Director of Corporate Partnerships and Placements

Chicago Career Tech
Director of Corporate Partnerships and Placements

World Business Chicago is seeking a Director of Corporate Partnerships and Placements for the newly created Chicago Career Tech initiative. The Director is responsible for the developing, maintaining, and monitoring relationships with business leaders for the purpose of placing all CCT participants into meaningful job shadowing/internship positions at businesses in Chicago. The Director will also be responsible for maintaining relationships with key human resource professionals to ensure the proper alignment of the job shadowing tracks with future growth jobs. Finally, the Director is responsible for assisting the Executive Director with key sponsorship and fundraising opportunities.

ORGANIZATION
World Business Chicago (WBC) is Chicago’s not-for-profit economic development corporation, chaired by Mayor Richard M. Daley and directed by Rita R. Athas. The office fosters the Chicago region’s global position as a thriving business location. WBC enhances Chicago’s economy through the growth of the private sector, building the best city in the world in which to live, work, and play. WBC is a public-private partnership funded jointly by the City of Chicago and the private sector. Chicago Career Tech will initially be operated through World Business Chicago and eventually evolve to become an independent nonprofit organization. We are an equal opportunity employer.

CHICAGO CAREER TECH
Over the next three years, the City of Chicago will invest $25 million in Chicago Career Tech, a new Mayoral-led initiative designed to develop a corps of trained technology professionals who will strengthen Chicago’s position as a national center for technology businesses. Technology based industries not only creates jobs, but also spur the innovation that contributes to job growth across sectors. There is a growing need for individuals with technology skills in health care, telecommunication and education, to name only a few areas.

In the midst of this economic recession, the City of Chicago has identified an opportunity to build a pipeline of human talent to support and grow the information technology sector. Chicago Career Tech will provide technology training for recently displaced workers in administrative and professional fields and employ them in jobs that benefit the City of Chicago and its residents. The City is also pursuing additional federal matching funds. The program is currently funded to serve approximately 2,100 participants over the next three years with goals of further expansion.

Chicago Career Tech will target white-collar industry workers (e.g. administrative assistants, customer service representatives, and bank tellers) with at least a high school diploma, who have been recently laid off and could benefit from additional technology training to upgrade their skills. Participants will have been making $25,000-$75,000 in their previous job, a group that makes up approximately half of the unemployed population in Chicago but has been largely left out of stimulus and other public programs aimed at supporting and retraining dislocated workers.

The critical innovation of Chicago Career Tech is its integration of training with work. Program participants will work 16 hours per week in targeted service learning assignments. Additionally, they will be engaged in on-the-job technology experiences and training approximately 32 hours per week. A spectrum of courses will be offered, delivering advanced skills’ training that leads to certification in growing sectors. Participants will receive approximately $400/week in income support during their participation in the six month program. Training vouchers will also be provided. Participants will also be able to receive unemployment benefits during this period, if they are eligible.

For more information, please go to www.chicagocareertech.com

RESPONSIBILITIES
We are seeking an experienced, hands-on corporate partnership leader with a proven track record of success in the public and private sectors.

The Director will:
• Build and maintain relationships with key business leaders in Chicago.
• Identify 150 – 400 job shadowing/internship opportunities for each six month participant cohort.
• Develop and issue memos of understandings with job shadowing sites to document mutual expectations.
• Monitor job shadowing experience of the participants as well as the businesses.
• Maintain relationships with placement and coordination vendor, service learning vendor and training vendors to ensure that participants are placed in appropriate job shadowing/internship experiences.
• Build and maintain relationships with human resource professionals to ensure the proper alignment of the job shadowing tracks with future job growth.
• Build and manage staff of business managers to support key functions related to business relationships.
• Assist executive director with identifying and pursuing grant and fundraising opportunities.
• Support the Advisory Board as needed including providing key reports.

CANDIDATE PROFILE
The ideal candidate will demonstrate the following experience, skills, and personal attributes:
1) Successful leadership experience in public and/or private sectors with a history of job growth and advancement.
2) Significant experience developing and building relationships with business executives.
3) Experience in an entrepreneurial setting or significant hands-on experience expanding business relationships for a new program/operation.
4) Successful track record in developing and implementing disciplined operational processes and policies regarding business/nonprofit partnerships.
5) Previous fundraising experience including relationship development, grant writing and tracking.
6) Strong business skills and the capability to organize and prioritize work and to accomplish goals under tight time constraints.
7) Experience building a staff team.
8) Experience simultaneously coordinating multiple vendors and internal staff, as well as a wide variety of responsibilities, to meet goals.
9) Strong communication skills across a broad range of constituent groups, including Board level, CEO’s, executive leaders, vendor management, program participants and internal staff.

COMPENSATION
Salary and benefits are commensurate with experience.

APPLICATION INFORMATION
Please email cover letter and resume to:
hr@chicagocareertech.com
Chicago Career Tech at World Business Chicago
Attn: Chicago Career Tech - HR
177 N. State Street, Suite 500
Chicago, IL 60601
312-553-0500