The Center for the Future of Arizona (CFA) seeks a regional Project Manager, College and Career Pathways, Western Maricopa County to serve as regional lead for the organization’s Arizona Pathways to Prosperity (APTP) initiative. The APTP initiative brings together industry and education sectors to collaboratively design, implement, and scale seamless college and career pathways that enable students to transition smoothly through high school, into higher education, and onto family-supporting careers. The position will play a critical role in ensuring the CFA achieves its mission to bring Arizonans together to create a stronger and brighter future for the state.

The Pathways Project Manager, College and Career Pathways, Western Maricopa County is responsible for: partnership development and facilitating regional alignment between K-12 schools, higher education, and employers in the West Valley. The project manager will assist the region in implementing the Arizona Pathways to Prosperity framework which includes early career literacy and guidance, early college high school programs of study, and work-based learning. The project manager will also be responsible for coordinating public policy efforts related to college and career pathways. This is an exciting new role that will enable CFA to significantly expand APTP across Arizona to serve many more students and communities.

The ideal candidate is:
• Mission-driven with a passion for working with K-12 schools, higher education, and employers
• Experience with developing, designing, or teaching in college or career pathways systems
• Comfortable working both independently and collaboratively, and able to thrive in a fast-paced, outcomes-driven environment.
• Comfortable and experienced with public speaking, presentation, and facilitation
• Knowledgeable about the Arizona policy environment
• A resident of the region and has a background working with K12, postsecondary and industry partners in Western Maricopa County

This position reports to the Director, College and Career Pathways, and works collaboratively with other CFA staff members and affiliates of the organization.
Essential Duties
• Facilitates regional collaboration among K-12, higher education, and employers in Western Maricopa County to promote cross-sector collaboration and sharing of promising practices
• Identifies, initiates, and sustains partnerships with K-12 districts and charter schools, higher education institutes, and employers in their region
• Negotiates partnership terms and maintains agreements between K-12, higher education, and employers that expand work-based learning opportunities for all students
• Monitors and identifies opportunities to engage in public policy related to college and career pathways and career and technical education
• Coordinates regional efforts and opportunities with regional workforce development officials, economic development organizations, and community-based organizations
• Supports strategic planning, goal setting, and progress monitoring of metrics and goals aligned to regional pathways strategic plans
• Tracks career-connected pathways milestones and deliverables for the region
• Collects data on key career-connected pathways outcomes in the region, prepares project status reports, and drafts relevant grant reports
• Develops and implements strong communication systems to ensure that regional and school-level leaders have the knowledge, tools, and information to implement and sustain robust career-connected pathways
• Plans and coordinates visits for key leaders in the region to showcase promising practices within school districts, higher education institutions, and industry partners
• Represents CFA in key regional events, meetings, and community initiatives

Minimum Qualifications
Bachelor's degree and 5 years related experience; 1 of which is in project management, or any equivalent combination of experience and /or education from which comparable knowledge, skills and abilities have been achieved.

Desired Qualifications
• Experience as a K-12 teacher, counselor, or administrator or in higher education, workforce development, or economic/community development, or any combination thereof in Western Maricopa County
• Familiarity with Arizona K-12 accountability systems
• Familiarity with Arizona education and workforce policymakers (i.e. legislature, Arizona State Board of Education, Arizona Office of Economic Opportunity, etc.)
• Experience contributing to cultivating a welcoming, inclusive and equitable workplace.
• Experience with leading and managing others in a creative and deadline-driven environment
• Evidence of effective written and verbal skills
• Evidence of having a track record as an implementer who thrives on effectively managing multiple streams of work concurrently.
• Experience in relationship building with a sincere commitment to work collaboratively with all internal and external partners
• Experience in being a self-starter, able to work independently and collaboratively
• Experience leading entrepreneurial and proactive approaches to problem solving
• Experience working in a non-profit organization.
• Experience in Microsoft Office (PowerPoint, Word, Excel, Outlook)

Working Environment
• Activities are performed in an environmentally controlled office setting subject to extended periods of sitting, keyboarding and manipulating a computer mouse.
• Required to stand for varying lengths of time.
• Occasional bending, reaching, lifting, pushing and pulling up to 20 pounds.
• In-state travel at 10% to facilitate regional program events, involving operation of a motor vehicle; applicant must have access to an automobile, have and maintain a valid Arizona driver’s license.
• Applicant must have or apply for a valid Arizona Fingerprint Clearance Card within 30 days of start date.

Department Statement
The Center for the Future of Arizona (CFA) brings Arizonans together to create a stronger and brighter future for our state. CFA listens to Arizonans to learn what matters most to them, shares trusted data about how Arizona is doing, brings critical issues to public attention, and works with communities and leaders to solve public problems. CFA works across the full spectrum of important issue areas and has deep and ongoing work in education, workforce and civic participation, recognizing how central these are to a bright and prosperous future for our state. A self-defined “do tank,” CFA is data-based, action-oriented and committed to advancing prosperity, quality of life and opportunity for all Arizonans. For more information about CFA and our current efforts, please visit www.arizonafuture.org.

The Center for the Future of Arizona is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, supported by public and private donors and organizations from across Arizona and throughout the country.