Director, Workforce Development

Mission Statement: Homeboy Industries provides hope, training, and support to formerly gang-involved and recently incarcerated people, allowing them to redirect their lives and become contributing members of our community.

The Director of Workforce Development provides strategic leadership, oversight, and management of Homeboy Industries' Workforce Development Department. This position is responsible for designing, implementing, evaluating, and continuously improving workforce development programs that prepare participants for sustainable employment, career advancement, and economic self-sufficiency.

The Director oversees workforce development staff, employment counselors, job developers, workforce training initiatives, employer engagement strategies, grant performance, participant outcomes, and departmental operations. The position ensures exceptional service delivery to Homeboy participants while cultivating partnerships with employers, community organizations, educational institutions, public agencies, and workforce system partners throughout Los Angeles County and the Southern California region.

The Director serves as a key organizational leader, ensuring that all workforce programs align with Homeboy Industries' mission, strategic goals, grant requirements, funder expectations, and best practices in trauma-informed, participant-centered workforce development.

• Provide overall leadership, direction, and accountability for all Workforce Development programs and initiatives.
• Develop and implement departmental goals, performance metrics, strategic priorities, and annual work plans.
• Create innovative workforce development strategies that increase participant employment outcomes, job retention, credential attainment, and career pathway opportunities.
• Lead department-wide planning, evaluation, and continuous improvement efforts to strengthen service delivery and participant engagement.
• Develop systems, processes, and tools that improve coordination across Workforce Development, Programs, Partnerships, Grants, Finance, and other internal departments.
• Prepare reports, updates, and presentations for executive leadership, board committees, funders, and external stakeholders.

• Oversee employment services, job readiness workshops, career coaching, job placement, job retention services, digital literacy supports, apprenticeship pathways, sector-based training programs, and workforce-related grant initiatives.
• Ensure high-quality case management, employment planning, follow-up, and supportive services are delivered consistently across all workforce programs.
• Establish and monitor standards for participant engagement, service delivery, documentation, attendance tracking, follow-up services, and outcome verification.
• Ensure participants receive meaningful support with resumes, applications, mock interviews, employment referrals, school or training enrollment, and career navigation.
• Evaluate program effectiveness and implement improvements based on data, participant needs, employer feedback, staff input, and labor market trends.
• Promote accessible, in-person, and hands-on services for participants who need additional support with technology, digital literacy, employment navigation, and workforce readiness.

• Directly supervise Workforce Development managers and other assigned staff; provide oversight to employment counselors, job developers, program support staff, interns, and related team members as appropriate.
• Provide coaching, mentoring, professional development, supervision, and performance management in alignment with Homeboy Industries policies and values.
• Establish clear expectations, accountability standards, and measurable goals for staff and program teams.
• Lead regular department meetings, case conferencing sessions, supervision meetings, workflow planning, and cross-functional collaboration.
• Support recruitment, hiring, onboarding, training, and retention of workforce development staff.
• Foster a collaborative, trauma-informed, mission-driven workplace culture that emphasizes professionalism, accountability, teamwork, and participant-centered service.

• Develop, expand, and maintain strategic relationships with employers throughout Los Angeles County and the Southern California region.
• Create employment pipelines that lead to quality jobs, career advancement, apprenticeships, on-the-job training, industry-recognized credentials, and living-wage career opportunities.
• Oversee employer outreach, hiring events, job fairs, business services, direct placement strategies, targeted local hire opportunities, and employer referral processes.
• Represent Homeboy Industries with chambers of commerce, workforce boards, employer collaboratives, business councils, industry associations, community roundtables, and sector partnerships.
• Promote Homeboy participants as a skilled, resilient, and work-ready talent pipeline while maintaining strong relationships with hiring partners.
• Identify employment opportunities in high-growth sectors such as construction, transportation and logistics, hospitality, healthcare, information technology, clean energy, manufacturing, public sector careers, social services, and the creative economy.

• Ensure compliance with all workforce-related grant, contract, and funding requirements.
• Monitor performance outcomes, deliverables, documentation standards, participant eligibility, service records, and outcome verification across multiple funding streams.
• Collaborate with Development, Finance, Grants, Program Leadership, and Executive Leadership on grant proposals, budgets, reporting, forecasting, and program sustainability.
• Review and approve required reports for funders, public agencies, government partners, and organizational leadership.
• Ensure case notes, participant files, employer files, referral records, supportive service documentation, job placement records, and retention outcomes are accurate, complete, timely, and audit-ready.
• Prepare for audits, monitoring visits, funder reviews, program evaluations, and internal quality assurance processes.

• Build and maintain strong relationships with workforce development boards, American Job Centers of California, educational institutions, training providers, community-based organizations, government agencies, philanthropic partners, and reentry-focused service providers.
• Develop educational, vocational, certification, and occupational training pathways for participants.
• Establish referral agreements and collaborative partnerships that improve participant access to supportive services, education, transportation, housing resources, digital literacy, and employment opportunities.
• Participate in regional workforce initiatives, community coalitions, partner convenings, employer workgroups, and sector-based planning efforts.
• Ensure the department stays informed of labor market trends, public workforce priorities, and emerging career pathway opportunities.

• Develop, maintain, and improve systems to monitor workforce program performance, service delivery, and participant outcomes.
• Use Care4, Excel, shared databases, case management tools, and other reporting systems to track participant progress, services, employer engagement, placements, retention, and grant outcomes.
• Analyze labor market data, employment trends, participant feedback, and outcome metrics to guide planning and program improvement.
• Ensure timely and accurate collection, review, and reporting of participant and employer data.
• Provide regular outcome updates and recommendations to executive leadership.

• Develop, manage, and monitor departmental budgets in partnership with Finance and Executive Leadership.
• Ensure responsible stewardship of departmental, grant, and restricted resources.
• Monitor expenditures, staffing allocations, program costs, and funding priorities.
• Identify opportunities for program growth, sustainability, and resource development.

• Bachelor's degree in Workforce Development, Human Services, Business Administration, Public Administration, Social Work, Education, Nonprofit Management, or a related field required.
• Master's degree preferred.

• Minimum of seven years of progressively responsible workforce development, employment services, job development, nonprofit program leadership, or related experience.
• Minimum of five years of leadership, staff supervision, and performance management experience.
• Experience managing workforce grants, contracts, public funding, compliance documentation, budgets, and performance outcomes.
• Demonstrated success developing employer partnerships, job placement initiatives, training pathways, or sector-based workforce strategies.
• Experience working with vulnerable populations, including justice-impacted individuals, formerly incarcerated individuals, individuals experiencing homelessness, individuals with disabilities, and low-income communities.
• Experience working in a mission-driven nonprofit or community-based organization strongly preferred.

• Strong knowledge of workforce development systems, employer engagement strategies, job readiness services, and career pathway models.
• Understanding of labor market trends, high-growth sectors, workforce boards, public workforce systems, and community-based employment partnerships.
• Ability to lead, coach, support, and hold teams accountable in a complex, participant-centered service environment.
• Excellent communication, facilitation, presentation, and relationship-building skills.
• Strong data analysis, reporting, project management, and continuous improvement skills.
• Ability to manage multiple programs, grants, deadlines, priorities, and stakeholder expectations simultaneously.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, case management systems, databases, spreadsheets, and reporting tools.
• Ability to maintain professional boundaries and sound judgment when working with participants, staff, employers, partners, and community stakeholders.
• Deep commitment to trauma-informed care, restorative practice, second chances, and the mission and values of Homeboy Industries.

• Combination of office, program, employer, community, and field-based work environments.
• Frequent interaction with participants, staff, employers, community partners, funders, and public agencies.
• Regular and prompt attendance on site is required to support participant services, staff supervision, employer relations, community partnerships, and program operations.
• Local travel throughout Los Angeles County and surrounding areas is required; reliable transportation, valid driver’s license, and proof of insurance may be required.
• Occasional evening and weekend work may be required based on program, participant, employer, or organizational needs.
• Must be able to sit, stand, walk, talk, hear, use a computer, and occasionally lift or carry up to 25 pounds; reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Embrace a “do whatever it takes” approach to serving the Homeboy Industries community.
• Maintain confidentiality, professionalism, and a safe work environment at all times.
• Demonstrate respect, courtesy, compassion, accountability, and professionalism in all interactions.
• Be proactive, creative, flexible, and solution-oriented in addressing challenges and improving services.
• Organize and prioritize multiple activities to meet internal and external deadlines.
• Thrive in a work environment that emphasizes teamwork, collaboration, participant engagement, and mission alignment.
• Respond in a timely manner to communications and operational needs.
• Perform other duties as assigned by supervisor, executive leadership, or organizational need.

• Employment placement outcomes, job quality, and job retention performance.
• Participant engagement, completion, credential attainment, and career advancement outcomes.
• Growth and quality of employer partnerships and workforce pipelines.
• Grant compliance, funder reporting, audit readiness, and outcome achievement.
• Staff performance, supervision quality, professional development, and retention.
• Budget management, program sustainability, and responsible use of resources.
• Department-wide performance improvements and contribution to Homeboy Industries’ strategic objectives.