Placement Center Manager

About Us

JIREH Workforce Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to training people for careers that build a better planet. We bridge divides through workforce excellence that transforms lives and industries. Through our clean energy training and workforce development programs, we equip individuals from underserved communities with the education, technical skills, and wraparound services needed to overcome barriers and achieve lasting economic mobility. Our initiatives focus on creating equitable pathways to employment in the clean energy sector by providing comprehensive training, barrier reduction support, and job placement assistance. At JIREH, we believe in taking people potential into purpose through empowerment, community, excellence, faith, innovation, transformation, and connection.

Job Summary

The Placement Center Manager serves as a student-centered workforce connector and relationship builder, supporting adult trainees as they transition from training into employment within the clean energy and construction sectors. This role operates at the intersection of student advocacy, employer partnership, and long-term career pathway development. The Placement Center Manager works closely with trainees, instructors, case managers, employers, and workforce partners to ensure placements align with participant skills, interests, readiness, and growth potential. The Placement Center Manager handles quality placements, retention, sustained employer relationships, and intentional career progression.

The ideal candidate brings prior experience in workforce development, career services, or employer engagement and demonstrates strong judgment in navigating complex stakeholder dynamics. They are skilled in assessing readiness, identifying skill gaps, and supporting individuals through challenges without compromising expectations or outcomes. This candidate communicates with clarity and professionalism, manages sensitive situations with discretion, and maintains accurate documentation and follow-up. They are adaptable, organized, and reflective in their practice, contributing ideas that strengthen systems, tools, and processes while supporting consistent, high-quality outcomes.

Reports to Executive Director

Duties and Responsibilities

General Programmatic Duties

• Support trainees in securing employment aligned with their technical training, career goals, and long-term growth potential.
• Build and maintain strong, trust-based relationships with employers, unions, and workforce partners in the clean energy and construction sectors.
• Serve as a liaison between trainees, instructors, case managers, and employers to ensure alignment of expectations and outcomes.
• Provide individualized career coaching, including resume development, interview preparation, job readiness, and workplace expectations.
• Assess trainee readiness, skill gaps, and support needs while providing constructive, student-centered feedback.
• Advocate for trainees while maintaining accountability to employer standards and performance expectations.
• Manage placement-related issues early and thoughtfully to support retention and preserve employer relationships.
• Support trainees in translating technical training, transferable skills, and lived experience into marketable qualifications.
• Collaborate with instructors and case managers to align training outcomes with employer demand and workforce pathways.
• Maintain accurate documentation related to employer engagement, placements, outcomes, and follow-up.
• Contribute to the development and refinement of career pathways, employer partnerships, and placement processes.
• Identify patterns in trainee strengths and employer needs to inform program improvement and strategy.
• Support employer agreements, MOUs, and partnership coordination as needed.
• Provide feedback to leadership on systems, tools, and processes to improve placement outcomes.

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities

• Strong relationship-building skills across trainees, employers, instructors, and internal staff.
• Clear, polished, and tactful verbal and written communication skills.
• Empathetic listening and student-centered coaching approach.
• Understanding career pathways, workforce pipelines, and transferable skills.
• Familiarity with resumes, interviewing, and employment readiness practices.
• Understanding employer expectations, workplace culture, and performance standards.
• Ability to navigate sensitive employer or trainee concerns without damaging relationships.
• Awareness of equity, bias, and cultural dynamics in hiring and retention.
• Ability to collaborate cross-functionally while maintaining confidentiality.
• Comfort balancing trainee advocacy with accountability.
• Basic understanding of employer agreements, partnerships, and workforce systems.
• Comfort working in union or regulated workforce environments is a plus.

Qualifications

• High School Diploma or equivalent required.
• Experience in workforce development, career services, placement coordination, or employer engagement preferred.
• Experience working with adult learners, underserved populations, or justice-impacted individuals strongly preferred.
• Background in nonprofit, community-based, training, or workforce programs preferred.
• Experience combining participant support and employer-facing responsibilities preferred.

Physical Requirements

• Prolonged periods sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
• Occasional travel to employer sites, partner locations, or program events as needed.

Physical Requirements

• Prolonged periods sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
• Occasional travel to employer sites, partner locations, or program events as needed.

Job Classification and Specifications

· Full time

· Exempt

· Salary: $65,000 – $78,000 annually

· Schedule: Monday to Friday, 8:00 am to 4:30 pm (subject to change), occasional evenings or weekends for employer engagement or graduation

· Work Location: In person, 1528 W. Adams Street, Chicago, IL 60607

Benefits:

·Health (Medical, Dental, Vision)

·Life Insurance

·403(b) Available

·Paid time off (80 hours)

·11 Federal Holidays