Description

Job Title: Director of Employment & Training
Salary: $80,000 annually
Benefits: Health, dental, vision, life, long term disability, 401K plus match, holidays, paid time off, paid winter break
Department: Employment & Training
Position Type: Full-Time, Exempt
Location: Evanston, IL & Chicagoland area
Travel Required: Travel Required (Chicagoland area)

About Youth Job Center

Youth Job Center (YJC) is a leading provider of employment-related services for youth in the Chicagoland area, serving more than 20,000 young people during our 40+ year history. YJC was founded in Evanston, IL on the belief that young adults are an undeveloped community asset— a valuable, untapped source of energy, talent, and productivity in the workplace. YJC now reaches youth across the Chicagoland area.

YJC is a workforce development and job placement agency that prepares young people, aged 14-25, with a plan, a path, and a placement towards economic independence. We do this by providing our clients with employment opportunities, workforce readiness training, personalized career coaching, and barrier reduction services.

Position Overview 

The Director of Employment & Training is responsible for managing YJC’s job placement and professional development initiatives. This role ensures high-quality delivery of employment and placement services that support participants in securing employment and the professional skills that assist them in sustaining employment after placement. The Director provides strategic leadership, manages staff and partners, ensures compliance with funder requirements and advances the organization’s mission through strong employer and community relationships. This role reports to the Executive Director and oversees the development, delivery and scheduling of all professional development trainings, known as Workforce Readiness Trainings (WRT), Financial Opportunities and Literacy development, and High School (in-school) Career Exploration. 

 *This position is hybrid and requires regular travel throughout the Chicagoland area. A reliable method of transportation is needed for travel throughout the Chicagoland area for internal and external meetings and events.

Primary Responsibilities 

Program Leadership & Strategy

•  Lead the vision, strategy, and continuous improvement of YJC’s employment and training team and programs aligned with organizational goals
•  Ensure continuous development of employment placement opportunities for both in-school and out-of-school youth
•  Design and oversee workforce readiness and high school program training curricula, job placement services, and financial literacy training
•  Ensure programs are accessible, equitable, and responsive to populations facing barriers to employment
•  Center participant voice and lived experience in program design and evaluation
•  Supervise YJC’s Workforce Readiness Coordinator to develop and train staff and volunteers to assist in teaching WRT modules and workshops
•  Conduct regular review and revision of training programs to ensure delivery of high quality, cost-effective training programs
•  Supervise financial coach and grant management (federal and non-federal funding) for the YJC Financial Opportunities Center Services and outcomes (FOC)

 Partnership & Employer Engagement

•  Manage the building, collaboration and retention of employer relationships to align training with labor market needs and secure job placements
•  Engage partners to participate in YJC career panels, trainings, job fairs, paid work experiences, job shadow
•  In collaboration with YJC leadership, develop planning for YJC’s general volunteer program  
•  Build and maintain strong relationships with employers, training providers, funders, and community partners Liaison for Evanston Township High School,   Chicago Public Schools, other interested school districts
•  Represent YJC in workforce development coalitions, community ad hoc committees, public forums
•  Organize and engage partners in YJC career panels, trainings, job fairs, hiring events, paid work experience

Compliance, Reporting & Resource Management

•  Use data and outcomes to drive program decisions, innovation, and growth
•  Establish performance measures for service delivery, check results with observation and qualitative surveys
•  Ensure programs meet all grant, contract, and regulatory requirements
•  Oversee data collection, outcome tracking, and reporting to funders and stakeholders
•  Develop and maintain policies, procedures, and best practices to ensure service quality
•  Monitor expenditures and ensure cost-effective use of resources
•  Ensure programs meet all grant, contract, and regulatory requirements as contribution to grant development, renewal, and sustainability planning

Climate & Culture 

•  Reinforce a positive culture of teamwork, continuous learning, accountability, solution orientation and data-driven decision making
•  Document internal staffing practices including onboarding and professional development 
•  Serve as ambassador, participating in community events
•  Support a high-performing culture, committed to delivering short and long-term results prioritizing continuous learning, goal orientation, accountability,   and data-driven decision-making
•  Ensure consistent administration of program policies and procedure
•  Foster a positive working environment for all employees
•  Participate in Board Meetings and Executive Committee Meetings as needed
•  Other duties as assigned

Requirements

Education/Work Experience 

•  Bachelor’s degree in social services, education, workforce development, public administration, or a related field (master's preferred)
•  5–7 years of experience in workforce development, employment training, or nonprofit program leadership
•  3+ years of staff management experience
•  Demonstrated success managing grants or contracts and meeting outcome targets
•  Strong understanding of workforce systems, employer engagement, and career pathway models
•  Experience working with youth/young adults

 Specific Technical/Job-Related Skills

•  Strong technology/computer software & hardware knowledge, comfortable teaching basic computer skills
•  Strategic thinking and program design
•  Strong leadership, coaching, and communication skills
•  Data-driven decision-making and reporting
•  Relationship-building with diverse stakeholders
•  Excellent organizational and problem-solving abilities