Fellow – Justice-Impacted Student Coordinator, Workforce & Economic Development

Position: Part-time, Interim
Location: Frankfort, Kentucky; limited telecommuting
Term: November 1, 2026 – July 30, 2027
Time Commitment: Up to 20 hours per week
Travel: Occasional in-state travel
Compensation: $25 - $28 per hour depending on qualifications and experience
Priority Deadline: October 19, 2026

Overview

The Council on Postsecondary Education (CPE) is Kentucky’s coordinating body for postsecondary education and is committed to strengthening the commonwealth’s workforce, economy, and quality of life through ongoing improvement and efficient operation of a high-quality system of higher education. The Workforce and Economic Development Unit aligns higher education goals with economic development and workforce talent needs to support the growth of Kentucky’s students, communities, employers, and economy.

Function of the Position

This position will play a critical role in executing the mission and vision of the initiatives housed within the Workforce and Economic Development Unit with particular focus on engaging currently and formerly incarcerated students to ensure their perspectives inform the development of a sustainable prison education system in Kentucky. The Fellow will also be responsible for creating and hosting events related to Prison Education in Kentucky, researching and presenting on higher education policy, practice, workforce and economic development, and prison education trends regionally and nationally.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Serve as a liaison among currently and formerly incarcerated populations and the Kentucky Department of Corrections
• Engage and maintain partnerships with key stakeholders, other state agencies, and postsecondary institutions to increase a sustainable prison education ecosystem in Kentucky informed by a justice impacted perspective
• Create a Justice Impacted Task Force that will guide the development of Kentucky’s postsecondary education in jails and prison
• Develop and maintain workforce and postsecondary data related to prison education
• Develop and implement a prison education awareness campaign
• Collaborate with the Postsecondary Education Coordinator and other CPE units
• Prepare reports and policy recommendations that guide future work in KY’s prison education programs (PEPs) and share out this work on a national stage

Qualifications, Skills, and Experience

Individuals with justice impacted backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply.

Required

• Knowledge of state postsecondary and policy development process
• Knowledge of issues related to incarceration and the barriers justice-impacted individuals encounter.
• Minimum of three years of relevant experience at a postsecondary institution or with an education or justice-impacted related organization
• Associate degree in arts, sciences, or a related field.
• Ability to design, execute, and evaluate short- and long-term projects related to postsecondary education, workforce and economic development, and prison ecosystems
• Strong attention to detail
• Strong interpersonal skills
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
• Must be able to obtain clearance to enter KY Department of Corrections (DOC) facilities (if you have concerns about this requirement, we encourage you to still submit an application or reach out to us so we can discuss it further)

Preferred

• Bachelor’s degree or higher, preferably in education, criminal justice, social sciences, humanities, or related fields
• Strong oral and written communication skills
• Ability to build innovative and sustainable systems
• Demonstrated willingness to learn
• Mission driven

Application Process

Interested applicants should send a cover letter addressing the responsibilities and qualifications of the position, a resume, and the names, titles, and contact information for at least three professional references to CPE.HR@ky.gov.

The position will remain open until filled. Review of applications will begin after the priority deadline.