Director of Career Education - St. Louis, MO
Concordance’s reentry program is designed to dramatically reduce recidivism by helping individuals with justice involvement lead meaningful, abundant, and joyful lives. Our holistic, evidence-based model offers a wide range of services - therapy, case management, yoga, behavioral health and substance use recovery groups, spiritual care, life skills, medical care, education, and job readiness. Each participant is formally supported by our Care Team for a full year, ensuring stability and long-term success. Now operating in Missouri, South Carolina, and Virginia, Concordance is a national leader in compassionate, innovative reentry care.
Position Overview:
Reporting to the EVP, Education, Employment, and Housing, the Director of Career Education provides strategic program leadership for Concordance's career education across all sites. This role is responsible for developing and maintaining career readiness curriculum, overseeing learning technologies, managing education and training partnerships, ensuring program quality and consistency, and driving innovation in participant learning and career pathways.
The Director works closely with Career Coaches, Center leadership, education and training providers, and organizational leaders to ensure participants have access to high-quality educational experiences that support successful employment outcomes. This position serves as the primary leader for career education strategy, curriculum development, and participant learning outcomes.
Position Overview:
Reporting to the EVP, Education, Employment, and Housing, the Director of Career Education provides strategic program leadership for Concordance's career education across all sites. This role is responsible for developing and maintaining career readiness curriculum, overseeing learning technologies, managing education and training partnerships, ensuring program quality and consistency, and driving innovation in participant learning and career pathways.
The Director works closely with Career Coaches, Center leadership, education and training providers, and organizational leaders to ensure participants have access to high-quality educational experiences that support successful employment outcomes. This position serves as the primary leader for career education strategy, curriculum development, and participant learning outcomes.
Career Education Strategy & Program Leadership
- Lead the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of Concordance's career education
- Establish a consistent career education framework across all Concordance sites.
- Identify emerging workforce trends, industry-recognized credentials, and training opportunities that align with participant needs and labor market demands.
- Develop and implement strategic initiatives that enhance participant career readiness, skill development, and employment outcomes.
Curriculum Development & Learning Innovation
- Oversee the maintenance, quality, and consistency of all career education curriculum materials.
- Develop new curriculum content and learning pathways that support participant career exploration, job readiness, digital literacy, financial capability, and employment success.
- Evaluate program effectiveness and implement curriculum enhancements based on participant outcomes, employer feedback, and workforce trends.
- Ensure curriculum remains engaging, relevant, and responsive to participant and employer needs.
- Develop facilitator guides, participant resources, and training materials to support effective program delivery.
Learning Technology & Educational Resources
- Serve as the administrator and primary point of contact for learning management systems, e-learning platforms, career assessment tools, and educational technologies.
- Partner with Information Technology to ensure educational technology is operational and accessible for participant use.
- Research, evaluate, and implement innovative learning technologies that enhance participant engagement and career readiness.
- Lead the rollout, training, and adoption of new educational tools and workforce development technologies.
- Manage educational content libraries, participant learning resources, and digital learning platforms.
Workforce Training & Community Partnerships
- Develop and maintain strategic relationships with local and national training providers, educational institutions, certification programs, apprenticeship and workforce development organizations.
- Identify and expand opportunities for participant access to industry-recognized training and credentialing programs.
- Coordinate workforce training partnerships, onsite educational programming, and participant enrollment opportunities.
- Collaborate with Center teams to facilitate partner visits, information sessions, and
Performance Measurement & Reporting
- Establish and monitor key performance indicators related to career education participation, completion, credential attainment, and employment outcomes.
- Track participant progress and educational achievements across all sites.
- Prepare reports, presentations, and outcome summaries for organizational leadership, funders, and external stakeholders.
- Support grant reporting requirements by providing participant education and workforce development outcome data.
- Utilize data to identify trends, measure program effectiveness, and inform continuous improvement efforts.
Staff Development
- Provide training to support Career Coaches and other team members involved in career education delivery.
- Develop training standards, facilitation expectations, and best practices for career education programming.
- Hire, train and lead direct reports as assigned
- Foster collaboration and consistency across sites to ensure a high-quality participant experience.
Personal Attributes:
- Excellent communication, facilitation, and relationship-building skills.
- Demonstrated ability to lead initiatives, manage multiple priorities, and drive continuous improvement.
- Passion for helping individuals overcome barriers and achieve long-term career succes
Education and Licensure:
- Bachelor's degree required; Master's degree preferred in Education, Workforce Development, Adult Learning, Human Services, or a related field.
Skills and Competencies:
- 5-7 years experience in career education, adult learning or curriculum development
- 2-3 years leading teams or directly managing project teams
- Experience leading cross-functional projects and managing community partnerships.
- Strong knowledge of workforce development trends, career readiness programming, and adult learning principles.
- Experience with learning management systems, educational technology, and data reporting.
Physical Demands:
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily.
- This person must be able to sit or stand at a personal computer for typing and reading. This person must be able to see, hear, speak, walk, and sit.
- Must be able to use hands and fingers to handle or feel objects, tools, or controls; reach with hands and arms; stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl.
- Vision abilities required for this job include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perceptions, and the ability to adjust focus.
- Occasionally, help set up for Center events or move classrooms around, including but not limited to carrying and setting up tables and chairs.
- Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
This is an exciting opportunity to contribute to a transformative mission and make a lasting impact on the lives of justice-involved individuals. As part of the Concordance team, you'll play a crucial role in advancing our vision and shaping the future of reentry services nationwide.
Team Benefits:
We understand the importance of work-life balance and the value of ensuring time for yourself and your family. We offer competitive pay and paid time off, a matching 401(k), and a comprehensive benefits package that includes medical, dental, and vision coverage. Additionally, we cover other benefits such as basic life insurance, AD&D, professional development opportunities, and an EAP program, which gives you quick access to a wide range of life resources.
- Competitive salary and benefits package
- Opportunities for professional development and growth
- A dynamic and supportive work environment
- Matching 401(K) program
- Generous PTO
- Health & Wellness Stipend
Conditions of Employment:
The offer for the right candidate is contingent upon successfully completing the following requirements:
- Passing a drug test
- Satisfactory completion of a background check
- Verification of employment Verification of education
- Verification of employment eligibility via I-9
- Signing the team member handbook
- Declaration of no conflicts of interest
Today, we find ourselves at a pivotal moment in our mission. Join this incredible team and support our efforts to expand our impact.