Director of Retail Workforce Partnerships & Program Operations

Key Responsibilities & Core Competencies

• Develop and manage strategic partnerships with national, regional, and local retail organizations to expand workforce education opportunities through Helms College programs.
• Establish relationships with corporate learning and development leaders, talent development teams, tuition assistance administrators, and workforce development stakeholders.
• Position Helms College as a preferred workforce education and training partner within retail and service-sector industries.
• Identify and pursue opportunities for Helms College programs to be included within employer tuition assistance, workforce development, and educational reimbursement programs.
• Expand participation and engagement across the Goodwill network by building relationships with Goodwill organizations nationwide.
• Represent Helms College at conferences, networking events, workforce development meetings, and industry engagement opportunities.
• Develop employer partnership strategies that support enrollment pipelines, workforce upskilling, leadership development, and career pathway initiatives.
• Oversee operational execution of retail workforce development programs, employer-sponsored cohorts, and related educational initiatives.
• Collaborate with internal teams to support student onboarding, communication, and employer cohort coordination.
• Support faculty recruitment, onboarding, scheduling, communication, and operational coordination related to employer-sponsored programming.
• Maintain alignment with accreditation, compliance, and institutional standards related to workforce education programming.

Qualifications

• Minimum Bachelor’s degree required in Business, Workforce Development, Education, Human Resources, Organizational Leadership, or related field. Master’s degree preferred.
• Minimum of five (5) years of experience in workforce development, business development, employer partnerships, corporate training, higher education, or related leadership roles.
• Demonstrated experience developing strategic partnerships and external stakeholder relationships.
• Experience managing programs, projects, or operational initiatives across multiple stakeholders.
• Strong presentation, communication, relationship-building, and organizational skills.
• Ability to travel regionally and nationally as needed.