Director of Career Ladder Program

Background 

The Google Career Ladder Benefit Fund – a joint initiative of UNITE HERE, Google, and Compass – is looking for its inaugural Program Director. Reporting to the fund’s trustees, the Program Director will be responsible for piloting the Career Ladder Program in New York City and then replicating it throughout the United States.

The Google Career Ladder Benefit Fund is a newly established labor-management partnership between Google, Compass, Guckenheimer, Sodexo and UNITE HERE, the union representing 300,000 working people across Canada and the United States. UNITE HERE members work in the hotel, gaming, food service, manufacturing, textile, distribution, laundry, transportation, and airport industries. As a Taft-Hartley plan, the Benefit Fund was created to train and upskill UNITE HERE members who are employees on Google campuses, enabling advance in their careers.

The Career Ladder Program’s curriculum, which will be designed in collaboration with the Employer, will also support our efforts to create career pathways into good union jobs, thereby contributing to worker retention. Most of the people we will serve are people of color/immigrants and members of marginalized communities. Our primary objective is to provide ongoing training to incumbent workers to support their career advancement.

The UNITE HERE Education and Support Fund, which exists to support workers in the hospitality industry, is assisting the Food Service Employers & 100 Members Training & Education Fund with the Google Career Ladder Benefit Fund Program Director search.

Position Summary

The founding Program Director will drive the development of a Career Ladder Program by convening and collaborating with human resource leaders, food service directors, and other organizational leaders from Compass, Guckenheimer, Sodexo, Google, and UNITE HERE. They will operationalize and oversee the implementation of these partners’ strategic plan to launch a pilot program in the New York metropolitan area. Specifically, they will oversee the administration of culinary training programs for entry-level, incumbent Compass food-service workers on Google campuses in New York/New Jersey. This will work take place in collaboration with the 100 Members Training Kitchen, a separate but related Taft-Hartley training fund and 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, that is being created simultaneously and which is based in New York City.

The ideal candidate will thrive as they develop the Career Ladder Program’s plan and training capacity, while establishing it as a key organization within regional workforce development landscapes. Finally, the Program Director will ensure the program is well-positioned for replication in cities across the U.S. where Compass employs UNITE HERE members and provides food services to other Google locations.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Organizational Leadership

• Direct the development and implementation of goals, objectives, policies, procedures and processes to support a growing program.
• Analyze operations to evaluate the performance of the program and its partners in meeting the objectives and to determine areas of potential program improvement, cost reduction, and policy changes.
• Provide administrative support and regular updates to the Trustees with respect to the status of training programs and operations.
• Make presentations to the Trustees with respect to recommendations on program operations and budgets. Collaborate with the Trustees and partners to develop and execute short- and long-term goals.

Outreach, Communications, and Collaboration

• Ensure that the public, through the news media and effective public relations, is informed of the success and accomplishments of the Career Ladder Program in providing vocational and skills training to unionized Compass foodservice employees on Google properties.
• Develop and maintain good working relations with related Taft-Hartley training funds, state and local government officials, community-based organizations, and the local community.
• Collaborate with the 100 Members Training Kitchen leadership and UNITE HERE International Union and Local staff on various endeavors including workforce development projects, fundraising, grant applications, grant-funded projects, and data collection.

Personnel and Human Resources

• Be responsible for the recruitment and on-boarding of personnel, both paid staff and volunteers, as needed.
• Ensure that job descriptions are developed, that regular performance evaluations are held, and that sound human resource practices are in place.
• Develop human resource management policies and programs that contribute to the acquisition, retention, motivation, and development of staff capable of meeting current and future programmatic needs and objectives.
• Contribute to a positive and ethical work environment that is conducive to attracting, retaining, and motivating a diverse group of employees at all levels.

Budget, Finance, and Compliance

• Work with the Trustees in preparing a budget; see that the program operates within budget guidelines.
• Identify and pursue new funding opportunities, develop relationships with funding agencies, and oversee grant application process.

• At least three years of experience in organizational leadership in a variety of capacities with workforce development, labor unions, community services, or related field; and a bachelor’s degree or higher in a related discipline or equivalent field experience.
• At least one of the three years of organizational leadership experience should pertain to workforce development or labor-management partnerships.
• Demonstrated knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, leadership technique, and coordination of people and resources.
• Eagerness to launch a new labor-management led workforce development program.
• Success in roles requiring self-motivation, self-discipline, excellent organizational skills and the execution of multiple tasks.
• Demonstrated ability to build and maintain relationships with a wide array of people – junior and senior, for-profit and nonprofit, and from diverse backgrounds.
• High level of professionalism and outstanding communication and interpersonal skills along with confidence to present and defend/debate ideas without ego interfering. Proven ability to work with tact, diplomacy efficiency, and flexibility.
• Demonstrated ability to solve problems, identify new opportunities, and maintain a vision for the organization to maximize its impact.
• Experience delivering results under time constraints and the ability to remain focused under pressure.
• Excellent computer skills, particularly MS Office (Word, Excel, and Outlook).
• Pro-worker and pro-union orientation toward workforce development and vocational training.

Preferred Qualifications

• Spanish verbal and written fluency.
• Experience working with Taft-Hartley funds or other labor-management partnerships.
• Demonstrated fundraising experience.

Salary Range: $100,000 - $125,000/year

100% employer-paid medical, dental, and vision premiums; 401k; and generous paid time off.

Candidates who are people of color, women, and/or gay, lesbian, bisexual, queer, and transgender are strongly encouraged to apply. Only complete applications (resumé and cover letter) will be considered.

Food Service Employers & 100 Members Training & Education Fund is an equal opportunity employer and gives equal consideration to all applicants without regard to sex, age, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression.