This role is responsible for workforce development strategy, employer connectivity, career readiness systems, multigenerational engagement, and early pipeline efforts designed to align students and families to long-term income mobility outcomes.
The Director leads Detroit Promise’s talent development agenda, including internship and job placement frameworks, income tracking and long-term outcome measurement, K–8 aspiration initiatives, and student alumni program and volunteer engagement models. The role ensures alignment between employer needs and student pipeline development while strengthening Detroit’s postsecondary-to-career ecosystem.
The Director also serves as the lead convener for citywide coordination, aligning Detroit Promise efforts with the City of Detroit, Detroit College Access Network, and other coalitions within Detroit to streamline initiatives, minimize duplication, and strengthen collective impact.
As a Detroit Promise Zone Authority leadership role, the Director plays a critical role in Board-level reporting, cross-pillar alignment, and advancing Detroit Promise’s long-term, multigenerational economic mobility mission.
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s degree preferred.
- Minimum of 8–10 years of progressively responsible leadership experience in youth career skill development, student workforce development, economic mobility initiatives, public-private partnerships, or talent strategy.
- Demonstrated success building employer and cross-sector coalitions.
- Experience designing career readiness, internship, placement, or early pipeline frameworks.
- Strong data literacy with experience tracking long-term outcomes and economic mobility indicators.
- Experience engaging municipal partners, boards, and cross-sector collaboratives.
- Excellent written, analytical, and interpersonal communication skills.
- Strategic mindset with the ability to lead citywide and regional initiatives.
- Deep commitment to multigenerational economic mobility and equitable access to opportunity.
Position Responsibilities/Functions
Workforce & Employer Connectivity Strategy
- Define and lead Detroit Promise’s workforce development and employer connectivity strategy aligned to long-term economic mobility outcomes.
- Build and steward regional and national employer partnerships aligned to student career pathways and labor market demand.
- Partners with Chamber TalentEd employment and talent teams to align student pipelines with regional talent strategies, strengthen employer engagement, and reduce duplication of efforts.
- Ensure alignment between employer demand and postsecondary pathways to support strong transitions from enrollment to career attainment.
- Oversee structured internship, job placement, and experience-building frameworks with clear, measurable performance benchmarks aligned where appropriate with Chamber talent metrics.
- Integrate multigenerational engagement strategies, including parent and caregiver pathway awareness and workforce navigation.
Talent Development, Career Pathways & Long-Term Outcomes
- Oversee the design and implementation of career readiness initiatives, experiential learning, and structured pathway models.
- Lead development of student alumni program, volunteer, and community engagement models that reinforce aspiration, leadership, student voice, and civic engagement.
- Coordinate with Student Supports to ensure students are effectively navigated from postsecondary enrollment into career pathways.
- Establish and maintain systems for tracking student income outcomes, employment stability, and long-term economic mobility indicators.
- Use longitudinal data to refine pipeline strategies and inform cross-sector alignment.
- Coordinate with Student Support and Prosperity leadership to ensure communications accurately reflect support and messaging needs for talent development.
Citywide, Regional & Multigenerational Initiatives
- Lead citywide K–8 early exposure and aspiration development strategy aligned with Detroit’s broader educational and economic mobility goals.
- Align Detroit Promise initiatives with City of Detroit priorities, Detroit College Access Network, and other partners to streamline efforts and minimize program duplication.
- Serve as Detroit Promise’s representative in citywide and regional coalitions focused on economic mobility, career readiness, and postsecondary access.
- In collaboration with strategic partners, develop and maintain an annual coordinated calendar of citywide efforts designed to strengthen pipeline outcomes and ensure ecosystem alignment.
- Identify gaps across the pipeline and propose collaborative solutions that enhance continuity from K–8 through postsecondary and career attainment.
- Ensure initiatives incorporate multigenerational engagement strategies, including parent education, community awareness, and cross-sector supports that strengthen youth outcomes.
Data, Performance Management & Reporting
- Develop and oversee early awareness and talent dashboards for CEO and Board review.
- Ensure integrity and consistency of institutional reporting, engagement metrics, and verification data.
- Lead structured employment assessment and performance review processes.
- Prepare quarterly Board reporting narratives and performance summaries.
- Partner with IT and internal teams to strengthen tracking systems and workflow efficiency.
Team Leadership & Organizational Management
- Provides strategic oversight and direction for Prosperity team staff and related contractors.
- Establish annual work plans, KPIs, and performance benchmarks aligned to economic mobility and multigenerational impact goals.
- Conduct regular supervision meetings, performance evaluations, and professional development planning.
- Lead recruitment, onboarding, retention, and succession planning within the Prosperity pillar.
- Foster a culture of collaboration, professionalism, compliance, and student-centered accountability.
- Address performance concerns in alignment with DPZA and Chamber HR policies.
Budget & Resource Management
- Manage the Prosperity team budget in alignment with other pillars with approved organizational parameters.
- Monitor expenditures to ensure fiscal responsibility and compliance with policies.
- Align partnership commitments, incentives, and outreach investments with budget
- Provide budget projections and variance explanations to the CEO as required.
Cross-Pillar Coordination & Organizational Alignment
- Collaborates closely with Student Supports leadership to align career readiness, workforce exposure, and employment initiatives with student coaching and navigation strategies.
- Collaborate with Outreach & Partnerships to align institutional strategies with long-term workforce outcomes.
- Works collaboratively across Detroit Promise pillars to ensure clear role alignment, coordinated strategy, and seamless student experience across outreach, student support, and prosperity initiatives.
- Reinforce integration across K–8 exposure, postsecondary access, family engagement, and career attainment to advance Detroit Promise’s multigenerational economic mobility mission
Performs other duties as required.
Benefits
Detroit Promise Zone Authority offers a comprehensive benefits package designed to support employee well-being, professional growth, and long-term stability. Benefits currently include access to health, dental, and vision coverage; employer-paid life and disability insurance; paid time off and holidays; parental leave; and retirement plan participation with employer contribution eligibility.
Additional support may include professional development resources and other staff support benefits aligned with organizational policies. Specific benefit offerings are subject to change and may vary based on eligibility and organizational policy