Director of Workforce Programs

Natcast (short for The National Center for the Advancement of Semiconductor Technology) is a new, purpose-built, non-profit entity created to operate the National Semiconductor Technology Center (NSTC) consortium, established by the CHIPS Act of the U.S. government.

Working at Natcast represents an opportunity to help extend America’s leadership in semiconductor technology, significantly reduce the time and cost of moving from idea to commercialization, and build and sustain a semiconductor workforce development ecosystem.

These efforts to advance semiconductor technology and seed new industries built on the capabilities of a wide range of advanced chips hold the potential to benefit the country and the world for generations to come.

Director of Workforce Programs 

Remote to start, with the potential for headquarters and satellite offices in the future 

In this role, you will lead the development and implementation of programs that drive the growth and success of the semiconductor workforce.   

Every day, you will collaborate with industry, academia, and government partners to identify and scale the most impactful workforce development initiatives. 

To thrive in this role, you must have a passion for enabling access to education and training, strong program management skills, and the ability to build relationships with diverse stakeholders.

Natcast is a new non-profit consortium created to operate the National Semiconductor Technology Center (NSTC) established by the CHIPS Act. We are bringing together industry, academia, and government to solve the most pressing challenges facing semiconductor research, development, and workforce training. Our efforts will re-establish American leadership in semiconductor technology and secure critical supply chains. 

As the Director of Workforce Programs, your first charge will be to oversee the development and execution of the NSTC's Workforce Center of Excellence (WCoE) recognition programs strategy. With your experience in grant making and workforce development, you will play a crucial role in identifying and scaling the most effective programs to support the growth of the semiconductor workforce. 

Responsibilities 

• Oversee the development and implementation of the NSTC's WCoE recognition programs strategy 

• Coordinate with the WCoE executive director to determine grant and funding needs 

• Manage a team that assesses academic, workforce development, apprenticeship, earn-and-learn, and other training programs for recognition, partnership, and funding opportunities 

• Facilitate management and staff engagement in the grant application and review processes 

• Develop project timelines and assign tasks for application processing 

• Ensure the dimensions used to assess organizations for funding, partnerships, and/or recognition are comprehensive, fair, and regularly reviewed for relevance to semiconductor industry workforce challenges and needs 

• Interface with other teams within the NSTC WCoE to ensure lessons learned from academia, industry, and data insights are incorporated into program assessment criteria, best practice documentation, and the design of NSTC programming 

• Develop and maintain strong relationships with industry and academia to enable real-time feedback and input to continually improve the dimensions of assessment and process improvement 

• Conduct regular scans of the semiconductor industry workforce development ecosystem to identify programs that could be eligible for recognition, partnership programs, or awards 

Near-term Deliverables 

• Stand up the NSTC WCoE early workforce funding programs with limited to no support staff onboarded 

• Develop workforce program evaluation criteria 

• Design digital application system(s) and workflows for Natcast programs 

• Research and identify best practices in semiconductor workforce development 

Required Skills and Experience 

• Experience in administering grants for economic development, workforce development, or training programs 

• Knowledge of grantmaking, application preparation, monitoring, and evaluation methods 

• Substantial team and program management experience 

• Excellent collaboration skills with a natural inclination to shared success 

• Ability to work under pressure and design processes to support critical deadlines 

• Proficiency in the design and implementation of operational processes 

• Ability to lead through ambiguity towards the organizational mission 

• Excellent written and oral communication skills for both internal and external messaging 

• Semiconductor industry experience is highly desirable, but not required 

• Non-profit workforce development experience is also desirable, but not required 

Key traits for success 

• Passionate about diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace and through programs administered 

• Strong moral compass to ensure objective evaluation of parties for identified opportunities 

• Continuous learner with strong attention to detail 

• Self-motivated and able to work independently 

• Passionate about working to ensure that all Americans can access the education and training necessary to be successful in the semiconductor industry 

Natcast is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, gender, gender expression, age, national origin, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, military status, or any protected attribute. We encourage qualified candidates from all backgrounds to apply and join us in our mission. If you require accommodation at any stage of the application process due to a disability, please let us know. 

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