Associate Director, Workforce Strategy

Job Title : Associate Director, Workforce Strategy

Team : New Jersey Regional Team

Location : Newark (NJ)

Employment Type : Full-time

FLSA Classification : Exempt

Start Date : May 2026

About Braven

Braven is a national nonprofit that prepares promising college students to secure a strong first opportunity after college graduation through a career-accelerating program.

We work with higher education and employer partners to offer a life-changing experience that begins with a semester-long course for college students, followed by support that lasts through graduation.

Together, our ambition is to help rebuild the middle class and revitalize the American Dream.

About the Role

In order to achieve its ambition of serving 80,000-100,000 Fellows over the next decade, Braven is hiring an Associate Director, Workforce Strategy, who will support students towards strong post-college career outcomes. As a member of the New Jersey regional team, you will serve as a strategic career coach to students attending Kean University who have completed the Braven Career and Leadership Accelerator Course (the Accelerator). This role has the opportunity to accelerate Braven’s regional and national impact.

This role is on the New Jersey regional team and reports directly to the Senior Director, Kean University.

What You’ll Do

Strategy and Career Coaching (45%)

• Develop vision and strategy to support Fellows in securing internships and strong post-college career outcomes
• Manage progress-to-goals tracking/reporting for student internship/job attainment, including monthly dashboard updates and annual survey collection process
• Manage and analyze student-level and program data, as well as track engagement within centralized systems, to determine and implement student support interventions
• Lead the annual Jobs Campaign to ensure graduates land a strong post-college career opportunity
• Provide strategic 1:1 career coaching for Fellows (students who take the Braven course)
• Build, cultivate, and steward relationships at Kean University to gain a comprehensive understanding of opportunities within Kean in order to refer students
• Leverage connections at regional and national Employer Partners to source employment, internship, and volunteer opportunities for Braven Fellows and Post Accelerator Fellows at Kean

Student Programming and Engagement (45%)

• Develop and implement a strategy to build a regional Fellow community
• Create, plan, and execute events for Fellows to support community building, networking, and engagement
• Collaborate with the Career Communities team to promote continued career exploration and skills development for Fellows and to implement in-person workshops in New Jersey
• Collaborate with Employer Partners to execute on career-accelerating events, skill development, and networking opportunities/events
• Facilitate quarterly Employer Partner meetings centered on Post Accelerator Fellow (PAF) employment and career-accelerating opportunities
• Attend Learning Labs to begin Fellow engagement, with some potential for facilitating sections of Learning Labs, such as panel discussions with PAFs

A+ Team (5%)

• Manage a Workforce Development intern and/or coordinator
• Source Fellows to serve as interns and volunteers
• Support in the selection of Braven Fellows to participate in Braven publications and events
• Participate in individual annual and quarterly planning and all team events
• Collaborate across teams and functions to reach Braven’s ambition
• Other duties as assigned

Brand / Sustainability (5%)

• Collaborate cross-functionally to help build the Braven brand
• Represent Braven externally as needed

Requirements

Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree
• 5+ years of experience working with college students

Preferred Qualifications

• You have 5+ years of experience in a manager or director-level role.
• You have a track record of success in managing complex relationships and projects.
• You demonstrate a strong proficiency in early career coaching.
• You have experience in higher education or workforce strategy.
• You build an inspiring vision and strategy that motivates others to action.
• You’re extremely detail-oriented and sweat the small stuff, while also not losing sight of the big picture.
• You build strong internal and external relationships with a variety of stakeholders
• You enjoy bringing together multiple perspectives to enhance your work and decisions.
• You continually reflect to improve, and actively create space for the receipt of upward feedback from individual contributors and managers.
• You exemplify Braven’s core values.
• Your experiences have informed your belief in Braven’s mission and have prepared you to work with or for Braven’s student Fellow population.

Please know that no one ever meets 100% of the preferred qualifications. If much of this describes you, we encourage you to apply.

Work Demands

• Ability to work in-person in Newark (NJ) at least 3 days per week and in-person events throughout New Jersey and New York City
• Regular travel to Kean University’s Union and Jersey City campuses for events, classes, and other campus events
• Must possess a valid New Jersey driver’s license and have access to reliable transportation for work-related travel.
• Travel 2-3 times per year to Braven-wide trainings and convenings
• Ability to attend Braven Learning Labs for Kean University. Some nights and weekends are reserved for Learning Labs and other campus-related activities, as needed. Learning Lab schedules may vary by semester.
• Ability to move, lift, and transport items for events such as setting up banners and tables

Additional Requirements

• Authorized to work in the U.S.
• Braven doesn’t offer employment visa sponsorship

Application & Interview Process

While the interview process may vary slightly, the general process will be:

• Phone screen with Talent Team member
• Performance Task
• Interview with Hiring Manager
• Panel Interview with Key Partners
• Reference Checks

Benefits

Compensation and Benefits

Braven offers competitive base salaries based on the midpoint of the market among not-for-profit organizations of similar size, with opportunities for salary growth over time. We believe in compensating staff members fairly in relation to each other, their qualifications, and their impact on behalf of the organization, and take internal and external equity seriously. Given our commitment to equity, Braven does not negotiate salary offers; instead, each salary offer is determined carefully using external and internal benchmarking.

Starting salary within the range is determined by role scope and qualifications, with new hires starting at the lower end to allow for growth with performance. Braven does not base compensation on individual candidate salary expectations and is committed to maintaining internal equity. The salary ranges, by geographic market, for this role are set forth $92,000-$114,900 in Newark. This is a full-time, regular, exempt, and benefits eligible position where you will be working at 100% capacity.

Braven also provides competitive, comprehensive benefits, recognition, and career development. While Braven reserves the right to change benefits at any time, current benefits include:

• Unlimited vacation time in addition to org-wide holidays and three team-wide, week-long shutdowns in Spring, Summer, and Winter (this is a minimum of 24 days per year)

• Braven supports your path to parenthood and beyond with $25,000 in lifetime Carrot benefits for fertility, family-building, and hormonal health

• Match of your 401K contribution up to 5% of your base annual salary, starting your first full month
• Coverage of 85% of health insurance premium for employee and dependents
• 12 weeks of paid parental leave
• A one-month paid sabbatical after 4 years on staff

Please note that Braven is firm in its compensation philosophy; therefore, only candidates who believe our total rewards package aligns with what they are looking for in their next opportunity are encouraged to apply.

Location

We gather on-site at least three days per week (on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday) and often work remotely two days per week (although certain commitments may adjust this schedule from time to time). This is an in-person position, and the person must live within commuting distance to Braven’s office in Newark and to Kean University’s campuses in Union and Jersey City. We believe in the magic, connection, and collaboration that happens when people work together face-to-face, and we believe in giving people flexibility to focus, balance personal priorities, and save themselves two commutes per week.

Braven is an equal opportunity employer and considers qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, age, disability, veteran status, or any other protected factor. We encourage talented individuals of all backgrounds to apply.