Director of CORE Academy

DIRECTOR OF CORE ACADEMY

Hope Through Housing Foundation (HTHF)

Reports To: Executive Director

Status: Full-Time | Exempt

ABOUT HOPE THROUGH HOUSING FOUNDATION

Hope Through Housing Foundation (HTHF) is committed to breaking the cycle of generational poverty by delivering high-quality, place-based social services for low-income families, seniors, and individuals living in and around National CORE’s affordable housing communities across California, Texas, and Florida.

We believe affordable housing is a launching pad—not a landing pad—and we partner closely with residents to build pathways to self-sufficiency, stability, and long-term opportunity.

POSITION SUMMARY

The Director of CORE Academy serves as a senior program and strategy leader responsible for the vision, development, fundraising, and implementation of CORE Academy—HTHF and National CORE’s flagship, evidence-informed workforce development initiative. Designed for scale, CORE Academy prepares residents for employment and career advancement, with a primary focus on property management and related career pathways, while serving as a replicable national model for workforce development within affordable housing communities.

This role provides strategic leadership across program design, multi-site implementation, partnership development, fundraising, and evaluation. The Director of CORE Academy ensures CORE Academy is funder-ready, outcomes-driven, and positioned for sustainable growth and national expansion. Working cross-functionally with HTHF’s Programs, Data, and Philanthropy teams, as well as National CORE and external partners, this role translates workforce strategy into measurable impact.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Program Strategy, Design & Leadership (Scalable & Funder-Ready Programs)

• Lead the strategic vision and growth of CORE Academy as a scalable, outcomes-driven workforce initiative aligned with Hope’s mission and organizational priorities.
• Design and continuously refine CORE Academy program models, curriculum frameworks, and career pathways to support replication across multiple geographies.
• Develop logic models, theories of change, and success metrics tied to employment placement, wage growth, retention, and career advancement.
• Identify emerging workforce trends and sector-specific opportunities to expand CORE Academy into additional career pathways over time.

CORE Academy Implementation & Operations (Multi-Site & National Growth)

• Oversee end-to-end implementation of CORE Academy across multiple sites and regions, including outreach, recruitment, enrollment, scheduling, and delivery.
• Partner closely with National CORE’s department leaders to align curriculum with employer and industry needs.
• Establish operational systems, tools, and workflows that support consistency, quality control, and scalability.
• Ensure effective coordination of facilitators, training partners, locations, and participant supports.

Partnership Development & Employer Engagement

• Build and steward strategic partnerships with employers, workforce boards, community colleges, vocational schools, and nonprofit collaborators.
• Develop employer pipelines for internships, apprenticeships, on-the-job training, and direct job placement opportunities.
• Serve as a key external representative and ambassador for CORE Academy in workforce collaboratives, funder convenings, and community forums.

Fund Development & Sustainability (Grants, Contracts & National Investment)

• Serve as the programmatic lead for CORE Academy fundraising and long-term sustainability.
• In partnership with the Philanthropy team, identify, pursue, and secure grants, contracts, and philanthropic investments to expand CORE Academy locally and nationally.
• Contribute program narratives, budgets, evaluation frameworks, and implementation plans for grant proposals and funding reports.
• Cultivate and maintain relationships with institutional funders, corporate partners, and public-sector funding entities.

Data, Evaluation & Reporting (Demonstrating Impact at Scale)

• Oversee program data collection, performance tracking, and reporting to demonstrate outcomes, return on investment, and long-term impact.
• Use data and evaluation findings to inform continuous improvement, strategic decisions, and expansion planning.
• Ensure compliance with grant, contract, and funder reporting requirements.

Organizational Capacity Building & Leadership

• Serve as a subject matter expert on workforce development and career pathways for Hope staff.
• Equip Service Coordinators and program teams with tools, training, and resources to integrate career-focused supports into resident engagement.
• Provide internal training and technical assistance related to employment readiness, career coaching, and workforce systems.
• Perform other duties as assigned in support of Hope’s mission and strategic priorities.

SKILLS & QUALIFICATIONS

Required

• Demonstrated experience leading complex programs with multiple stakeholders and funding sources.
• Strong grant and funder-facing communication skills, including outcome articulation and reporting.
• Proven ability to build and sustain cross-sector partnerships.
• Excellent written, verbal, and public speaking skills.
• Strong project management, organizational, and leadership capabilities.
• Alignment with HTHF’s mission and values; experience with affordable housing, workforce development, or economic mobility strongly preferred.

EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor’s degree required in workforce development, public administration, social sciences, education, or a related field.
• 5–7 years of progressively responsible experience in workforce development, program leadership, or related fields.
• Demonstrated success securing grants, contracts, or philanthropic funding.
• Experience working with low-income populations and community-based programs.
• Proficiency in Spanish is a plus.

CORE COMPETENCIES

Strategic Program Leadership – Ability to design, scale, and sustain workforce initiatives that deliver measurable outcomes.

Fund Development & Sustainability – Proven capability to position programs for grant funding, contracts, and long-term investment.

Partnership Building & Influence – Builds strong, trust-based relationships with funders, employers, and community partners.

Data-Informed Decision Making – Uses evaluation and performance data to guide strategy, improvement, and expansion.

Execution with Vision – Balances big-picture strategy with operational rigor and follow-through.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS & WORK ENVIRONMENT

• Ability to sit, stand, walk, and use office technology for extended periods of time.
• Occasional travel to properties, training sites, funder meetings, and partner engagements as needed.

FLSA STATUS

Exempt