Vice President, Employer Alignment

The Vice President of Employer Engagement (VP-EE) is a full-time leadership position within Strada Education Foundation (Strada) responsible for leading Strada’s Employer Engagement efforts in partnership with the SVP Employer Engagement (SVP-EE). This role reports directly to the SVP-EE and sits within the Employer Alignment pillar.

The Employer Alignment pillar at Strada is focused on the idea that all individuals should have access to postsecondary programs that lead to quality jobs and mobility. The VP-EE will work directly with national, state, and regional employer-focused organizations involved in talent. This includes economic development, chambers of commerce, trade associations, CEO groups, and other intermediaries. In many cases, this role will also interface with state higher education and workforce development agencies. Strada envisions that the majority of work will occur in partnership with states.

The VP-EE will build robust relationships with stakeholders. They will be asked to listen and learn and roll up their sleeves to find ways to promote policies and practices that improve the alignment of education and labor market opportunities . This includes applying research and data from Strada Institute for the Future of Work (also housed in the employer alignment pillar) to diagnose challenges and identify solutions. Focal areas include:

- Working with partners to develop integrated state talent strategies

- Removing disincentives and establishing new postsecondary funding models for high-wage high-demand programs

- Working with national partners on skills-first talent management efforts

- Cultivating pilots and demonstrations to improve education to employment 

A successful candidate should be open to roughly 15-20% travel, in the first 1-2 years. The successful candidate should be based in Strada’s regional hub in Washington, D.C. Strada currently has a hybrid work schedule, with team members working in the office at least two days per week.

The VP-EE must be a creative leader who understands state policy and practice in talent. The leader should have a robust understanding of the education-to-employment landscape and the challenges and opportunities within it. The VP should have a strong background in strategic partnerships and specific experience in economic development and/or with chambers of commerce is a plus. The successful candidate must be based in Strada’s Washington, D.C. regional hub.

Context

In late 2022, Strada adopted an ambitious North Star – to collaborate with learners, educators, employers, and policymakers across the U.S. to bring to life a postsecondary education and training ecosystem that provides equitable pathways to opportunity – as well as a comprehensive strategic plan to achieve it. Five areas of emphasis (strategic pillars) have been identified, and operational plans for specific initiatives that will help the field advance have been developed, aligned with the five pillars.

Strada supports programs, policies, and organizations that strengthen connections between education and employment in the U.S., with a special focus on helping those who have faced the greatest challenges securing economic opportunity through postsecondary education or training (PSET). Our strategic plan (2023-2026) focuses on five pillars: clear outcomes, quality coaching, affordable PSET, work-based learning, and employer alignment. We work with partners in education and training, nonprofit organizations, industry, startups, and public policy. We leverage strategic philanthropy, investments, research, communications, policy solutions, and nonprofit subsidiaries as tools to help advance equitable pathways to opportunity. Strada offers a dynamic, collaborative, and inspiring professional environment that provides learning and professional development opportunities, both within the organization and with external partners.

Key Responsibilities

The VP-EE has three core responsibility areas, listed below with approximate time required.

Area 1: Develop and Execute Mission-Aligned Strategic Partnerships with Employer Community(60%)

• Forge partnerships with 25-50 national, state, and regional talent-focused organizations
• Collaborate with these organizations and states on education to employment practice efforts (e.g., postsecondary funding models, education-to-employment data capacity, skills-first hiring etc)
• Document best practices and strategies for scaling data work across states and regions through playbooks and other publications
• Listen to partners and learn from them, then to identify areas for future education to employment work
• Partner closely with the Strada’s Policy, Advocacy, and Communications team as well as Strada’s other pillar leaders in this work
• Manage contracts and grants to partner states and organizations
• Amplify the voice of the employer community to ensure it is a part of Strada’s efforts

Area 2: Provide Strategic Thought Partnership to Strada Institute and Communicate Research Insights to Employer Community (25%)

• Use data and research from the Strada Institute for the Future of Work to inform programmatic efforts
• Partner with the Institute on emergent research and data needs informed by the employer community
• Share research and insights from the Institute with partners around the country and help ensure that it is infused across Strada’s strategic initiatives 

Area 3: Manage Third-Party Consultants, and Support DEI (15%)

• Manage day-to-day employer engagement activities
• Support an inclusive workplace culture through actively engaging in the diversity, equity, and inclusion learning agenda within the organization
• Partner with Human Resources and the DEI leadership to support policies and programs that attract, promote, develop, and retain underrepresented talent in the workforce, inclusive of multiple dimensions of diversity
• Incorporate principles and practices of diversity, equity, and inclusion into research design, research topic selection, analysis, and writing

The Person: Qualifications and Experience

• Education: Degree or credential and/or equivalent skills and competencies in a relevant field
• Experience working with or in employer-oriented organizations
• Experience working with or in states
• Knowledge of policies and practices that improve the alignment of education and training with workforce demands as well as employment pathways, higher education, workforce development, and state policy
• Experience communicating insights from research and articulating its implications for policy and practice
• Excellent organizational skills: demonstrated ability to prioritize work and manage time on multiple projects and tasks to meet deadlines
• Excellent communication skills: Strong writing and editing skills with a demonstrated ability to communicate ideas clearly and concisely for public audiences
• Preference for visualization skills or interest
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively: track record of being a motivated, enthusiastic team player open to feedback and collaboration
• Curiosity, eagerness, and ability to develop new knowledge and skills
• Preferred: Experience with and working knowledge of equity-based practices

Travel Requirements: The VP-EE will provide leadership and represent Strada in varied settings across the country. It is likely the role will naturally entail some travel for conferences and other meetings up to 10-15%.

Committed to providing equitable pathways to opportunity through PSET, particularly for individuals who have faced significant barriers. Demonstrated alignment with Strada's guiding values, commitment to building a strong and healthy workplace culture, and working in a collaborative environment.

Adept at operationalizing strategy and effectively communicating strategic endeavors within the organization and in external contexts, both verbally and in writing. Particular skill in designing annual plans, monitoring progress, and refining plans as needed. Adaptable with tolerance for ambiguity. Able to problem-solve and navigate varied viewpoints. Capacity to refine efforts based on evidence that change is needed. Ability to lead efforts to visualize and monitor change. Capability to see and support innovative ideas and opportunities across the organization, and to embed innovation within operational plans. Capabilities in taking the perspective of others and adapting an agenda and approach – toward a shared aim - accordingly.

Ability to effectively utilize a hypothesis-driven approach to problem solving, with effective quantitative and communication skills. Ability to take on broad-reaching and sometimes ambiguous questions while working collaboratively and cross-functionally with Strada team members across the organization.

Ability to translate innovative, strategic ideas into tangible, actionable steps, as well as to effectively monitor progress and partner with others on identifying improvements during implementation to increase the likelihood of successful execution.

Commitment and professional experience advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion within and organization, including incorporating stakeholder perspectives in the design, implementation, and evaluation of strategic efforts.

Demonstrated ability to cultivate, grow, and manage positive, mutually beneficial relationships at all levels of an organization and with partners outside the organization. Strong communication, interpersonal and relationship management skills—including identifying and working through challenges—underscored by strong judgment and emotional intelligence. Proven collaborator, able to work with colleagues at all levels in the organization.

Diversity, equity, and inclusion are central to Strada’s organizational vibrancy, employee experience, and mission. Strada is Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Workplace-certified by Diversity for Social Impact, a strategic professional and organization development company dedicated to promoting diversity and inclusion to drive social impact worldwide. We strongly encourage applicants from people of color/the global majority, immigrant, bilingual, and bicultural individuals; people with disabilities, members of the LGBTQIA2S+ and gender nonconforming communities; and people with other diverse backgrounds and lived experiences. We believe every member on the team enriches our workplace by exposing us to a broad range of ways to understand and engage with the world, identify challenges, and discover, design, and deliver critical insights and solutions.