Manager of Policy and Impact
Job Summary:
The Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership is seeking Manager of Policy and Impact for its Program Performance. This position is a key leader in the team that monitors and supports the performance and compliance of these agencies as they carry out Partnership-funded programming. This position monitors policies and legislation that affects The Partnership’s work; conducts research and data analysis related to the Partnership’s priority populations and sectors; studies local labor market trends, economic conditions, and employer/industry talent needs; and analyzes and makes recommendations on Partnership policies.
Responsibilities:
- Creates a research and policy agenda, with the goal of identifying programmatic best practices and advocacy efforts that can improve performance and impact.
- Conducts research, best practices review, and data analysis related to serving special populations of jobseekers including justice-involved individuals, people experiencing homelessness, people with disabilities, opportunity youth, and others.
- Maintains an understanding of various business sectors, career pathways therein, and their patterns of need for human capital
- Based on this research, identifies and prioritizes strategies and policy priorities that support economic opportunities for job seekers, including these special populations
- Collaborates with external research organizations to design and carry out more complex analyses that are longitudinal and/or involve data matching across systems.
- Analyzes national, local and regional policies and their impact upon the workforce system and make programmatic recommendations in response thereto.
- Evaluates existing and proposed legislation and prepares summaries regarding potential impact to agency programs, policies, and strategic priorities.
- Prepares presentations, memos, etc.; to communicate research findings, analysis, and policy recommendations, and to build partner support for agreed upon strategies.
- Presents research findings and recommendations to Partnership staff, Workforce Innovation Board and committee members, and a range of public and private audiences.
- Conducts quantitative and qualitative research on the economy, the labor market, and the demographics of the region, including analyzing publicly available and subscription-based Labor Market Information, business information, and demographic data.
- Participates in, and at times lead, advocacy initiatives related to workforce development legislation at the state and national levels. This may include conducting virtual and in-person legislator visits, attending meetings with White House staff, and compiling and sharing policy priorities and supporting data.
- Performs all related duties and responsibilities as assigned.
Required Skills:
- Strong strategic thinking skills.
- Excellent oral and written communication skills.
- Ability to collaborate with others.
- Ability to draw insightful conclusions from quantitative and qualitative data.
- Familiarity with workforce development.
- Ability to conduct research studies.
- Proficiency in evaluating federal and state legislation.
- Strong organizational and analytical skills.
Education and Experience:
- Bachelor’s degree in public policy, Management, Public Administration, or similar field.
- 5+ years’ experience in a related field; a minimum of five years in a related field, including public administration, public policy, nonprofit management, or social service OR equivalent combination of professional work experience, training and education.
Physical Requirements:
- Frequently required to stand, walk and sit
- Frequently required to utilize hand and finger dexterity using a keyboard
- Frequently required to talk or hear