Description

Regional Workforce Strategy & Portfolio Manager, U.S. Workforce Development Initiative

Contract Type: Contractor

Contract Term: 6 months with potential for extension pending performance and program needs

Level of Effort: 3 days/week 

Location: USA – remote, with a strong preference for candidates based in or near the assigned three-state region; regular travel within the region required. Preference for base in IL, IN, TX, NC, AR or GA.

 The Global Environment & Technology Foundation (GETF) is seeking a highly motivated and experienced Regional Portfolio Manager to support the strategic development, coordination and execution of an innovative workforce transformation initiative for a leading American manufacturing company. This role is central to translating the strategic vision of the manufacturing company into concrete, impactful programs within a defined U.S. region comprising three focus states.

The Regional Portfolio Manager will serve as both a strategist and integrator, identifying opportunities to strengthen regional workforce ecosystems, connecting stakeholders around shared priorities, and translating local insights into actionable investment recommendations. The role requires the ability to see the workforce system holistically, identify leverage points for change, and align local opportunities with national program objectives. The Regional Portfolio Manager will report to GETF's President and work under the day-to-day direction of the Senior Director, Social Impact of the client organization. The Regional Portfolio Manager will be a dynamic self-starter, excellent communicator, and expert coordinator, capable of navigating complex stakeholder ecosystems both internally and externally.

 Key Responsibilities

Strategy Development & Execution for Place-Based Programming: 

• Geographic Strategy Tailoring: Develop and refine a customized strategy for place-based workforce development initiatives in each of the three focus states, reflecting each state’s employer base, education and training providers, and workforce governance structures.
• Strategic Opportunity Identification: Continuously assess workforce ecosystem dynamics across the region to identify emerging opportunities, partnership models, investment priorities, and system-level interventions that can strengthen talent pipelines and advance the initiative's goals.
• Evidence-Based Project Portfolio Design: Develop evidence-based recommendations regarding regional partnerships, pilot programs, funding opportunities, and ecosystem investments aligned with Company and community needs for consideration by initiative leadership.

Ecosystem Landscaping & Stakeholder Engagement

• Local Ecosystem Mapping: Conduct in-depth research and analysis of workforce development ecosystems in each focus state to identify key actors, ecosystem gaps, partnership opportunities, and high-potential interventions that could increase workforce system effectiveness.
• Engagement Strategy: Design and execute comprehensive stakeholder engagement plans across the region, targeting diverse groups, including educators, manufacturers, innovators, state and local workforce development boards, Chambers of Commerce, and local government officials.
• Partnership Development: Proactively identify, vet, and onboard strategic local partners in each focus state whose missions and capabilities align with program goals.
• In-Region Coordination: Serve as the central Project Management Office’s consistent point of contact for the region, building and sustaining durable working relationships in each of the three focus states, including in-person engagement with anchor employers, community and technical colleges, and workforce boards – if needed.
• Travel for and coordinate site visits, partner meetings, and convenings throughout the three focus states, with periodic travel to national convenings and cross-region working sessions. Anticipate light in-region travel, particularly during ecosystem mapping and partner onboarding.

 Program Management & Coordination

• Workstream Tracking: Diligently track progress across assigned each of the three state workstreams in the region, ensuring alignment with overall program goals and timely execution.
• Risk & Opportunity Management: Proactively identify, flag, and mitigate risks while surfacing strategic opportunities, scaling pathways, and potential investments that could generate outsized workforce ecosystem impact.
• Knowledge Transfer: Facilitate learning across the three focus states and contribute the region’s insights to cross-region learning, sharing best practices and successful strategies with peer Regional Portfolio Managers, other state teams, and partners.
• Systems Establishment: Set up efficient, light-touch operational systems for scheduling, documentation, and streamlined program reporting, applying shared national templates and tools so regional reporting rolls up consistently.
• Cross-Region Coordination: Participate in regular coordination with peer Regional Portfolio Managers and the national team to align on approach, share partner intelligence, avoid duplicative outreach with employers and funders operating in more than one region, and maintain a consistent program identity across states.

 Communications Support

• Client Stakeholder Coordination: Support the Senior Director, Social Impact to liaise and coordinate with internal teams such as Government Affairs, Communications, and HR to ensure alignment and resource mobilization for assigned initiatives.
• Narrative Support: Contribute to Client’s development of compelling storytelling and impact narratives to communicate the value and innovation of the program internally and externally, in close collaboration with Client’s external MEL partner and internal communications teams.
• Change Management: Actively support internal efforts to drive organizational buy-in and alignment with the broader goals of workforce transformation at local levels. 
• Thought Leadership: Support efforts to position the organization as a leader in workforce transformation through participation in conferences, publications, and consistent, high-quality external updates in partnership with the Client communications team – as requested.

 Grants Management

• Partner Capacity Building: Provide accessible, light-touch support to grantees in the region to ensure compliance with reporting requirements and successful implementation.
• Active grant management support for any grants directly awarded under your project portfolio.

 Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning (MEL)

• Input into MEL Framework Development: Collaborate closely with Client’s external MEL partner to ensure data sharing into robust Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Framework.

Learning Implementation: Coordinate with MEL partner to help ensure program learnings to inform strategic pivots, scale-up decisions, and continuous improvement (as needed).

Requirements

Qualifications

Required Skills & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant field (e.g., Business, Public Policy, Non-profit Management, or similar).
• 8+ years of progressive experience in program management, strategy consulting, or a related field, preferably within workforce development, education, or economic development.
• Demonstrated ability to develop, manage, and execute complex, multi-stakeholder programs across multiple states or jurisdictions.
• Demonstrated ability to assess complex systems, connect disparate stakeholders and initiatives, and translate insights into actionable strategic recommendations.
• Exceptional organizational skills with proven track record managing competing priorities, budgets, and deadlines.
• Strong analytical skills with experience in grants management.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to present complex information clearly to executive-level internal and external stakeholders.

Preferred Skills

• Experience working in or familiarity with the U.S. manufacturing industry and related workforce challenges.
• Familiarity with change management principles and internal organizational coordination in a large corporate or foundation setting.
  Prior experience in high-volume regional travel roles and managing the logistics of multi-site operations.
• Established relationships or networks in one or more of the initiative’s focus states, including state workforce agencies, community and technical college systems, or regional manufacturing associations.