Program Manager - Training and Small Business Support

Position Type: Full-time

Position Openings: 1

Pay: $80,000 - $88,000 per year, dependent on experience and education

Benefits: 457b plan, and matching; Medical coverage and 100% deductible coverage through HRA; Dental coverage; Vision coverage; Life insurance; Paid time off; Parental leave; Tuition Reimbursement; Monthly Remote Work Stipend; Supplemental Retirement plan, and more.

Work Location: Hybrid; Home and Boston Office

Position Overview:

MassCEC seeks an experienced professional to join MassCEC’s Workforce Development team as a Program Manager. Successful candidates will bring relevant programmatic experience paired with a strong commitment to helping the Commonwealth meet its climate goals through effective workforce grantmaking and programming that supports environmental justice neighborhoods and other underserved and underrepresented populations; advances equitable small business growth and workforce participation in climate-critical sectors; and connects underrepresented businesses to clean energy and climatetech market opportunities.

Reporting to the Program Director on the Training and Small Business Support (TSBS) team, the Program Manager will play a key role in supporting funding opportunities through the Climate-Critical Underrepresented Business Support (CUBS) Requests for Proposals (RFPs) that support the successful development of climate-critical underrepresented businesses and advance awareness of clean energy business opportunities and procurement pathways, linked to other MassCEC workforce development efforts. Program Managers contribute to effective and equitable grantmaking and procurement processes, provide quality technical assistance to grantees, ensure effective outcomes reporting, conduct key administrative processes related to grants management, and contribute to strategic outreach and engagement with industry, economic development, workforce, education, and community stakeholders.

Core Responsibilities:

• Develop, in partnership with the Program Director, Senior Program Manager, and team, critical solicitation documents and support the review, internal approval, and launch of the RFPs.
• Support rigorous and equitable competitive procurement processes by assisting in the creation of scoring rubrics, adhering to clear evaluation guidelines, supporting reviewers on the review process, and maintaining consistent documentation of application scores and evaluations.
• Draft equitable and effective grant agreements and shepherd grant agreements through internal approval pipelines.
• Oversee invoicing and payable pipelines in collaboration with awarded grantees.
• Ensure effective data collection for grantees by supporting grantee utilization of data tracking tools and resources and completing relevant data entry and data analysis tasks.
• Directly deliver technical assistance support to a caseload of grantees focused on business support, and support program quality by identifying and advancing relevant best practices through research, partner engagement, and analysis of grantee practices and performance.
• Draft and refine core program documents, including program administration guides and technical assistance resources.
• Meet outreach goals by collaborating on the development of program communications and collateral and engaging a wide range of interested parties, including other government agencies, community-based organizations, local and regional workforce organizations, industry associations, secondary and higher education institutions, and employers.
• Uphold program integrity through continuous quality improvement and consistent attention to detail when reviewing complex contracts, invoices, and supporting documents.
• Contribute effectively to cross-functional and collaborative efforts.

Position Qualifications:

Experience:

• Four years of relevant professional experience with at least two years of experience in grant management and administration of RFP processes and pipelines.
• Undergraduate degree in a relevant field, such as economics, sociology, etc., or comparable relevant work experience.
• At least two years of experience in small business support, related economic or community development initiatives, or adult clean energy sector-based workforce development.
• Additional experience in one or more of the following areas is desirable but not required: program design, program management, business development, public sector, building/construction industry, and/or renewable energy industry.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Driver’s license and access to personal transportation for site visits and events;
• Strong ability to design comprehensive but concise solicitation documents and attachments with clear instructions for applicants and scoring guidelines for reviewers;
• Understanding of legal contracts with ability to create, amend, and navigate complex scopes of work with milestone and deliverable requirements and/or cost reimbursement frameworks;
• Working knowledge of accounting and payment processing (budgets, invoices, etc.) with experience analyzing and drafting line-item program budgets;
• Experience administering programs with state and federal funding sources and comfort with complex reporting requirements;
• Excellent written communication skills with the ability to craft and edit e􀆯ective documents for a range of purposes and audiences;
• Knowledge of best practices in workforce development, including those that relate to partnership engagement, training design, participant recruitment and retention, and program supports for participants with multiple barriers;
• Awareness of clean energy technologies, including building decarbonization practices, renewable energy generation and storage, and electric vehicle deployment and maintenance;
• Understanding of the construction and trades industry and ability to engage with diverse stakeholders, including architects and engineers, property owners/managers, HVAC companies, construction managers, and consumers;
• Strong prioritization skills and ability to work effectively on multiple projects under tight deadlines;
• Excellent problem-resolution skills and demonstrated ability to make informed decisions;
• Demonstrated ability to work with internal and external partners and cultivate relationships;
• Strong proficiency in Excel with an ability to explain graphic information effectively; and
• Experience with making cross-functional decisions impacting programs, metrics, and results