Director of Career Centers bei San Diego Workforce Partnership

The San Diego Workforce Partnership is the leader for innovative workforce solutions in San Diego County. We fund and deliver job training programs that enable all job seekers to develop the skills and knowledge needed for in-demand careers. Our vision is that every business in our region has access to a skilled workforce, and every job seeker has access to meaningful employment. We seek to earn trust and inspire growth in every action we take. 

Position Summary

Under the direction of the Vice President of Client Services, the Director of Career Centers will provide leadership and programmatic management of San Diego County’s federally funded career center system. Reporting to the Vice President of Client Services, the Director ensures that career centers throughout the region operate as an integrated network, delivering high-quality, compliant, and client-centered services under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) and related funding streams. The Director oversees the performance of career center staff teams, drives continuous improvement and innovation in service delivery, and aligns career center operations with organizational goals, workforce priorities, and community needs. The Director is responsible for program compliance, outcomes, and career center service provision in general. They will manage critical incidents, respond to emerging workforce demands, and coordinate work across departments to ensure seamless service delivery and continuous improvement. This role requires balancing regulatory oversight with operational problem-solving, system innovation, and personnel management.

Essential Functions    

1. Manage the career center network as a unified system, ensuring consistent service quality, compliance, and accessibility across all sites. 
2. Supervise and support Career Center managers and teams in the implementation of workforce development services, evidence-based programming, performance-based accountability, and service of diverse individuals experiencing barriers to employment. 
3. Respond to critical incidents and operational issues in real time, ensuring continuity of service and mitigation of risks. 
4. Lead the team in continuous improvement of operations, innovation in service delivery, and use of evidence-based practices. 
5. Present programmatic updates and performance outcomes, verbally or through written/graphic materials, to a variety of stakeholders including executive management, boards, and community groups as required.
6. Oversee compliance with federal, state, and local workforce policies, including timely corrective action and process improvements when needed. 
7. Lead the collection, analysis, and presentation of program data to evaluate outcomes, identify trends, and inform decision-making. Collaborate in organizational projects to improve data quality. 
8. Ensure that all career center staff and partners receive clear guidance on policies, procedures, and operational issuances. 
9. Build and maintain collaborative relationships with partner agencies, subcontractors, education and training providers, and community organizations to support program development and expansion. 
10. Represent the career center system to internal and external stakeholders including funders, board members, elected officials, and community groups. 
11. Partner with other departments (e.g., finance, sector strategies, youth services) to coordinate customer flow, share metrics, and ensure career center capacity keeps pace with organizational growth. 
12. Identify and pursue opportunities for system expansion, integration with new funding streams, and alignment with community workforce needs. 
13. Ensure cost-effective deployment of resources, maximizing available funding while meeting performance and compliance obligations. 
14. Implement operational efficiencies and resource-sharing strategies to strengthen the sustainability of the career center network. 
15. Foster strong leadership and professional growth among Career Center Managers and frontline staff. 
16. Lead a culture of accountability, empathy, and client-centered service across the career center system.
17. Analyze and evaluate data as it relates to achieving and exceeding performance standards. Contribute to continuous improvement of career center documentation and data collection processes. 
18. Take responsibility for the achievement of career center team KPIs and the development of corrective action plans as needed. 
19. Identify opportunities to align department-level activities with organizational priorities and goals. 
20. Conduct a collaborative, empathetic, client-centered approach to program design. 
21. Perform other related duties as assigned. 

Fundamental Job Requirements  

• Bachelor’s degree in business administration, public administration or related field. 
• Six to eight (6-8) years in a leadership capacity within the public administration, government or non-profit sector. 
• Strong writing, verbal, and presentation skills. 
• Strong knowledge of WIOA, workforce development, and/or career center services. 
• Familiarity with CalJOBS, or similar institutional CRM systems. 
• Strong leadership skills with demonstrated ability to drive strategic direction and build collaborative relationships with partner organizations and staff. 
• Entrepreneurial mindset and proven track record of taking initiative and delivering results. 
• Computer proficiency, particularly with the Microsoft Office suite, including Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

Desired Requirements

• Master’s degree in business administration, public administration or related field. 
• Six to eight (6-8) years’ experience in a Senior Management or Director level role. 
• Working knowledge of Social Security Benefits and State Employment Services. 
• Experience with contractual administrative support and oversight of service agreements. 
• Working knowledge of trauma-informed program design. 
• An empathetic, person-centered approach to case management. 
• Certification(s) in conflict management, motivational interviewing, trauma-informed care and/or social-emotional learning. 
• Excellent communication with advanced interpersonal skills is desired. 
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneously. 
• Previous work in Salesforce, eForm, or other client relations management tools. 

Our Values 

Collaboration:  

Engaging in inclusive, respectful relationships among colleagues, customers and community that foster the achievement of shared goals.  

Excellence:  

Driving quality, innovation and measurable outcomes through a customer-centered focus and a high-performance culture.  

Stewardship:  

Strategic, efficient, effective use of resources to meet the evolving needs of our customers and community with the highest levels of integrity.  

Inclusion:  

Taking responsibility for creating a culture where everyone is welcomed, heard, valued and empowered to fully participate and reach their full potential.   

Equity:  

Prioritizing those who have been systemically denied opportunity through policies, priorities, practices, and behaviors that result in access to opportunity for ALL colleagues, customers, and communities.  

We Love to Take Care of Our Workforce Associates–

We offer a great work environment, a culture that values individuality and inclusion, collaborative and innovative teams, and a competitive pay and benefits package. Our benefits include: PTO, PTO sell-back program, generous employer-paid benefits (platinum plans), company-paid learning and professional development program, pension plan and 457 retirement plan additional employee wellness. Compensation for this position ranges from $125,897-$173,162.

In the spirit of pay transparency, we are excited to share the base salary range for this position. If you are hired at San Diego Workforce Partnership, your final base salary (within the pay range), will be determined based on factors such as education, knowledge, skills, and experience. In addition to those factors, we believe in the importance of pay equity and consider the internal equity of our current team members when determining any final offer. Please keep in mind that the range mentioned above is the full base salary range for the role. Hiring at the maximum of the range would not be typical in order to allow for future and continued salary growth. We also offer generous benefits and retirement plans.

At the Workforce Partnership, we don’t just accept difference — we celebrate it, we support it, and we thrive on it for the benefit of our employees, and the work that we do in the communities we serve. We are proud to be an equal opportunity workplace for all. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law. Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities. 

San Diego Workforce Partnership is committed to a policy of Equal Employment Opportunity and will not discriminate against an applicant or employee on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, national origin, ancestry, sex, gender, age, physical or mental disability, veteran or military status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.