates employer needs into actionable opportunities and helps coordinate the university's response.
• Reports directly to the Vice Chancellor for Administration and Finance.
• Develops and implements a comprehensive workforce development strategy that aligns IU South Bend resources, academic programs, and institutional priorities with regional workforce and economic development needs.
• Establishes, cultivates, and maintains strategic relationships with employers, industry leaders, workforce development agencies, economic development organizations, community partners, and other external stakeholders.
• Engages employers and community partners to identify current and emerging workforce needs, skills gaps, and opportunities for education, training, and talent development.
• Collaborates with academic schools, faculty, and administrative units to identify and develop educational and workforce solutions responsive to employer and regional needs.
• Identifies opportunities to expand internships, work-based learning, experiential learning, professional development, and other pathways connecting students and community members with employers.
• Develops mutually beneficial partnerships that create opportunities for IU South Bend students while strengthening the university's role as a regional workforce and economic development partner.
• Identifies and pursues external funding opportunities, grants, corporate partnerships, sponsor ships, and other resources that support workforce development initiatives and strategic university priorities.
• Develops employer partnerships that create pathways for incumbent workers to access IU South Bend educational opportunities, including customized and non-credit training, certificates, bachelor's degree completion, graduate programs, and other credit-bearing educational opportunities.
• Conducts and utilizes labor market, employer, industry, and regional economic data to identify workforce trends and inform program development and partnership strategies.
• Coordinates workforce development activities across campus and serves as a primary point of contact for external organizations seeking to partner with IU South Bend on workforce and talent development initiatives.
• Develops a financially sustainable workforce and employer partnership model that generates new revenue, expands enrollment, and creates long-term value for IU South Bend and its regional partners.
• Develops goals, metrics, and reporting mechanisms to evaluate the effectiveness and regional impact of workforce development partnerships and initiatives.
• Represents IU South Bend at employer, workforce development, economic development, and community meetings, events, and regional initiatives.
• Maintains awareness of regional and national workforce trends and recommends new initiatives and partnership…