Dean of Workforce Innovation

About the role

The Dean of Workforce Innovation provides strategic, administrative, and operational leadership for Sinclair Community College’s workforce innovation enterprise, advancing innovative education and workforce solutions that respond to the evolving needs of employers, learners, and the regional economy.

Responsibilities

• Own the financial performance and sustainability of the Workforce Innovation unit, building it into a revenue-positive, self-sustaining enterprise through pricing, cost management, and earned-revenue growth against established net-revenue and margin targets.
• Lead the design, development, implementation, and continuous improvement of workforce innovation programs that respond to regional labor-market needs, employer demand, and student goals.
• Build and scale the workforce innovation business by pursuing new opportunities, expanding employer-sponsored and contract training, and growing earned revenue toward the unit’s growth and net-revenue targets.
• Collaborate with eLearning dean, academic deans, faculty, instructional designers, and student support units to align workforce innovation with credit programs, certificates, and degrees, and to apply prior learning assessment, articulation, bridge programming, and stackable credentials that move learners from non-credit training into academic pathways.
• Use labor-market information, institutional data, and competitive intelligence to develop and maintain a strategic portfolio plan covering new program development, revision and sunset decisions, enrollment and revenue targets, pro forma projections, pricing models, and return-on-investment analyses; develop and manage annual budgets and monitor financial and operational performance.
• Ensure program quality, compliance, and continuous improvement, and that programs remain accessible, inclusive, and learner-centered for adult, working, incumbent, and career-changing learners and regional employers, in compliance with college policies, accreditation, applicable state and federal regulations, and grant and contract obligations.
• Lead project management for workforce innovation initiatives (charters, timelines, milestones, launch and communication plans, and post-implementation assessment) and develop the policies, systems, workflows, and documentation that support effective operations, contract management, reporting, and quality assurance.
• Work with Marketing, Communications, Enrollment, and Advising to promote workforce innovation, strengthen market positioning, and communicate program value to employers, students, and the community.
• Supervise, mentor, evaluate, and develop staff; set goals and priorities, allocate resources, support professional development, and build a collaborative, accountable, and inclusive team culture aligned with Sinclair’s core values.
• Represent Sinclair in local, regional, state, and national workforce, economic development, and higher-education initiatives, and serve on institutional committees, planning teams, and cross-functional workgroups.
• Knowledge of adult learning, workforce development, career pathways, prior learning assessment, stackable and short-term credentials, work-based learning, competency-based education, and instructional design, and of current trends in community colleges and employer engagement.
• Excellent oral, written, interpersonal, and presentation communication skills.
• Ability to lead in a collegial, fast-paced, and changing environment where results are achieved through influence, collaboration, and shared accountability.
• Ability to work effectively with diverse students, faculty, staff, employers, and community partners, with a demonstrated commitment to access, student success, and inclusive learning environments.

Qualifications

• A minimum of a master’s degree required; doctorate in education, higher education administration, workforce development, instructional design, educational leadership, business, public administration, or a related field preferred.
• A minimum of five (5) years of progressively responsible experience in higher education, workforce development, adult or corporate training, or custom/non-credit program development.
• A minimum of three (3) years of supervisory, management, or administrative leadership experience.
• A minimum of two (2) years of teaching or training experience preferred.
• Previous experience working in a community college or higher education environment preferred.
• Demonstrated experience developing, leading, or scaling workforce-responsive programs, customized or contract training, professional development, non-credit education, or short-term credentials.
• Demonstrated success building and sustaining partnerships with employers, industry groups, public agencies, or workforce and community partners.
• Demonstrated experience with budget development, fiscal management, and generating earned revenue or building a self-sustaining program, unit, or business line.
• Experience using labor-market data, institutional metrics, and financial or student data to guide planning, decision-making, and continuous improvement.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects, priorities, and stakeholders in a complex organization.
• Experience designing apprenticeships, employer-sponsored education, work-based learning, or non-credit-to-credit pathway models preferred.
• Experience with learning technologies, online or blended learning, competency-based education, micro-credentials, digital badges, or other flexible learning models preferred.
• Experience developing policies, quality standards, workflows, and assessment processes for new or evolving programs preferred.