Regional Engagement Manager
Mission
Dwyer Workforce Development’s (DWD) mission is to provide comprehensive support to individuals who lack opportunity and aspire to pursue a career in the healthcare industry, alleviating a severe healthcare workforce shortage, and improving the lives of seniors and the community.
The Partner Engagement Department at Dwyer Workforce Development (DWD) is responsible for building, scaling, and sustaining the relationships that power our mission. At its core, the department is helping to solve the healthcare workforce crisis by serving individuals who are often the hardest to reach—those who face systemic barriers and lack access to opportunity. This work begins with strong, intentional partnerships.
Our Values
At Dwyer Workforce Development, how we work matters as much as what we achieve. Every team member is expected to operate in alignment with our core values:
- Integrity-doing the right thing even if no one is looking.
- Empathy-action ruled compassion.
- Ingenuity-big ideas and solutions
- Accountability-ownership in every action
- Collaboration-the power of we over me
These values are not aspirational. They are expected and reflected in how we work every day.
Position Summary
The Regional Engagement Manager (REM) is responsible for leading partner engagement strategy and execution within an assigned region, driving the development and performance of employer, workforce, and community partnerships that support scholar success and organizational growth.
This is a strategic and operational leadership role that translates DWD’s national Partner Engagement strategy into regional execution. The Regional Engagement Manager ensures that partnerships are intentionally leveraged to reach underserved populations, remove barriers, and create access to training and employment opportunities.
The Regional Engagement Manager oversees regional staff and serves as the primary driver of partnership performance, ensuring alignment between community engagement, workforce funding, and employer demand.
Position Responsibilities
1. Regional Partner Engagement Strategy & Execution
· Lead, execute and evaluate partner engagement strategy within an assigned region in alignment with national priorities.
· Identify, vet, develop, cultivate and scale partnerships with employers, workforce boards, community organizations, and funders in collaboration with other DWD leadership team members.
· Ensure regional efforts and performance matrix align with workforce demand, funding opportunities and awards, and organizational growth goals.
· Translate labor market and community insights into actionable engagement strategies aligned with DWD growth plans.
2. Team Leadership & Performance Management
· Lead, coach, manage and evaluate Partnership Engagement Specialists and/or regional team members.
· Set clear goals, performance expectations, and accountability measures for assigned team members in alignment with department goals.
· Provide direction and guidance on partnership development, outreach strategies, and stakeholder engagement.
· Foster a high-performing, collaborative, and mission-driven regional team culture.
3. Employer & Workforce Partnership Development
· Build, cultivate, and steward relationships with current and prospective key regional employers and workforce boards.
· Identify, cultivate and steward philanthropic current and prospective donors and funders in partnership with the Directors of Development and key DWD leadership.
· Expand workforce-funded training opportunities and align with regional funding priorities.
· Oversea and support regional employer engagement strategies that drive recruitment, placement, and retention outcomes.
· Oversee development and management of partnership agreements, including MOUs in collaboration of DWD leadership.
4. Scholar Pipeline Development & Community Engagement
· Ensure strong pipelines of prospective Dwyer Scholars through regional community and employer partnerships.
· Oversee regional outreach strategies that increase program awareness and access.
· Support alignment between regional community engagement efforts and Scholar support needs.
· Ensure effective connection to resources and services that support Scholar success.
5. Cross-Functional Collaboration & Program Alignment
· Partner with internal teams (operations, case management, development program staff) to align engagement efforts with program execution and grant compliance.
· Ensure seamless coordination between regional external partnerships and internal service delivery.
· Serve as the regional liaison between partner engagement, partner success, and internal leadership.
6. Data, Performance & Continuous Improvement
· Track and manage regional performance metrics related to current and prospective partnerships, pipelines, and outcomes.
· Analyze data to identify trends, gaps, and opportunities for improvement.
· Ensure consistent use of CRM systems and accurate reporting across the region from regional team members.
· Drive continuous improvement in regional engagement strategies processes and outcome measurements.
7. Regional Representation & Stakeholder Engagement
· Represent DWD at regional meetings, workforce convenings, conferences, and community events.
· Build visibility and credibility for DWD within the regional workforce healthcare and philanthropic ecosystems.
· Identify, engage, and steward high-level stakeholders to strengthen partnerships and expand opportunities.
Licensure / Certification / Registration
- Valid Driver’s License and regular access to a vehicle required.
Qualifications
· Bachelor’s degree in Business, Public Policy, Public Affairs, Communications, or related field (or equivalent experience).
· 5–7+ years of experience in workforce development, partnership development, community engagement, or related field.
· Demonstrated experience creating, managing and evaluating partnerships and leading regional initiatives that meet organizational goals and deliverables.
· Prior experience managing team members remotely strongly preferred.
· Strong understanding of workforce systems, employer engagement strategies, and funding models.
· Proven ability to build, sustain and evaluate strategic partnerships across multiple stakeholders.
· Excellent leadership, communication, and relationship-building skills.
· Strong organizational, analytical, and problem-solving abilities.
· Experience with CRM systems (Salesforce or similar).
· Ability to work independently in a remote environment while managing a regional team.
· High degree of judgment, discretion, and accountability.
· Ability to work flexible hours, including occasional evenings and weekends.
· Willingness and ability to travel throughout the DWD current and future footprints as needed.
Equal Employment Opportunity: Dwyer Workforce Development is an Equal Opportunity (EEO) employer. It is the policy of the Company to provide equal employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, protected veteran or disabled status, or genetic information.
Sponsorship in US: Must be eligible to work in the U.S. without Sponsorship.
Pay: $90,000.00 - $100,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Dental insurance
- Health insurance
- Paid time off
- Retirement plan
- Vision insurance
Education:
Experience:
- Workforce development: 3 years (Required)
- Strategic partnerships: 3 years (Required)
- CRM software: 3 years (Required)
Work Location: Hybrid remote in Chicago, IL 60617
