Director of Workforce Development Events

Agency Description

The Department of Small Business Services (SBS) helps unlock economic potential and create economic security for all New Yorkers by connecting New Yorkers to good jobs, creating stronger businesses, and building a fairer economy in neighborhoods across the five boroughs.

Job Description

The Division of Citywide Workforce Opportunity (CWO) of the NYC Department of Small Business Services (SBS) is responsible for connecting nearly 100,000 New Yorkers each year to good jobs and training opportunities that empower them to lead successful lives. Much of this work is conducted through a network of 18 Workforce1 (WF1) career centers, operated in all five boroughs by workforce development providers under contract with SBS, that provide career services such as resume help, interviewing workshops, and one-on-one career counseling, as well as direct connections to employment.

CWO likewise oversees more than a dozen occupational training programs, in such areas as technology, health care, and construction, that are offered in collaboration with higher education institutions and non-profit training providers. At the core of CWO’s mission is reaching and serving jobseekers who have traditionally been underserved and have not had ready access to employment and training opportunities.

To better meet the needs of jobseekers and neighborhoods we serve, CWO recently created the Neighborhood and Community Engagement Team (NACE), overseeing community engagements and Jobs NYC. Jobs NYC is a mayoral initiative to combat unemployment in neighborhoods across NYC where unemployment rates among people of color are high. The initiative currently brings monthly hiring halls to each borough to connect talent to job opportunities and resources.

Reporting to the Chief Community Engagement Officer (CCEO), the Director will:

- Lead on all NACE events, including JobsNYC hiring halls, job fairs, mini hiring events, events in the community to promote place-based workforce development projects; collaborate with internal teams, community organizations, employers, and vendors to curate monthly hiring events to meet the needs jobseekers and employers.


- Work with CCEO to create a calendar of hiring events with a focus on targeted communities, industries, and jobseeker demographics. Work in collaboration with internal teams and our Workforce1 Career Center (WF1) partners to oversee all logistical aspects of hiring events including venue selection, budgeting, staffing, technology, event promotion, event flow, and event operations.

- Identify key partnerships to ensure the success of the events, building and maintaining relationships with various employers, city agencies, vendors, community groups, and workforce development organizations.

- Supervise team of event staff, volunteers, WF1, and vendors to ensure effective coordination and communication.

- Collaborate in strategic conversations to grow the Jobs NYC initiative and work with CCEO to help execute the strategic plan.

- Work with CCEO to determine appropriate promotional materials and marketing efforts to drive traffic and awareness to Jobs NYC and WF1. Coordinate the creation of event materials and also the execution of marketing with SBS internal Communications Team.

- Manage event budget and track event costs. Provide post-event analysis on finances, event attendance, and ROI (return on investment). Establish event metrics to track the event success including attendees, demographics, employer participation and satisfaction, job placements/ conditional offers, and post event feedback.

- Mentor staff; provide professional development opportunities to team members and ensure that annual team goals developed with the CCEO

- Stay informed of industry trends and jobseeker career interests, and innovative practices to continuously elevate event experiences. Develop process to effectively evaluate feedback from employers, jobseekers, and volunteers. Work with CCEO to develop team playbook outlining event operations and procedures to help inform the team on current best practices.

- Work closely with other CWO staff, especially on the Workforce1 team, as well as center-based staff, to facilitate the exchange of resources and key information, share relevant updates and insights contributing to ongoing efforts to connect individuals with career resources, training programs, and job placement opportunities.

- Represent CCEO at meetings and conferences

- Perform other duties as assigned.


Preferred Skills

- Exceptional written and verbal communication skills; ability to effectively speak and make presentations in front of large groups and ability to tailor messages to different audiences. Must be comfortable with traveling to off-site events within the 5 boroughs.

- Strong customer service and interpersonal skills and ability to work in a team environment.

- Strategic mindset, entrepreneurial spirit, and can-do approach; excellent research, analytical, and problem-solving skills; ability to predict opportunities and challenges and make recommendations regarding how to address them.

- Familiarity with city government and the workforce development landscape in NYC.

- Meticulous attention to detail.

- Ability to work efficiently under pressure against tight deadlines, as well as to prioritize and manage an array of projects through to completion.

- Ability to handle sensitive and confidential matters with discretion and tact.

THIS POSITION IS OPEN TO CANDIDATES WHO ARE IN THE ADMIN COMMUNITY RELATIONS SPECIALIST TITLE(OR OTHER COMPARABLE TITLES), THOSE WHO ARE REACHABLE ON THE CIVIL SERVICE LIST AND THOSE IN THE 55-A PROGRAM. PLEASE INDICATE IN YOUR COVER LETTER IF YOU ARE PERMANENT IN THE TITLE OR ARE REACHABLE ON THE CIVIL SERVICE LIST.

All Applicants: Apply through https://cityjobs.nyc.gov/ search for Job ID: # 695906

Current SBS Employees: Please email your resume and cover letter including the following subject line: Director of Workforce Development Events and send to [email protected]

Note: We appreciate the interest and thank all applicants who apply, but only those candidates under consideration will be contacted.

If you are unable to apply via Jobs NYC or ESS, you can email your cover letter and resume to [email protected] with the following in the subject line: Director of Workforce Development Events.

If you do not have access to email, mail your cover letter & resume to:
NYC Department of Small Business Services
Human Resources Unit
1 Liberty Plaza, 11th Floor
New York, New York 10006

Residency Requirement
New York City residency is generally required within 90 days of appointment. However, City Employees in certain titles who have worked for the City for 2 continuous years may also be eligible to reside in Nassau, Suffolk, Putnam, Westchester, Rockland, or Orange County. To determine if the residency requirement applies to you, please discuss with the agency representative at the time of interview.

The City of New York is an inclusive equal opportunity employer committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and providing a work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment based upon any legally protected status or protected characteristic, including but not limited to an individual's sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, gender identity, or pregnancy.

NOTE: This position is open to qualified persons with a disability who are eligible for the 55-a Program. Please indicate in your cover letter that you would like to be considered for the position under the 55-a.

1. A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university, accredited by regional, national, professional or specialized agencies recognized as accrediting bodies by the U. S. Secretary of Education and by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) and four years of satisfactory, full-time community liaison, community organization or community relations experience, at least two years of which must have been in a broad administrative or policy-making capacity with responsibility for planning, organizing, coordinating, developing, evaluating and/or administering a large community service program or activity; or
2. A four-year high school diploma or its educational equivalent approved by a State's Department of Education or a recognized accrediting organization and eight years of satisfactory, full-time experience as described in "1" above, at least two years of which must have been in a broad administrative or policy-making capacity with responsibilities as described in "1" above; or
3. Education and/or experience equivalent to "1" or "2" above. Undergraduate education above the high school level may be substituted for the community liaison, community organization or community relations experience, but not for the two years of broad administrative or policy-making experience described in "1" above, at the rate of 30 semester credits from an accredited college or university (as described above) for each year of experience, up to a maximum of 4 years. Graduate education beyond the baccalaureate degree may be substituted for the community liaison, community organization or community relations experience, but not for the two years of broad administrative or policy-making experience described in "1" above, on the basis of 30 graduate credits from an accredited college or university (as described above) for each year of experience, up to a maximum of 2 years. However, all candidates must possess a four-year high school diploma or its educational
equivalent approved by a State’s Department of Education or a recognized accrediting organization and two years of full-time experience in a broad administrative or policy-making capacity with responsibilities as described in "1" above.

The City of New York is an inclusive equal opportunity employer committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and providing a work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment based upon any legally protected status or protected characteristic, including but not limited to an individual's sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, gender identity, or pregnancy.