Manufacturing Industry Consortium Strategist

Job Posting:

Operations & Policy Analyst 3

Hybrid work – Permanent, Full-Time

Future Ready Oregon, Office of the Executive Director

Salem, Oregon

REQ - 160159

Do you enjoy strategic, operational and policy challenges? Are you entrepreneurial, collaborative, and a creative problem solver?  Do you have a customer service and growth mindset? Do you know how to cultivate and manage relationships that translate to getting results? Do you have an interest in growing and advancing opportunities to recruit and retain a diverse workforce in Oregon’s manufacturing sector?

If so, please consider joining the Higher Education Coordinating Commission’s Future Ready Oregon Team

The Higher Education Coordinating Commission (HECC) has an exciting career opportunity as a Manufacturing Industry Consortium Strategist (OPA3). This position will lead the development and implementation of a comprehensive statewide Industry Consortium, engaging employers and industry leaders, education and training providers, and community partners to co-create sector-specific workforce solutions.

This position is statewide in scope and will be headquartered at HECC’s Salem Office. The successful candidate may be eligible for in-state hybrid work, which consists of performing duties onsite in a standard office environment and working remotely. Currently, Future Ready Oregon has a 1-days per week minimum in office for most positions, which is subject to change to meet position and operational needs. There may be additional in-office expectations during the training period; the details of the work schedule will be finalized with your supervisor.

Why Join Us

The Higher Education Coordinating Commission (HECC) envisions a future in which all Oregonians—and especially those whom our systems have underserved and marginalized—benefit from the transformational power of high-quality postsecondary education and training. Come work with a team that values equity, affordable access to education, and lifelong learning within beautiful Salem, Oregon

Agency Values - Transparency, Equity, Integrity, Trust, Collaboration, Accountability, Lifelong Learning.

Check out our vision -

Equitable Recruiting

The HECC strives to create an inclusive environment that welcomes and values the diversity of the people we serve. We foster fairness, equity, and inclusion to create a workplace environment where everyone is treated with respect and dignity. We encourage you to apply, even if you don't meet every one of our qualifications listed. If you are unsure whether you meet the qualifications of these positions, please feel free to contact us to discuss your application.

Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply for jobs unless they meet every one of the qualifications listed. We are most interested in finding the best candidate for the job, and that candidate may be one who comes from a non-traditional background.

About the Office

Future Ready Oregon is responsible for implementing a $200 million investment that supports the education and training Oregonians need for family-wage careers. This work includes strategic and targeted investments focused on advancing opportunities for historically underserved and marginalized communities by leveraging existing successful programs and by funding innovative equity-focused solutions to bolster recruitment, retention, and career advancement opportunities for priority populations.

What You Will Be Doing

The primary purpose of this highly visible position is to lead the development, implementation, and long- term sustainability of a comprehensive statewide Manufacturing Industry Consortium. This position will be instrumental in supporting and responding to the Consortium’s Executive Leadership Team, driving improvement, innovation and promotion of the workforce and talent development strategies, programs, and activities in Oregon’s manufacturing sector.

As a critical contributor to the cross-agency, cross-sector Future Ready Oregon initiative, this position will employ strong facilitation skills, provide exceptional workstream management, and broker relationships and collaborate across systems. This position will make strategic recommendations to multiple agency and private sector leaders, advise and advance policy solutions, recommend structure and processes to achieve workforce development goals, and influence organizational and continuous improvement efforts related to the manufacturing sector across the state. This position will lead and facilitate engagement of employers, industry leaders and associations, community-based organizations, education and training providers, labor organizations, and workforce development partners for the Manufacturing Industry Consortium.

A key component of this work is to align workforce development activities to increase participation in workforce education and training programs and prioritize historically underserved populations including communities of color, women, low-income communities, rural and frontier communities, veterans, persons with disabilities, incarcerated and formerly incarcerated individuals, members of Oregon’s tribes, older adults and individuals who identify as members of the LGBTQ+ community.

The Manufacturing Industry Consortium through the leadership of this position will provide improved systems alignment, increased efficiency, and better effectiveness amongst systems of statewide workforce education and training programs, planning and service delivery efforts, and provide a critical table for deeper engagement from the business and employer community.

This critical role includes establishing strategic partnerships, promoting consensus in decision-making, and collaborating with key representatives from the Governor’s Office, Governor’s Policy Advisors, Workforce and Talent Development Board, Racial Justice Council, Future Ready Oregon, the Higher Education Coordinating Commission, agency executive leaders, federal government, national associations, state government, community-based organizations, local workforce development boards, education and training providers, community colleges and universities, the business and employer community, industry associations, labor organizations, regional and local governments and leaders, and others.

Duties Include

• Lead the Future Ready Oregon Manufacturing Industry Consortium statewide efforts.

• Provide ongoing leadership for the Consortium and its Leadership Team, ensuring that analysis and recommendations on strategies, plans, policies, and board development are supported by collaborative cross-agency, cross-sector action teams accountable to implementing agreed to priorities.

• Recommend, advise, and consult with executive-level leaders at multiple agencies, the Governor’s Office, the HECC, the Workforce and Talent Development Board (WTDB), businesses and employers, education and training providers, community-based and culturally specific organizations, and many other interested parties and partners on strategy, policy, planning and course of action needed to achieve required results.

• Lead efforts of the Manufacturing Industry Consortium to identify statewide workforce needs, skills gaps, and high-value credentials.

• Identify, inform, and advance recruitment, retention, and advancement strategies aimed at diversifying Oregon’s manufacturing workforce.

• Lead administrative and operational efforts for the Manufacturing Industry Consortium including development and maintenance of the charter, organizational structure, meeting protocol, cross-agency alignment, statewide and regional alignment and balance the needs of both public and private sectors to achieve results.

• Recommend and provide guidance on research, analysis and reporting projects that identify manufacturing industry workforce needs, including high-value credentials, to inform culturally and linguistically diverse workforce education and training curricula.

• Analyze data from state agencies, private sector and other partners to identify trends, align systems, and recommend strategies to address policy-related workforce barriers and bottlenecks.

• Recommend and explain policies, budgets, funding allocations, and the effect of proposed legislation to policy advisors, state legislators, legislative committee members, Consortium members, HECC and WTDB leadership and members, the business community, task forces and others as they relate to the Manufacturing Industry Consortium. 

For a complete list of duties and working conditions, please contact the recruiter for the position description.

Working Conditions

• This position is required to be in the office a minimum of 1 days per week.

• Daily team interactions.

• Open office environment.

• Extensive computer use. 

• Simultaneous work on multiple tasks with frequent interruptions.

• Requires remaining stationary for extended periods.

• May require statewide and/or national travel.

• Requires physical activity normally associated with filing and sitting for extended periods, occasional bending, stooping, and walking to meetings within the building.

Desired Attributes/Skills

If you have these qualities, let us know It’s how we will choose whom to move forward

• Demonstrated skills in leadership, facilitation, relationship management, strategy, planning and implementation.

• Experienced project/program manager, sustaining momentum and keeping people motivated; driving timelines, deliverables and accountability; keeping teams focused, developing networks to sustain efforts, evaluating efforts and tracking results.

• Must possess skills to manage multiple tasks, learn and assimilate complex information quickly.

• Skilled and experienced facilitator that helps groups work together more effectively by pushing for clarity, encouraging full participation, and helping the group come to shared decisions.

• Ability to broker relationships and foster genuine cross-system collaboration, build and cultivate relationships with senior executives from both businesses and public organizations, and foster connections among key leaders.

• Able to build agreement, get appropriate commitments and authorization for the work, and identify existing projects that can be aligned with the efforts.

• Knowledge of or familiarity with the manufacturing sector, or a demonstrated ability to learn the industry, and experience working with urban and rural communities to provide strategic leadership, planning and direction that drives results.

• Results oriented with ability to work productively across agencies and sectors with partners and interested parties including business and industry, community-based and culturally specific organizations, urban and rural communities, economic development partners, labor organizations, legislators, and local/state governments, non-profits, and many others to reach common goals.

• Ability to navigate multiple and diverse programs, identify and leverage relevant resources and programs to support employers’ priorities, navigate complex systems to make needed changes or improvements, and think opportunistically and creatively about how to get things done.

• Excellent written and oral communication skills and the ability to guide difficult and sensitive conversations with individuals and groups. Must be adept at public speaking in numerous situations, gatherings, and events.

Minimum Qualifications (Required Skills)

A Bachelor's Degree in Business or Public Administration, Behavioral or Social Sciences, Finance, Political Science or any degree demonstrating the capacity for the knowledge and skills; and four years professional-level evaluative, analytical and planning work.

OR; Any combination of experience and education equivalent to seven years of experience that typically supports the knowledge and skills for the classification.

The Benefits

• Competitive medical, vision and dental benefits package for the employee and qualified family members.

• Opportunity to participate in a deferred compensation savings program.

• A fabulous retirement program.  to visit our full benefits website.

• Work-life balance

• 11 paid holidays per year.

• 3 additional paid "Personal Business Days" per year.

• 8 hours of sick leave accumulated every month.

• Progressive vacation leave accrual, starting at 10 hours per month, with increases every 5 years.