Managing Director of Talent and Workforce Development

Job Requisition ID: 47443

Closing Date: 07/17/2025

​Agency: Illinois Board of Higher Education

Salary: Starting salary commensurate with experience, within the range of $148,500- max $175,000/year

Job Type: Salaried

Category: Full Time 

County: Sangamon; Adams; Alexander; Bond; Boone; Brown; Bureau; Calhoun; Carroll; Cass; Champaign; Christian; Clark; Clay; Clinton; Coles; Cook; Crawford; Cumberland; DeKalb; DeWitt; Douglas; DuPage; Edgar; Edwards; Effingham; Fayette; Ford; Franklin; Fulton; Gallatin; Greene; Grundy; Hamilton; Hancock; Hardin; Henderson; Henry; Iroquois; Jackson; Jasper; Jefferson; Jersey; Jo Daviess; Johnson ; Kane; Kankakee; Kendall; Knox; LaSalle; Lake; Lawrence; Lee; Livingston; Logan; Macon; Macoupin; Madison; Marion; Marshall; Mason; Massac; McDonough; McHenry; McLean; Menard; Mercer; Monroe; Montgomery; Morgan; Moultrie; Ogle; Peoria; Perry; Piatt; Pike; Pope; Pulaski; Putnam; Randolph; Richland; Rock Island; Saline; Schuyler; Scott; Shelby; St. Clair; Stark; Stephenson; Tazewell; Union; Vermilion; Wabash; Warren; Washington; Wayne; White; Whiteside; Will; Williamson; Winnebago; Woodford

Number of Vacancies: 1

Merit Comp Code: Agency Excluded from Collective Bargaining Coverage

****A RESUME AND COVER LETTER ARE REQUIRED FOR THIS JOB POSTING****

Please attach a DETAILED Resume/Curriculum Vitae (CV) AND COVER LETTER, a copy of your transcripts or diploma for all degrees earned, and a copy of any applicable professional licensures to the MY DOCUMENTS section of your application. Please note that the Illinois Board of Higher Education must verify proof of higher education for any degree earned (if applicable) before any offer can be extended. You WILL NOT be considered for the position if you attach a CMS100, CMS100b or any other document in lieu of a Resume or CV.

About the Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE)

IBHE has been supporting higher education in Illinois for more than 50 years. We are a dedicated team of professionals, overseen by a Board appointed by the Governor, who are working for a strong, equitable higher education system, which we believe is essential for the state to thrive. We work with leaders in colleges, universities, state and federal government agencies, governors, legislators, and other entities to strategically further this mission.

In its strategic plan, A Thriving Illinois: Higher Education Paths to Equity, Sustainability, and Growth, IBHE has identified three goals and 25 strategies to help achieve its vision of a higher education ecosystem that ensures individuals, families, and communities across the state thrive.

• Equity - Close equity gaps for students who have been left behind.
• Sustainability - Build a stronger financial future for individuals and institutions.
• Growth - Increase talent and innovation that drives economic growth.

IBHE offers the state's comprehensive benefits package 

About the position:

The Managing Director of Talent and Workforce Development serves as a member of the IBHE Leadership team responsible for establishing and executing on an ambitious vision in leading the strategic alignment between the State’s economic development goals and the higher education system; responsible for oversight of related work units including Early Childhood, Healthcare Workforce, Business and Employer Engagement, and Private Business and Vocational Schools; responsible for building out the agency’s workforce portfolio and driving statewide talent strategies in alignment with the higher education strategic plan, A Thriving Illinois. 

Major Duties and Responsibilities

• Sets the vision for and leads the agency’s work of strategic alignment between the State’s economic development goals and the higher education system, in alignment with and to advance the higher education goals in A Thriving Illinois; Stays abreast of and draws on deep knowledge of national and state higher education and workforce policies and practices; contributes to agency annual planning, goal setting, budget development, legislative priority development, and Board reporting; contributes to a collaborative agency culture
• Identifies emerging state and regional workforce needs and informs program development, policy recommendations, and strategic investments, internal IBHE expertise in labor market trends, program supply-demand alignment, and educational attainment data
• Oversees the Early Childhood, Behavioral Health Workforce, Business and Employer Engagement, and Private Business and Vocational Schools units, including oversight of the Early Childhood Access Consortium for Equity (ECACE) Consortium, the Behavioral Health Workforce Center, authorization of private business and vocational schools; and all workforce-related grant programs, ensuring compliance and strategic impact
• Establishes the Business and Employer engagement unit, setting vision for and launching strategies to build stronger higher education and employer partnerships
• Builds and maintains high performing teams by way of coaching, developing, and drawing out the best work from staff
• Facilitates synergies across departments, institutions, and agencies, providing high-level coordination to ensure peak effectiveness
• Other duties as assigned, within scope of position

Education and Experience

Required:

• Master’s degree from an accredited institution in public policy, education, workforce development, or a related field
• Ten (10)+ years’ or more years of related experience
• Five (5)+ years’ of supervision of professional staff

Preferred:

• PhD or equivalent in a related field
• Experience with workforce program design 
• Experience creating and supporting innovative workforce programs that connect employers to a highly skilled workforce in partnership with higher education institutions

Knowledge Requirements

• Knowledge of the State’s higher education landscape
• Ability to understand policy impact at the institutional and state levels

Skills and Traits

• Strong organizational leader, with clarity of purpose, passion for education and public service, and commitment to advancing equity for students underrepresented in higher education
• Ability to develop, set, and execute on a vision for the organizational division
• Sound judgement to assess and make recommendations in various contexts, including national, state, and institutional
• Strategic thinker with rapid problem-solving skills to effectively handle a variety of situations
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to write clearly, edit well, and make effective public presentations, including using data visualizations effectively
• Demonstrated ability to coach, develop, and draw out the best work from staff
• Collaborative leader who values teamwork and cooperation

​Work Hours: 8:00am - 4:00pm Mon - Fri

Work Location: 1 N Old State Capitol Plz Springfield, IL 62701-1323*

*IBHE offers remote and hybrid work arrangements, based on position and supervisor discretion. IL Residency is required. Travel within Illinois is expected, as required by the work.

Agency Contact: Human Resources

Email: [email protected]

Phone #: (217) 782-2551

Posting Group: Leadership & Management; Education

The main form of communication will be through email. Please check your “junk mail”, “spam”, or “other” folder for communication(s) regarding any submitted application(s). You may receive emails from the following addresses:

• [email protected]
• [email protected]

Nearest Major Market: Springfield