Manager, Strategic Initiatives

Main Purpose of Job
This position leads high-priority strategic initiatives that advance statewide career-connected learning, particularly CTE, apprenticeship, career pathways alignment, and implementation of the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future. The Manager applies strategic systems thinking, project management, data analysis, relationship building, and clear communication to identify implementation challenges, elevate effective practices, and develop recommendations that strengthen Maryland’s CTE and career-connected learning systems.

POSITION DUTIES
Duties of this position include, but are not limited to:

Lead Strategic Initiatives and Systems Improvement: Lead high-priority strategic initiatives that advance statewide career-connected learning, with a focus on CTE, apprenticeship, career pathways mapping, Perkins-aligned investments, and other CTE Committee priorities. Develop and manage project plans, timelines, stakeholder engagement strategies, and implementation tools or initiatives that strengthen alignment across secondary education, postsecondary education, workforce development, and industry. Identify implementation barriers and propose practical solutions, including recommendations related to policy, regulation, legislation, technical assistance, funding alignment, and statewide scaling of effective practices.

Cross-Agency Collaboration, Stakeholder Engagement, and Technical Assistance: Coordinate complex cross-agency and cross-sector initiatives involving state agencies, LEAs, postsecondary institutions, employers, workforce organizations, and community partners. Serve as a liaison among partners to build consensus, facilitate workgroups, support communities of practice, and advance implementation of statewide career-connected learning priorities. Represent the Senior Director and CTE Committee in meeting, presentations, and collaborative planning efforts, as assigned. Support the development and delivery of technical assistance, tools, resources, and communications to help local partners implement CTE, apprenticeship, and career-connected learning strategies.

Oversee Data, Analysis, Reporting, and Continuous Improvement: Oversee the collections, analysis, and synthesis of qualitative and quantitative data related to CTE and career-connected learning implementation. Use CTE Expert Review Team (ERT) findings, Perkins data, labor market information. LEA data, stakeholder feedback, and national best practices to identify trends, implementation challenges, promising models, and opportunities for system improvement. Lead or review analysis and written products, including reports, memos, briefs, dashboards, recommendations, and materials for CTE Committee, GWBD leadership, state partners, LEAs, and other stakeholders. Provide lead-worker direction to the Research Data Analyst on data collection, analysis, dashboards, and report development.

CTE Expert Team Transition, Strategy, and Implementation: Support the planning, coordination, analysis, and follow-up for CTE Expert Review Team (ERT) activities during the transition period, including remaining LEA visits, post-visit reports, and synthesis of findings from visits conducted to date. In partnership with GWDB staff, state partners, contractors, and the CTE Committee, develop recommendations for the future structure, timeline, staffing, and strategic value of the CTE ERT program. Ensure CTE ERT findings informs broader statewide priorities, including technical assistance, policy recommendations, career pathways alignment, and continuous improvement of Blueprint implementation.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
Education: Graduation from an accredited high school or possession of a high school equivalency certificate.

Experience: Six years of administrative staff or professional work.

Notes:

1. Candidates may substitute 30 credit hours from an accredited college or university for each year up to four years of the required experience.

2. Candidates may substitute the possession of a Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university and two years of experience in administrative staff or professional work for the required experience.

3. Candidates may substitute the possession of a Master's degree from an accredited college or university for five years of the required experience.

4. Candidates may substitute U.S. Armed Forces military service experience as a commissioned officer involving staff work related to the administration of rules, regulations, policy, procedures and processes, or overseeing or coordinating unit operations or functioning as a staff assistant to a higher ranking commissioned officer on a year-for-year basis for the required experience.

SELECTIVE QUALIFICATIONS
1. Applicants must possess a minimum of five (5) years of recent (i.e. within the last 10 years) professional experience in Career and Technical Education (CTE). Qualifying experience must include direct responsibility for CTE program administration, Perkins V implementation, career pathway development, CTE policy, or related statewide or regional CTE initiatives within secondary, postsecondary, state education, or national CTE organizations. Experience in education, workforce development, or other related fields without direct CTE responsibilities does not qualify.
2. Two years of experience leading complex, cross-functional initiatives and managing projects involving multiple stakeholders.
3. Experience with written and verbal communication, inclusive of drafting reports, policies, and communication materials (developing slides, providing technical assistance etc.).
4. Experience in utilizing tools for a functioning hybrid workspace such as Google Drive and virtual meeting platforms.

LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS AND CERTIFICATIONS
Employees in this classification may be assigned duties which require the operation of a motor vehicle. Employees assigned such duties will be required to possess a motor vehicle operator's license valid in the State of Maryland.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS
All candidates are subject to a background check against files maintained by the Division of Unemployment Insurance (LABOR/DUI) to determine whether any monies are owed to LABOR/DUI as a result of unemployment overpayment/fraud. Any unpaid debt may have an impact on whether or not a candidate is offered