Workforce Development Manager - Water Sector

WIL is seeking a Workforce Development Manager in the water sector, at a workforce board, utility association, or employer partnership, to convene regional utilities, employers, and training providers around water-sector hiring and retention.

About the Workforce Intelligence Lab (WIL)

WIL is assembling regional collaborations that connect utilities, employers, workforce boards, labor, and training providers to address water-sector recruitment, retention, and retirement-driven vacancies. This seat is a collaboration and affiliate track. Engagement is scoped by project. Full-time employment or a project-based contract may be used when a joint award calls for it.

Learn more: https://wilinstitute.org

We engage experienced practitioners for both full-time employment and project-based contract roles, as applicable to the award and staffing model. Engagements are remote-first with travel as required for partner and field sites. We build ready teams for live grant and sponsored-research pursuits.

This opportunity is contingent upon grant or sponsored-project award and final staffing approval. Permission will be requested before including a candidate's name or resume in a proposal or funding package.

What you'll do

Represent a workforce board, economic development organization, utility consortium, association, or multi-employer partnership

Help map regional hiring demand and training gaps for water occupations

Coordinate multi-partner collaboration structures and shared metrics

Support regional partnership documentation for joint proposals when agreed

Advise on recruitment and retention innovations that can transfer across regions

Requirements

Required

Affiliation with a workforce board, regional partnership, utility association, public works network, or multi-employer group

Experience convening employers and training providers

Ability to speak to a defined geography and partner roster

Willingness for time-bounded collaboration

Authorization to work with a U.S. research organization

Open to full-time employment or project-based contract engagement; remote-first with travel as partner and field work requires

Nice to have

Existing water-sector sector partnership or talent action plan

Data on vacancies or retirements in the region

Prior federal workforce grant partnership experience