Director of Workforce Development

The American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC) is the collective spirit and unifying voice of our nation's Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs). AIHEC supports American Indian and Alaska Native higher education through dedicated research and programmatic initiatives designed to strengthen Native languages, cultures, and Tribal communities. By leveraging its unique position, AIHEC serves as a collaborative partner, providing essential services to member institutions and emerging TCUs. Additionally, AIHEC produces the Tribal College Journal (TCJ), a premier national publication sharing insights on American Indian education.

Position Summary

The Director of Workforce Development provides strategic leadership of AIHEC’s newly established Tribal Workforce Development Initiative (see initiative overview in Appendix below), which works to strengthen the ability of TCUs to serve as workforce and economic development partners with Tribal Nations by improving access to workforce education and training funding, strengthening workforce development policy, expanding workforce data and forecasting capacity, supporting institutional participation in emerging workforce development initiatives, and better aligning the workforce education and training programs of TCUs with Tribal Nation priorities, community needs, and labor market opportunities.

This position will report to the Vice President of Sponsored Programs.

Responsibilities

• Initiative Design and Administration: Under the direction of the President & CEO and Vice President of Sponsored Programs, provides strategic and operational leadership for AIHEC’s Tribal Workforce Development Initiative, including: (1) the design of concrete strategies to advance AIHEC’s work in the initiative’s policy, data, and funding focus areas (see Appendix, pages 2-3); (2) the design and implementation of the initiative’s primary activities to enact those strategies (see Appendix, pages 3- 4); (3) coordination with other key AIHEC staff to carry out those activities; (4) regular assessment and refinement of those activities based on lessons learned from implementation; and (5) supervision of initiative consultants and any future initiative-based staff.

• TCU Engagement and Technical Assistance: Develops and sustains structured working relationships with TCU leaders and workforce development professionals to: (1) advance the federal and state policy and data-focused activities of the initiative; (2) facilitate relationship building between TCUs and federal, state, and local policymakers and agencies; and (3) develop technical assistance resources and provide/facilitate trainings on federal workforce development policy and program implementation.

• Partnership and Advocacy: Coordinating with AIHEC’s Vice President of Congressional and Federal Relations, oversees AIHEC’s tracking of federal workforce development policy and program developments and their impacts on TCUs, its cultivation/deepening of substantive partnerships with key federal agencies, its building of a national Native workforce development policy coalition featuring several other key Native organizations, and the creation of formal partnerships with leading non Native workforce development organizations to elevate the consensus policy advocacy and funding priorities of TCUs in federal policymaking regarding governing workforce development.

• Research and Development: Leads the design and facilitation of the initiative’s Tribal Workforce Development Data Project, which includes AIHEC’s regular collection and analysis of data from Tribal Nations about their workforce development priorities, and from TCUs about their resource needs to meet those priorities as well as the real and potential impacts of new and proposed changes to 
federal policies and funding on their institutions.

• Philanthropic and Employer Engagement: Fosters increased philanthropic investments in TCUs in support of their workforce development-focused certificate, credential, and degree programs through relationship building with and education of private and corporate foundations; facilitates the building of institutional partnerships between TCUs and their area Tribal and non-Tribal employers to maximize the hiring, career advancement, and long-term success of TCU students.

• Evaluation & Compliance: Monitors, evaluates, and reports initiative outputs and impacts while ensuring full compliance with requirements of grants secured by AIHEC to support this initiative.

Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor’s Degree and at least five years of experience working: (1) in federal or state policy; (2) for a state-based, regional, or national Native organization; (3) as a workforce development practitioner training Native people, or (4) in a relevant field. Master’s degree preferred. 

• Indian Country Expertise: Must possess deep familiarity with Indian Country, including experience working directly with Tribal Nations and/or within reservation-based communities, and a strong understanding of Tribal Nations, TCUs, and federal Indian law and policy.

• Knowledge Base: Comprehensive understanding of Indian Country workforce, economic, and community development needs, challenges, and priorities and relevant federal laws, policies, and programs.

• Program Management: Strong program and general management skills, with a proven record of successful grant management and staff development.

• Communication and Coordination: Highly skilled in professional oral and written communication, plus a proven ability to effectively coordinate the advancement of shared work with colleagues, and impactfully contribute as a member of cross-departmental organizational teams.

• Technical Skills: Proficient in collaborative online work environments and tools.

• Professionalism: Commitment to ethical standards, detail-oriented project management, and a 
collaborative, team-oriented approach

Physical Job Requirements
• Ability to communicate information and ideas, detect, determine, perceive, and observe details, particularly on a screen or on paper.
• Ability to spend more than half the time viewing computer monitors.
• This position may require remaining in a stationary position 50% or more.
• Ability to communicate effectively in person, over the phone, and in writing.
• Ability to travel independently and attend off-site meetings and events as required by business needs.
• Candidate must be able to complete all essential functions of the job with or without reasonable accommodation.

Work Location and Travel Requirements
• Remote or based at AIHEC’s Alexandria, VA headquarters 
• Regular travel (up to 25%, or up to one week per month on average) required to fulfill position responsibilities (attending conferences, traveling to engage federal and state partners on AIHEC 
workforce development priorities, etc.)

Compensation and Benefits
• $125,000 - $140,000 per annum
• 401(k) with 6% matching
• Premium medical insurance for employees and dependents paid for by the organization
• Dental, vision, life, accident, hospital indemnity, and disability insurances offered at low cost
• Holidays and paid time off

AIHEC’s personnel policies, procedures, and practices prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, religious creed, disability, ancestry, national origin, age, or sex. As an Equal Opportunity Employer, we are committed to a diverse and inclusive workplace and provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and applicable state and local laws. If you require accommodation during the application process or in performing essential functions of the role, please contact Human Resources.