CMGE Workforce Development Director
Overview:
The United Auto Workers has created a new 501(c)(3) organization, the UAW Center for Manufacturing a Green Economy (CMGE), to lead the union’s recruitment and training for careers in climate manufacturing, empowering a well-trained green workforce to meet the growing needs of manufacturing operations created by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), and the CHIPS Act. Many of these investments, while critical to onshoring green industry, at the same time offer low wages, limited safety training, and create barriers to support workers' right to organize. This trend is exacerbating a serious shortage of qualified, motivated workers needed to rapidly scale this technology—crimping sectoral growth. Without high-road standards, these gaps will worsen and decarbonization will be delayed. CMGE is bringing a new standard of training to the green economy – empowering workers with knowledge of these green manufacturing technologies, ensuring that their voices are amplified, and building a just transition towards new, diverse, climate industries where workers and communities can thrive. We believe that an investment in the workers driving the energy transition is an investment in the American climate economy.
This is a natural extension of the UAW's strengths in training programs, and includes a focus on worker-led education, health and safety training, technical skill enhancement, problem solving skills, creative thinking, human-machine interface (HMI) best practices, troubleshooting, in addition to a strong emphasis on inclusive recruitment practices aimed at diversifying the workforce, which in turn significantly influences the nature of bargaining contracts and the provision of comprehensive workplace services. CMGE is a groundbreaking model that the UAW is building, leading unions into climate manufacturing and ensuring the climate transition centers the workers and communities powering it.
Job Description:
The Center’s pilot project is the development of a high-road workforce training program for Sparkz, a lithium ferrophosphate (LFP) battery manufacturer in Sacramento as part of a labor peace agreement between Sparkz and UAW. The Sparkz program is the first of its kind in the battery industry. CMGE will build a robust and diverse recruitment pipeline for young people, women, communities of color and underserved communities, dynamic climate manufacturing pre-employment training including wraparound services to support cohorts, and a skills-based apprenticeship for green manufacturing production workers.
CMGE is hiring a Director of Workforce Development to lead the development of the pre-employment and apprenticeship program for the incoming workers at Sparkz in Sacramento. Beyond this initial project, the Director will also be responsible for building similar curriculum programs for additional employer partners across California, Arizona, Washington, and Nevada across the battery supply chain and other climate manufacturing sectors.
Job Duties:
● Participate in the leadership team including the CMGE Director and Community Director to ensure successful program outcomes.
● Collaborate with employer representatives to identify job classifications, specific skills and educational requirements.
● Lead the team of contracted curriculum developers and instructors to create a set of lesson plans for:
○ A pre-employment training program to address job readiness, occupational safety and health, and specific job skills.
○ An apprenticeship program for battery manufacturing.
● Organize, refine, and edit the curricula to ensure that the training program is climate and worker-centered, and supports workers’ health, safety and success on the job.
● Research and integrate new information or requirements into the curricula.
● Maintain timelines, and deadlines for completion of the curricula.
● Oversee the educational pre-employment training program with instructional staff.
● Evaluate and course correct the educational program to ensure that instructional staff are effective and responsive to workers’ needs.
● Organize the curricula for future training programs in the battery sector + other green manufacturing sectors.
Preferred Experience and Skills:
● 6-7 years of experience organizing educational programs for adults using a Popular Education or worker-centered pedagogy and/or 5-7 years’ experience designing worker-centered political education programs.
● Experience working with and teaching different communities of adults, building relationships, etc.
● Understanding of racial and socio-economic equity principles including economic and social barriers to work, and ways to incorporate that framing into curriculum development.
● Experience working in a team, with contractors, and employer representatives to organize education and curriculum programs.
● Ability to self-organize and set priorities, goals, and manage multiple competing workstreams.
● Ability to adapt in a startup environment and manage a team.
● Ability to research and understand issues outside scope of knowledge in a timely and thorough manner.
● Proficient with Microsoft Office and Google products such as Gmail and Google Drive (docs & sheets)
· Understanding of decarbonization pathways, climate policy, energy industry, and green manufacturing
· An understanding of labor and its role in the climate transition; union organizing experience a plus.
· Experience or familiarity with registered apprenticeships.
· Understanding of the linkages between labor politics, workforce development, and climate education.
· Demonstrated experience facilitating a group through decision-making regarding strategic, programmatic, and/or policy issues.
· Prior experience leading programs or projects from ideation through to design and implementation.
· Experience developing functional expertise in at least three new issue areas and the ability to articulate your personal learning style.
· Motivated by the mission of a just, and worker-centered climate transition.
· Strong oral and written communication skills.
Organizational Relationship:
The Workforce Director reports to the Executive Director, and collaborates with other staff, consultants, and partners.
Location:
This is a hybrid position with the selected candidate needing to be in California. The first program will take place in Sacramento so the selected candidate will be expected to travel to Sacramento frequently – at least 1-2 times a week, or as necessary. Preference for someone Bay Area or Sacramento based.
Time:
This is a full-time, exempt position working an average of 40 hours a week. At times, evening and/or weekend work may be needed to complete tasks.
Physical Demands:
Ability to work at a computer for 8 hours per day, communicate with a variety of people. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Compensation and Benefits:
The salary is $101,000. We offer a comprehensive benefits package that includes fully employer-paid health, dental, and vision insurance, a 4% employer match, paid holidays, 20 vacation days, 8 weeks of parental leave, and sick time.
How to Apply:
Please send your cover letter and resume to [email protected] with the subject line “Director of Workforce Development Application”. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
Equal Employment Opportunity:
We strongly encourage applications from women, people of color, and bilingual and bicultural individuals, as well as members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities. Applicants shall not be discriminated against because of race, religion, sex, national origin, ethnicity, age, disability, political affiliation, sexual orientation, gender identity, color, marital status, or medical condition including acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) and AIDS-related conditions. We encourage and will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.
Applicants with Disabilities:
Reasonable accommodation will be made so that qualified disabled applicants may participate in the application process. If you are seeking accommodation, please advise in writing at the time you apply.
Job Type: Full-time
Pay: $95,000.00 - $105,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Employee assistance program
- Flexible schedule
- Life insurance
- Parental leave
Schedule:
- Monday to Friday
- Weekends as needed
Ability to Relocate:
- Oakland, CA 94612: Relocate before starting work (Required)
Work Location: Hybrid remote in Oakland, CA 94612
