Senior Director of Program Operations and Workforce Development
Location
1 Smith Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201 and 1360 Garrison Avenue, Bronx, NY 10474
Reports To
Chief Program Officer
About The HOPE Program
The HOPE Program (HOPE) empowers New Yorkers to build stronger futures through comprehensive training, employment, career advancement, and lifelong support. For forty years, HOPE has stood as a pillar for individuals facing systemic barriers to economic opportunity.
Our vision of a Home Of Prosperity and Empowerment goes beyond traditional job placement by preparing participants for sustainable careers and addressing systemic challenges in underserved neighborhoods. Through our signature workforce development initiatives and holistic support services, we help participants navigate the challenges of unemployment, underemployment, and financial instability.
Our employees embody HOPE’s core values-Heart, Opportunity, Purpose-Driven, and Excellence-by embracing a growth mindset, showing empathy, and remaining deeply committed to the individuals we serve. We are committed to breaking the cycles of poverty and exclusion that impact so many in our city.
Position Summary
The Senior Director of Program Operations and Workforce Development is the senior operating leader of HOPE’s program department and the day-to-day counterpart to the Chief Program Officer. We are seeking a candidate with high-level experience in environmental sustainability and the green economy, stakeholder engagement, and operations and outcome management in workforce development. The Senior Director is accountable for the department’s daily performance, for meeting and exceeding job placement and retention goals across HOPE’s general and green sector training tracks, and for standardizing how the department operates across two sites.
The Senior Director splits their time between the Brooklyn and Bronx offices, coordinating presence with the Chief Program Officer so that both sites are covered on most program days.
Key Responsibilities
Day-to-Day Leadership of the Program Department
- Provide day-to-day direction to the Partner Engagement Manager, unit directors, and Employment and Retention Manager, running the department’s meeting rhythm and resolving cross-unit issues before they reach the Chief Program Officer.
- Make operational decisions within approved policy and budget, escalate changes to strategy, staffing, or funder commitments, and submit a weekly status summary to the Chief Program Officer.
Job Placement and Retention Performance
Targets are 75% of training completers placed in jobs, with 85% of placements retained at 90 days, 80% at 180 days, and 70% at 365 days.
- Monitor placement and retention performance weekly by unit, site, cohort, and training track, and coordinate the full participant pipeline from outreach through retention so no participant stalls between stages.
- Align employment, business development, and unit staff on job orders and candidate readiness, diagnose missed targets, and direct corrective action with a named owner and date.
Program Standards and Operating Systems
- Own HOPE’s Program Operating Guide as approving authority, bringing each unit to one documented standard across both sites and all training tracks, with a named owner and review date for every protocol.
- Lead the design and rollout of core operating tools, such as program and cohort calendars, job matching tools, and the partnership database, favoring low-cost tools in Google Workspace, Excel, or Salesforce and tracking staff adoption.
Data Integrity and Reporting
- Ensure program and employer data in Salesforce and Lattice is complete, accurate, and current, and maintain the monthly program dashboard.
- Contribute outcome data and documentation to funder reports, proposals, contract monitoring visits, and audits, and support the Chief Program Officer in preparing board and funder materials.
Partnership, Talent, and External Coordination
- Help develop employer, training, and funder partnerships with a focus on the green economy, working with the Sustainability and Social Enterprise Initiatives and Employment and Business Services teams and bringing an established network in clean energy and green infrastructure.
- Partner with unit leads and Human Resources on hiring, onboarding, professional development, and performance management for program staff.
- Represent the Office of the Chief Program Officer in cross-departmental work and at partner meetings, funder site visits, and sector convenings, and perform other related duties as assigned.
Minimum Qualifications
The following are the ideal qualifications for this position. A successful candidate will possess a compelling combination of strengths in some areas and the self-awareness to identify areas where they are eager to learn and grow.
- Experience in environmental sustainability, clean energy, green infrastructure, or building efficiency, plus deep knowledge of the New York City workforce development landscape and an established network of employer, training, funder, and government partners.
- Ten or more years of progressive experience in workforce development, including at least five years at a director level or above leading multi-unit teams with accountability for placement and retention outcomes.
- Demonstrated success meeting or exceeding job placement and retention targets across multiple programs or sites.
- Experience leading through matrixed authority, directing the day-to-day work of senior staff who report formally elsewhere, with a track record of driving change across teams.
- Demonstrated experience writing and implementing standard operating procedures or operating manuals for a non-technical audience. A writing sample will be requested.
- Hands-on Salesforce experience including reports, data quality management, and de-duplication, plus advanced Excel and Google Sheets skills for building durable trackers and dashboards.
- Strong facilitation skills with the ability to run a working session with senior staff and leave with clear decisions, excellent written and oral communication skills, and sound judgment in handling sensitive participant and personnel information.
- Problem solver, flexible and adaptable, and a strong team player who works well independently. Bachelor’s degree or equivalent professional experience.
Work Environment
- This position works on site across HOPE’s Brooklyn and Bronx locations and partner locations at least 4 days per week, coordinating presence with the Chief Program Officer, and the work schedule will include evening and weekend hours.
- Work hours for this position may be subject to change based on organizational needs. Employees may be required to adjust their schedules, including working outside of standard business hours, as necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of the role.
- Employees serve as ambassadors of The HOPE Program and may be called upon to represent the organization at community events, partner meetings, public forums, and other external engagements, helping to advance our mission and strengthen relationships with stakeholders, including employers and community partners.
Salary and Benefits
The annual salary range for this position is $120,000 - $130,000, and is dependent upon experience. HOPE provides a full package of benefits including healthcare, vision and dental insurance, retirement plan, competitive vacation (plus half-day Fridays during July and August), and 12 paid holidays.
The HOPE Program is an equal opportunity employer.
WWW.THEHOPEPROGRAM.ORG