Program Manager, Workforce & Industry Initiatives

FUNCTION OF THE UNIT

San Diego State University Career Services is an award-winning, outcomes-focused career center known for innovation, strategic partnerships, and a forward-thinking approach to student success and workforce development.

Established in 1943, the mission of the SDSU Research Foundation (SDSURF) is to support the research objectives of San Diego State University by helping faculty and staff find, obtain, and administer funding for their research and sponsored programs.

SDSURF provides the full life cycle of grants services to faculty and staff to further their important work.

Our vision is to foster a culture of creativity and collaboration with integrity and respect for individuals that results in the delivery of superior service to support the university’s strategic aspirations.

Our core values include:

• Service: We are a service organization that strives to provide superior support to the university community to achieve SDSU’s goals; we are committed to being professionally competent by setting high standards and working hard to achieve results; and we continually seek to improve our skills and capabilities by valuing education and professional development.
• Collaboration: We seek to actively engage with our stakeholders and employees to identify issues and design solutions, build strong relationships grounded in trust, openness, and inclusion, and achieve the best results by taking pride in the accomplishments of our colleagues.
• Innovation: We work towards inspired solutions to improve and adapt to emerging opportunities and challenges, creative ways to streamline and enhance our delivery of services through resourceful and proactive problem solving, and strategic use of technology and reduction of obstacles.
• Respect: We promote a culture where every individual is valued and treated with dignity, we honor open-mindedness toward different viewpoints and ideas, and have a genuine appreciation for varied backgrounds, experiences, and ways of thinking.
• Integrity: We are committed to act with the highest ethical standards, with honesty, integrity, and transparency, provide consistent and accurate information, and value and respect all individuals.

PURPOSE OF THE POSITION

The Program Manager is responsible for the planning, implementation, oversight, and continuous improvement of workforce development programs serving Youth and other designated populations.

These programs primarily support students, including prospective students from feeder schools and partner organizations, as well as youth and students from K-12 school districts, community colleges, and community-based organizations throughout the Greater San Diego Metropolitan Region.

Programs are designed to support individuals facing barriers to education and employment, including low-income individuals, students with disabilities, justice-involved individuals, foster youth, pregnant or parenting youth, individuals experiencing homelessness, and other priority populations identified by funding partners.

This position supports participant success through career development, workforce readiness, work-based learning, education and employment pathways, supportive services, and industry engagement while ensuring compliance with program, funding, and performance requirements.

PROGRAM MANAGEMENT & ADMINISTRATION

40% Serve as the primary representative, spokesperson, and lead point of contact for the grant, funding partners, stakeholders, and assigned programs.

Provide leadership, oversight, and direction to the program team.

Maintain accountability for the overall success of the project, including performance outcomes, contractual deliverables, compliance requirements, risk management, operational effectiveness, and participant success.

Oversee program operations, service delivery, and workforce development activities across assigned locations, populations, and teams.

Provide leadership, supervision, guidance, and workflow coordination for Program Managers and assigned staff.

Assign, prioritize, adjust, and reallocate responsibilities, resources, and project activities to support program goals and operational needs.

Ensure compliance with funding requirements, policies, regulations, reporting standards, documentation requirements, and quality assurance expectations.

Identify, assess, mitigate, and resolve operational, programmatic, compliance, fiscal, and participant-related risks and challenges.

Monitor project performance, participant outcomes, budgets, data integrity, and contractual requirements, implementing corrective actions and continuous improvement strategies as needed.

Represent the project in meetings, presentations, audits, monitoring reviews, compliance reviews, and stakeholder engagements.

Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned.

WORKFORCE SOLUTIONS

25% Oversee and support participant-facing service delivery, including eligibility, enrollment, case management, career development, workforce readiness, training, work-based learning, employment, and supportive service activities.

Ensure participant services are aligned with program goals, contractual outcomes, funding requirements, and individual participant needs.

Monitor participant progress, service quality, engagement, retention, outcomes, and barriers to success, implementing corrective actions or service adjustments as needed.

Coordinate workforce development activities across assigned locations, populations, and teams to support participant success and program performance.

Build and maintain relationships with participants, educational institutions, community organizations, workforce development stakeholders, and other partners that support participant access, success, and outcomes.

INDUSTRY RELATIONS

25% Support employer engagement, job development, industry partnerships, and workforce learning opportunities aligned with participant and labor market needs.

Support relationships with employers, industry partners, business associations, workforce boards, chambers, funders, and other workforce development stakeholders.

Identify and cultivate employment, internship, work-based learning, training, and industry-aligned opportunities for participants.

Represent the project in employer, industry, partner, and stakeholder engagements to promote program goals and expand opportunities for participants.

Ensure industry relations activities are aligned with labor market needs, participant goals, employer expectations, and grant outcomes.

OTHER DUTIES AS ASSIGNED

10% Knowledge And Abilities: Workforce development program coordination, case management practices, job development, business services, and employer relations, education & experience: Bachelor's degree and/or equivalent training and administration work experience involving study, analysis, and/or evaluation leading to the development or improvement of administrative policies, procedures, practices, or programs. Five years of progressively responsible experience in office or administrative environment.