"Program Manager for Workforce Career Pathways"

The Program Manager for Workforce Career Pathways is assigned to support academic programs within identified workforce pathways. The position is responsible for the recruitment, marketing, navigation and first quarter advising of students in these identified pathways. The key functions of this role are to ensure that students are fully supported from initial inquiry through first quarter enrollment with a clean hand-off to a faculty advisor.

The Program Manager for Workforce Career Pathways with a focus on partnerships and recruitment, supports the Allied and Behavioral Health departments. This position will manage the workforce program marketing efforts as well as community partner relations. This position will work closely with the Outreach & Recruitment and Marketing departments, regularly attending department meetings and serving as the outreach and marketing liaison for the workforce pathways team.

This is a full-time exempt, at will position reporting to the Associate Dean of Workforce Pathways. This position will require working some evenings and weekends and will require some travel.

Recruitment and Marketing

• Collaborate with pathway faculty and staff to identify outreach goals aligned with departments strategic priorities;
• Coordinate and facilitate (in collaboration with WES, TSC, Entry Advising and CTC) events, information sessions, presentations and admissions clinics (in-person and virtually, day and evening/weekend) to promote pathway offerings;
• Participate in ELCAP classroom visits;
• Manage CRM inquiry pipeline for students in assigned workforce pathways;
• Coordinate and lead community recruitment efforts (including Employment Security Department, Department of Social and Human Services and other community based organization partners) that focus on adult learners and diverse student populations;
• Participate in enrollment and new student orientation events;
• Collaborate on the coordination of career fairs and career readiness events on campus;
• Create and implement targeted marketing materials (rack cards, website updates);
• Manage in collaboration with the other Program Managers for Workforce Career Pathways, in the development and dissemination of workforce programs marketing materials and e-recruitment activities;
• Ensure marketing and presentation materials distributed to schools and community partners are current;
• Collaborate with Continuing Education, AAS and BAS program department coordinators and faculty to support and facilitate coordinated recruitment efforts and activities.

Student Navigation

• Manage CRM applicant pipelines for students who have applied for workforce programs in the Human Services and the allied and behavior health pathways;
• Support workforce students from time of inquiry through enrollment in their first quarter;
• Provide accessible, responsive, and trauma-informed 1:1 student support;
• Provide technical assistance with the application, identifying funding options, account activation and registration process;
• Maintain current knowledge of campus policies and procedures to facilitate effective linkages to services.

Advising

• Provide first quarter academic advising to include: career exploration, basic course sequencing, program options, PLA, prerequisites, placement needs for Math and English, selection and registration;
• Guide students in career exploration to include: identification of educational goals and academic pathway and utilization of career exploration tools and resources;
• Work with the faculty advising team to assign students a faculty advisor.

Administrative

• Track and monitor student progression through CRM pipelines; collecting and analyzing data to measure where we are losing students;
• Document all significant student interactions in Watermark under advising notes;
• Provide progress reports to the workforce team on needs, challenges, and accomplishments;
• Track, analyze and report data on community partner recruitment and career readiness events;
• Coordinate career fairs and career readiness events in collaboration with the Career and Transfer Center;
• Collaborate with O&R and marketing departments to align outreach efforts;
• Attend O&R and marketing department meetings; relay information and changes to the workforce team;
• Attend pathway department/division meetings and advisory committee meetings.

Skills and Abilities

• Strong communication skills; excellent written, oral, and cross-cultural communication; comfortable with public speaking, and making presentations to diverse audiences;
• Demonstrated customer service focus and experience;
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to establish and maintain cooperative relations with diverse individuals and groups;
• Technology skills to efficiently navigate an electronic environment, including familiarity with Microsoft Office Suite, ctcLink/PeopleSoft, and Google drive;
• Strong organizational skills with an ability to manage timelines, details, and competing priorities;
• Ability to be a self-starter with the willingness to take appropriate initiative and exercise independent decision-making;
• Adaptability & flexibility with the capacity to work independently and collaboratively;
• Consider equity and access issues that impact student access and completion.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree OR any combination of relevant education, training, and experience that indicates successful performance of the major responsibilities of this position;
• 2 years of advising, college recruitment, or related experience.

Desired Qualifications

• Experience working in a community college or strong understanding of the community college system and navigating college processes;
• Experience with Customer Relations Management (CRM) software;
• Experience as an adult learner or working with adult learners;
• Understanding of student success milestones and college success strategies;
• Bilingual/bicultural or significant multi-cultural experiences and/or competence in a language in addition to English.

Posted: 27-Feb-26

Location: Highline College 2400 S 240th St Des Moines

Categories: Staff/Administrative

Internal Number: 5251772

Posting will remain open until filled. Priority consideration for applications received by March 26, 2026.