Senior Manager

Job Description

About JFF 
Jobs for the Future (JFF) drives transformation of the U.S. education and workforce systems to achieve equitable economic advancement for all. Seeing that millions of people are unfairly shut out of quality jobs and the chance for a better life, our goal is to align education, workforce, and employment changemakers toward a shared North Star: In 10 years, 75 million people facing systemic barriers to advancement will work in quality jobs.
To achieve that goal, we design solutions, scale best practices, influence policy and action, and invest in innovation. With a staff of more than 300 people across the country working remotely and in offices in Boston (headquarters), Washington, DC, and Oakland, California, we operate at the national, state, and local levels, forging deep partnerships with employers, investors, entrepreneurs, policymakers, and education and workforce development providers to break down barriers and reimagine what’s possible.
We’re on a path of ongoing growth and expanding impact. We have an operating budget of $105 million, and we’re funded by dozens of leading government agencies, foundations, and corporations. Learn more about JFF and join us as we build a future that works—for everyone.

DEIBW at JFF  
Diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging, and well-being (DEIBW) are core to JFF’s North Star and mission. We employ and build diverse teams across race, ethnicity, sex, gender identity and expression, age, and lived experiences and are constantly working toward ensuring these differences are celebrated and included. We aim to cultivate a culture that centers the overall care, well-being, and success of the employee through flexible work hours, balanced workloads, professional development, and equitable career advancement opportunities. Learn more about what DEIBW looks like in practice at JFF.
We seek to invest and learn from those who represent the communities we serve, particularly individuals from populations who have been explicitly or implicitly excluded from the workforce. Knowing its importance to the success of our work and the engagement of our staff members, we aspire to attract and retain a diverse team and welcome people of all backgrounds to apply to our open roles. In alignment to JFF’s North Star, we strongly encourage individuals whose highest level of education attained is less than a 4-year degree; People of Color; and people with criminal records to apply.

About the Position 
This Senior Manager (SM) will report to a Director on a FIT Cluster within our Field Implementation Team (FIT). The SM will initially work to lead a contract with the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) supporting a project alongside JFF’s Workforce and Regional Economies (WRE) practice. The WRE practice seeks to transform policies and practices, build capacities, and drive behavioral change of federal and state public workforce development systems and organizations, labor unions, and more. Check out impact stories here.
Specifically, the SM will lead the grants and performance management of DOL’s Building Pathways to Infrastructure Jobs Grant Program, which has awarded funding to over 30 public-private partnerships nationwide. This funding helps train job seekers in advanced manufacturing, information technology and professional, scientific, and technical occupations that support renewable energy, transportation and broadband infrastructure. In this multi-year contract, the SM will provide general project management, act as a liaison between JFF and senior DOL leaders, meet in-person with DOL project members in Washington, DC as necessary, support and manage grantees, and analyze performance and narrative reports to support collaboration between JFF and DOL and to advance grantee outcomes. Following this contract with DOL, and based on our organization’s needs, and your skills and interests, this SM could be deployed across projects sponsored by different Practices and Centers at JFF.
This is a great role for someone who is interested in leveraging their skills in federal contract and grants program management and performance management analysis. If you are looking to deepen your experience and subject matter expertise with government grants and contracts in the field of workforce development and equitable economic mobility, this role will provide the opportunity to build relationships and visibility with high priority funders and federal government officials. Plus, you’ll have the chance to learn from and with thought leaders in this field, all while working on a project team with passionate, collaborative, and mission-driven colleagues.

What You’ll Do  
Lead effective partnership between the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) and JFF

• Serve as a crucial liaison between the JFF and Department of Labor teams and other project partners to support ongoing collaboration and coordinate the planning, approval, and delivery of technical assistance to H-1B grantees
• Represent JFF by developing a variety of correspondence and documents, such as memos, reports, and presentations, to be shared with high level DOL government officials and senior leaders at JFF
• Drive cross-collaboration and information-sharing among JFF, grantees, DOL project members, and other stakeholders as a direct point of contact
• Coordinate grantee communications and provide essential support for a range of documentation and other activities, and synthesize this information to present to the DOL team
• Attend and facilitate meetings and engagements with senior level leaders at JFF and DOL to share findings, best practices, and learnings that may inform future work
• Serve as a primary point of contact for grantees by managing the U.S. DOL grants mailbox, in collaboration with the DOL team

Support and manage grantees to drive the implementation of worker-centered approaches 

• Provide project management of JFF’s comprehensive, multi-layered, and high-impact technical assistance to grantees and lead grant management efforts across H-1B grants
• Coordinate with the project team to assemble a broad coalition that builds field capacity and mobilizes the broader workforce ecosystem for meaningful participation in infrastructure investments
• Ensure timely follow-up with partners, coordinating with and drawing in appropriate staff as necessary
• Develop and maintain grantee outreach and a record-keeping process
• Lead the development and ongoing management of the online Community of Practice for grantees

Develop effective strategies that inform continuous improvement 

• Analyze grantee narrative and performance reports to understand progress and make recommendations on TA activities to support grantees’ success; lead the development of the quarterly grants analysis report
• Partner with project sponsors from JFF’s Workforce and Regional Economies Practice and other project team members to accomplish project goals by monitoring and evaluating project plans, tasks, resources, deadlines, and any post-project needs
• Analyze grantee feedback to evaluate the effectiveness of technical assistance efforts as outlined in JFF’s evaluation plan
• Develop and review grant program summaries, grant and performance reports, and grantee success stories to ensure that grantees are meeting goals and identify key trends across the portfolio that can be used to inform future work in both JFF and DOL spaces

Who You Are  

The qualifications listed within the job description are intended as a guide and we do not expect candidates to bring all experiences and skills listed. Research supports that self-selecting out of potential professional opportunities is particularly common among individuals with identities that are marginalized in professional spaces, such as People of Color, LGBTQ individuals, people with disabilities, neurodivergent individuals, and people with records. So, if you believe that you can meet the overall expectations of the position, we encourage you to apply so that we have an opportunity to learn more about you and the unique strengths you would bring to the work.

• You have previously managed government grants, contracts, and/or programs ideally related to workforce development initiatives (New hires at the Senior Manager level at JFF typically bring 5-10 years of prior professional experience through a combination of full-time, part-time, internship, and/or freelance positions)
• You have strong project management and organizational skills, can prioritize, and meet competing deadlines in a fast-paced environment; you know how to lead multiple workstreams and keep team members accountable to their goals and deliverables.
• You have demonstrated interest and experience in supporting a diverse team to advance collaboration between internal, external partners, and funders.
• You possess clear communication skills, both written and verbal, and are able to extract salient themes and narratives to present this information effectively and clearly with a diverse set of stakeholders.
• You have strong analytical skills and prior experience analyzing both quantitative and qualitative data. Experience with statistical software is a plus.
• You are a curious and adaptive learner and are able to apply lessons learned through your work to develop new, more effective and collaborative ways of working with colleagues and stakeholders, including people whose identities and backgrounds differ from your own
• You have an interest in working closely with federal agency staff to support the success of a high-profile grant program
• You have a track record of building, cultivating, and managing relationships with people to collaborate on projects, particularly with internal leaders, funders, government officials, and grantees.
• You have demonstrated ability to maximize impact in the field by applying an equity lens to how you design and manage your project and/or programmatic work
• You possess high energy and passion for JFF’s mission and North Star, and the ability to apply JFF’s core values to all areas of your work
• You are energized by stewarding JFF’s DEIBW values and practices within your day-to-day work, including embracing the differences and celebrating the diversity that each individual brings to JFF
• You are able and willing to attend meetings in Washington, DC with project members and leaders from DOL. Note: Meeting frequency with DOL will evolve over time; you should be prepared to meet in-person as necessary, likely a few times each month at a maximum.

What We Offer  
At JFF, we’re fueled by the desire to create a world where everyone has equal opportunity for economic advancement. Our team works hard to push the boundaries of what is possible, and in return, we provide a gratifying work experience, competitive salaries, and a comprehensive benefits program that includes flexibility and choice as core values in order to support people wherever they are in their lives and careers.
JFF has offices in Boston, Oakland, and Washington, DC; employees are welcome to use JFF office space to work in-person or hybrid, or completely remote. To improve the employee experience and promote productivity while working remotely, JFF offers an annual home office stipend to all regular full-time and part-time employees. In addition, new employees receive office equipment as needed.
The hiring range for this role is $80,000 – $90,000 annually, in alignment to JFF’s Senior Manager salary band and our compensation philosophy. Starting salaries for new hires will be determined based on a combination of the new hire’s relevant experience and market demands.