Consortium for Worker Education (CWE) - President

The Opportunity

The Consortium for Worker Education (CWE) is seeking a visionary and strategic President to run New York’s leading worker education and workforce development non-profit organization, providing impactful education and skills training to tens of thousands of workers across New York, now and into the future. The new President will have a unique opportunity to build on the exceptional legacy that CWE has forged, and to lead this prominent organization serving New York’s dynamic and diverse workforce.

Since 1985, CWE has been New York’s leading worker training and workforce development organization focused on skills training and support for workers and their families. CWE has been unparalleled in its model, working closely with partners across state and city government, labor unions, and community-based organizations.

Today, CWE’s work is more important than ever, and the new President will take the helm when great challenges and opportunities exist for workers and their families across our country. The new President will bring a vision for the future and expertise in organizational management and public affairs. They will serve as an astute strategist and fundraiser and an inspiring and confident leader who brings experience and passion in worker’s rights and economic justice.

As the organization’s second-ever President, this leader will have an incredible opportunity to work alongside the organization’s board and some of its founders to chart the next chapter of CWE. They will guide and lead the organization forward, as it adapts and grows to meet the needs of a rapidly changing workforce.

The President will bring exceptional leadership to CWE as it provides employment, training, and education services to diverse communities of workers, including union members, dislocated workers, underemployed and unemployed New Yorkers.

The President will manage and partner with a highly successful cohort of experienced Directors, managing a team of nearly 100 staff and consultants, and leading successful and sustainable fundraising and program development. The President will work closely with the Board of Directors, staff and consultants, and other key partners in community and government to ensure the overall fiscal health of the organization. 

The ideal candidate will bring a successful tenure as an organizational leader who thrives in creating and improving organizational systems, with a deep understanding of the New York State Legislature and the New York City Council and experience with nonprofit organizations and labor unions.

This is a fantastic opportunity to lead an exceptionally impactful organization, uplift workers and their families, and make a positive impact on the current and future workforce of New York City.

About CWE

The Consortium for Worker Education (CWE) is a New York City based non-profit workforce development and worker-training organization, overseeing a network of over 40 job training and placement non-profit providers across the five boroughs. CWE serves as the workforce development arm of the New York City Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO, providing vital training services to incumbent members across 36 union locals. This relationship informs CWE’s values, bringing a worker-centered approach to workforce development. Last year, over 50,000 individuals, both union and community members, were enrolled in over 5,000 CWE funded classes and placement initiatives. 

CWE provides access to quality, dignified careers across many industries including healthcare, construction, transportation, civil service, education and childcare, retail, and tourism. CWE is the largest workforce education organization in New York City. Over CWE’s nearly 40-year history, the organization has always responded proactively to meet the emerging needs of workers. CWE’s union and community-based training networks are funded through the support of New York state agencies and the New York City Council. Additional foundation and federal grants allow CWE and our partners to target specific industrial skills gaps.

The Role

The next President of CWE will lead and guide the organization into its next chapter, building on nearly 40 years of successful programming and partnerships with labor union and non-profit community partners. As New York continues to recover from pandemic job loss and unemployment, marked with continued racial disparities, the next President will lead an organization uniquely prepared to meet the needs of New York’s diverse and changing workforce.

The President will bring a clear vision to ensure a successful future for the organization and a responsible stewardship of its programs and mission.

The President will use their substantial experience developing partnerships and connections with elected officials, policy makers and funders to nurture longstanding relationships and cultivate new funding sources.

Reporting to the Board of Directors, the President will develop key indicators for success and priorities for the Board and leadership. The President will work with the Board to build a strategic plan for the organization, ensuring CWE meets the needs of New York’s workforce now and into the future. They will seek and encourage board engagement on strategy, governance, financial oversight, and resource development.

The President will manage, empower and support CWE staff, while ensuring collaborative, integrated and efficient programs.  They will work with senior staff and consultants to ensure successful ongoing funding of current programs.

The ideal candidate will be a dynamic leader with a passion for worker-centered education and training programs, a proven track record of organizational management and successful fundraising, and a demonstrated commitment to racial and economic equity and justice.

Key Responsibilities

Vision and Leadership

• Provide ambitious and confident leadership to advance a worker-centered agenda in workforce development across New York City and New York State
• Build and communicate a clear and compelling strategic vision for the organization that galvanizes funders, partners, policy makers, advocates, and community leaders 
• Provide courageous leadership to advance policies and programs for underserved communities and all workers
• Serve as a spokesperson and thought leader on workers and workforce development
• Embody a commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion in the workplace and ensure those values are realized throughout the organization
• Lead an experienced and talented team of nearly 100 professionals, including staff and consultants

External Affairs Leadership

• Serve as a leading voice on workforce development with elected officials, policy makers, and in the media
• Collaborate with labor and community partners on issues related to education and economic development, labor and workforce development
• Raise the profile of CWE through thought leadership, partnerships, and relationships with a variety of stakeholders, including labor and community leaders, coalition partners, elected officials, and advocates
• Serve as a compelling spokesperson and storyteller in a variety of media settings
• Develop deep and trusted relationships with external stakeholders in strategic multi-organizational spaces and partnerships
• Collaborate with the senior team leaders to create and drive a plan for public and media engagement

Fundraising and Development

• Lead CWE’s fundraising and development initiatives
• Develop and expand trusted relationships with current and potential funders in government and other potential sources
• Inspire confidence in CWE’s programs to further nurture and build a network of committed partners
• Develop and implement a strategy to diversify funding sources by building new relationships and creating engagement opportunities with potential funders
• Develop and expand trusted relationships with current funders

Organizational and Staff Management 

• Collaborate with and report to the Board of Directors, including seeking and building board engagement on strategy, governance, financial oversight, and resource development
• Regularly report to the Board of Directors, including preparing and presenting at all board convenings
• Oversee the day-to-day work of the organization 
• Manage, empower, and support staff, including a cohort of long-serving, successful Directors
• Oversee and ensure oversight and compliance, including regular federal, state, and city reporting
• Lead annual goal setting processes to align programmatic priorities with organizational strategic goals

Key Qualifications

Please note that if you have most but not all the qualifications listed below, we encourage you to apply. Qualifications can include experience that is paid and unpaid, including volunteer work, that helped you to build the knowledge, skills, and competencies needed for this position.

With that, we seek a candidate that brings a:

• Minimum of 15 years of professional experience in organizational leadership and management
• Passion for uplifting workers and a worker-centered approach to workforce development, and a strong commitment to the organization’s mission and a passion for worker’s rights 
• Significant experience in developing and executing strategies for organizational success
• Experience in managing diverse funding streams including government and non-profit grants
• Significant experience with federal, state and city government, including elected leaders and staff, funding, and legislation
• Deep understanding of the role of the labor movement and nonprofit community-based organizations in workforce development and worker-education based federal, state, and city policies
• Experience with financial oversight, compliance, management of operations, and budgets
• Significant management experience and a track record in developing high-performing teams
• Experience as an effective fundraiser, with a history of writing grants, securing grants, and building meaningful relationships with funders
• Superb emotional intelligence and interpersonal skills, with a history of forging strong relationships with diverse stakeholders
• Ability to lead, model, and embed equity diversity and inclusion principles across the organization
• Effective and persuasive communication skills, both oral and written, with strong public speaking skills
• Experience serving as the representative for an organization to the public, particularly in public forums, community meetings, and engagements with media
• An inspiring leader who can continue to develop CWE’s vision and strategy, and can organize people around that vision and strategy

Candidates should be highly organized, detail-oriented, and self-starters who are adept at handling multiple projects simultaneously in a high-volume, fast-paced environment. The next President should be comfortable taking initiative and bringing a hands-on approach to leadership.

Location, Salary and Benefits

CWE is in New York City and in-person office work will be required, with flexibility. The salary will be in the range of $300,000 annually, commensurate with experience. CWE offers a highly competitive package of benefits including healthcare, retirement, and paid time off.

To Apply

To apply, submit a cover letter and resume online at https://grossmansolutions.applytojob.com/apply/. The cover letter should be concise, compelling, and outline the specific ways in which you would be a good fit for this position.

CWE is an equal opportunity employer committed to a diverse, inclusive and equitable workplace. CWE provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and does not discriminate based on race, color, creed, religion, national or ethnic origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, veteran status or any other protected category under local, state or federal law.