Senior Director School of Trades

Under the direction of the Chief Education Officer, the Senior Director, School of Trades provides academic, operational, and strategic leadership for all Helms College skilled trades programs across Augusta and Macon. The Senior Director works collaboratively with internal leadership, instructors, vendors, employers, community partners, and industry associations to build high-quality training programs that prepare participants for industry-recognized credentials, career advancement, and employment in high-demand trade occupations. 

The School of Trades Senior Director is responsible for aligning School of Trades offerings with regional workforce needs; maintaining compliance with applicable education, credentialing, and funding requirements. Supports Admissions and Marketing through program tours, demonstrations, recruitment events, school outreach, and accurate communication of program offerings, schedules, capacity, and career opportunities. This role uses labor-market information, employer feedback, participant data, and program-performance results to continuously improve training pathways and ensure that School of Trades programs meet employer, community, accreditation, and industry needs. 

• Manages all Helms College skilled trades programs across Augusta and Macon, including current and future programs. 

• Leads the planning, development, scheduling, launch, and ongoing management of School of Trades training programs, including short-term credentialing, pre-apprenticeship, apprenticeship support, and employment-focused skills training. 

• Develops and maintains relationships with employers, trade associations, labor organizations, contractors, workforce partners, educational institutions, and community organizations to identify current and emerging skilled-trades workforce needs. 

• Direct supervision and leadership of skilled trades faculty and campus Lead Instructors, including recruiting, interviewing, onboarding, evaluating, coaching, and developing faculty. 

• Collaborates with employers and industry partners to align curriculum, equipment, instructional methods, work-based learning, credential requirements, and job-placement expectations with real-world workplace needs. 

• Responsibility for faculty schedules and teaching assignments, classroom/lab observations, instructional quality, and consistent delivery of the approved curriculum and learning outcomes. 

• A teaching requirement of at least one course per semester in a skilled trades discipline for which the Director meets Helms College faculty qualifications. 

• Accountability for student outcomes, including attendance, retention, completion, credential attainment, and placement, as well as responsibility for developing improvement plans when outcomes or individual programs are not meeting expectations. 

• Full oversight of laboratories, tools, equipment, supplies, inventory control, preventive maintenance, equipment replacement, consumables, safety, and overall instructional readiness. 

• Scheduling and capacity planning across programs and campuses, including faculty availability, lab space, equipment, course sequencing, enrollment, and recommendations regarding additional sections and day/evening offerings. 

• Responsibility for accreditation and regulatory readiness, faculty qualification documentation, curriculum and assessment records, program approvals, and leadership of program advisory committees. 

• Budget and resource stewardship, including operating and capital needs, equipment planning, faculty utilization, facilities, and recommendations for future program investment. 

• Development and launch of new skilled trades programs, credentials, schedules, delivery models, and campus offerings. 

• Partners with Career Services to strengthen employer engagement, job readiness, work-based learning, placement opportunities, and career pathways for skilled trades students. 

REPORTS TO 

Chief Education Officer

QUALIFICATIONS  

• Associate degree, technical credential, apprenticeship completion, or recognized industry preparation appropriate to a skilled trades discipline. 

• Must meet Helms College faculty qualification requirements for at least one course within an assigned skilled trades program. 

• Minimum of seven years of progressively responsible industry, technical education, workforce training, or related skilled trades  experience. 

• Minimum of three years of demonstrated supervisory, academic leadership, or program management experience. 

• Bachelor’s degree preferred.