Colorado Work Integrated Learning (CO-WIL) Program Manager - Term Limited

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This announcement is not governed by the selection processes of the classified personnel system.

This posting is open to both current and non-current residents of the State of Colorado at the time of application. However, please note that upon hire, you will be required to establish residence within the State of Colorado.

The Colorado Work Integrated Learning Program Manager is a term-limited; grant funded position that ends on January 31, 2029. This position serves as the central operational lead for a cross institutional work integrated learning initiative, Colorado Department of Higher Education’s (CDHE) Colorado Work Integrated Learning (CO-WIL) This role supervises two full-time, grant funded, term limited staff and is responsible for implementing a three-year workplan, managing day to day program operations, coordinating activities across five partner colleges and universities and tracking program outcomes.

This position supervises two full-time employees: (1) CO-WIL Workforce Innovation Coordinator and (1) CO-WIL Faculty Support Manager.

As a management level position, the CO-WIL Program Manager is responsible for the strategic direction, operational execution, and personnel management of the initiative. This role involves:

• Strategic Leadership: Translating grant objectives into actionable workplans and ensuring alignment with CDHE’s mission.
• Personnel Management: Direct supervision of professional staff, including performance evaluation, professional development, and workload prioritization.
• Budgetary Oversight: Managing multi-year grant funds, ensuring compliance with state and philanthropic reporting requirements.
• Stakeholder Integration: Acting as the primary liaison between internal leadership, five partner institutions, and external consultants/vendors to ensure a cohesive “Community of Practice.”

Job Duties

The duties listed below reflect the different types of work that may be performed. The omission of any specific duty will not prevent the assignment of work that is appropriately related to this position.

• Manage all aspects of CO-WIL Community of Practice program implementation across five (5) partner institutions, including timelines, deliverables, budgets, and reporting while centering student equity and student success.
• Supervise CO-WIL Consortium Faculty Support Manager and CO-WIL Consortium Workforce Innovation Coordinator, setting priorities, monitoring progress and aligning workplans including facilitating weekly team check-ins and cross-functional problem solving
• Manage a three-year implementation plan to reach overall goals and deliverables to philanthropic funders and work with external consultants and vendor(s)
• Oversee onboarding and ongoing support of CO-WIL Community of Practice participating institutions, including their faculty and staff
• Plan, schedule, coordinate and facilitate cross-institution of higher education CO-WIL Community of Practice convenings and agendas including quarterly in-person or virtual partner meetings
• Travel to institutions of higher education to provide intensive, hand-on support related to the work of the CO-WIL Consortium (up to 15% of time)
• Travel to other states for related meetings and conferences
• Partner with selected research organization to help coordinate, design and manage program data systems; collect, analyze, and report on student participation and WBL completion metrics to work in sync with needs of external research vendor
• Oversee grant budget expenditures, rate of grant expenditures, grant compliance, including monitoring and risk mitigation
• Develop, maintain, and disseminate program resources including toolkits, templates, and the end-of-year WBL Playbook
• Coordinate activities of platform and research vendors
• Coordinate grant reporting, compliance requirements, and funder communications as applicable
• Coordinate opportunities for other institutions of higher education not involved in the Consortium to learn.

Any combination of experience and education that would likely provide the required knowledge and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the knowledge and abilities would be:

Bachelor’s degree from an accredited university or college

Substitutions:Four (4) years of experience in a related field can replace the education requirements of a bachelor’s degree

• Three (3) or more years of full-time staff supervision experience

• Experience with work-based learning, work integrated learning, experiential learning or other career connected learning models

• Demonstrated commitment to equity, student success, and inclusive practices, and experience working with diverse student populations
• Experience working with, or in, postsecondary education, including engagement with faculty, staff, academic leadership and students
• Demonstrated experience managing multi-site or multi-stakeholder initiatives
• Strong project management skills; including use and familiarity with digital project management tools such as Asana, or similar
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills; comfortable presenting to institutional and employer audiences

• Budget management experience

Master’s degree from an accredited university or college in education

Substitution:Six (6) years of experience in a related field can replace the education requirement of a master’s degree.

Experience:

• Experience in public administration, workforce development, career development or related field
• Experience working in or with state government, higher education systems, intermediary organizations, philanthropy or non-profit organizations
• Experience designing or managing communities of practice, learning networks or cross-institutions collaboratives
• Experience partnering with external vendors, consultants or research organizations
• Experience managing or contributing to grant proposals, funder reporting or philanthropic partnerships

• Valid Driver’s License

• Work based learning and work integrated learning within a postsecondary context

1. Office practices, procedures, software and equipment, including the use of personal computers, telephones, Zoom, and Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, Power Point, Outlook, and Teams)
2. State statutes, rules and regulations, policies, procedures, and guidelines

• Navigate and lead effectively through a degree of ambiguity typical of grant-funded initiatives
• Travel throughout Colorado for on-site, in-person meetings related to this work
• Think critically and apply reasoning and analysis
• Maintain sensitive and confidential information regarding personnel and institutional data.
• Communicate complex programmatic goals to diverse audiences, Including institutional leaders and industry employers.

The physical and mental standards described here are representative of those that must typically be met by employees to perform the essential functions of this class successfully. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Frequently sit/stand at a desk for extended periods of time
• Frequently move from one area/building to another and sit/stand during the course of a day/week/month for meetings
• Occasionally may push or pull an object
• Frequently use finger dexterity and operate a keyboard
• Regularly lift 10 pounds and occasionally lift 25 pounds
• Frequently use vision to read documents, view computer screens, and see close and distant objects
• Frequently use speech and hearing to engage in conversation, in person, and over the telephone

If you have a disability and require a reasonable accommodation to ensure you have a positive experience applying or interviewing for this position, please direct your inquires to HR@dhe.state.co.us

• The employee typically works in a standard office environment where the noise level is moderate, and the office has controlled temperatures. Works a 40-hour work week, either remotely, hybrid, or in-office, depending on the arrangement met during employment with the supervisor during normal office hours of Monday– Friday 8:00 am – 5:00 pm.
• {This will be the bullet used for most positions in the Department. If the position varies from this, contact HR before making modifications.}
• Job duties may occasionally require working extended hours or hours outside of the regular schedule.
• {This will be the bullet used for most positions in the Department. If the position varies from this, as some positions require working outside core business hours, contact HR before making modifications.}
• {If applicable, select one of the following:}
• The position may require periodic in-state and out-of-state travel requiring occasional overnight stays. The position requires the ability to travel independently through the state including overnight stays.
• The position may require periodic in-state and out-of-state travel requiring occasional overnight stays. The position requires the ability to travel independently through the state.
• The position may require periodic in-state and out-of-state travel requiring occasional overnight stays.

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this position. They are not to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of personnel so classified. All personnel may be required to perform duties outside of their normal responsibilities from time to time, as needed. The duties, expectations, and actions listed for this role may change at any time with or without notice.

The State of Colorado believes that equity, diversity, and inclusion drive our success, and we encourage candidates from all identities, backgrounds, and abilities to apply. The State of Colorado is an equal opportunity employer committed to building inclusive, innovative work environments with employees who reflect our communities and enthusiastically serve them. Therefore, in all aspects of the employment process, we provide employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, medical condition related to pregnancy, creed, ancestry, national origin, marital status, genetic information, or military status (with preference given to military veterans), or any other protected status in accordance with applicable law.

The Colorado Department of Higher Education is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, our agency will assist individuals who have a disability with any reasonable accommodation requests related to employment, including completing the application process, interviewing, completing any pre-employment testing, participating in the employee selection process, and/or to perform essential job functions where the requested accommodation does not impose an undue hardship. If you have a disability and require reasonable accommodation to ensure you have a positive experience applying or interviewing for this position, please direct your inquiries to our Human Resource Director at HR@dhe.state.co.us or call 720.264.8575.