If you are looking for employment with a purpose where you can help improve the daily lives of the members of your community, then consider a career with Pioneer Human Services!

We are currently looking for a Director, Economic Empowerment with a passion for human services. This is an exciting opportunity to be involved with an organization focused on a transformative path towards social change, creating pathways for rehabilitation, reintegration, and redemption.

Who we are – Our Mission
We empower justice-involved individuals to overcome adversity and reach their full potential.

For over 60 years, we have proudly serviced our clients with professionalism and empathy. We are a nationally recognized non-profit with 35+ locations across Washington state that provided a chance for change to over 9,500 individuals in 2024.

What We Offer

At Pioneer, our employees are our most valuable asset. That’s why we’re proud to offer a comprehensive Total Rewards package designed to support your health, security, and work-life balance.

Compensation:

New hires for this position typically start between $97,136 and $129,514 annually, depending on factors such as work location, experience, qualifications, skills, competencies, internal equity, and market conditions. While the full pay range is provided to support pay transparency, individual compensation will vary within the range based on these factors.

Benefits That Invest in You

At Pioneer, we offer a comprehensive benefits package designed to support your health, financial well-being, and continued growth.

Health & Wellness Benefits

• Medical coverage
• Dental coverage
• Vision coverage
• Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
• Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account

Financial Protection

• Employer-provided life insurance
• Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D) insurance
• Disability coverage

Invest in Your Future

• Front-Loaded Tuition Assistance
• Retirement Plan
• Employee recognition programs
• Public transportation discounts
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

Join Pioneer and build more than a career. Be part of a team that supports your well-being, recognizes your contributions, and invests in your future.

Benefit eligibility, coverage, contributions, and program provisions are subject to the terms of the applicable benefit plans and policies.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

The Director of Economic Empowerment leads Pioneer Human Services' programs in the Seattle and Puget Sound area that move people impacted by the criminal legal system into paid work and business ownership. The portfolio today is the Aerospace Manufacturing Academy, a production-integrated training and career pathway inside Pioneer Industries, and INVEST, Pioneer's entrepreneurship program. It may grow to include other economic mobility programs in the region that fit Pioneer's mission and strategic priorities. 

The Director owns program strategy, operations, partnerships, budgets and outcomes for both programs, and builds the processes and systems that let them grow. The role supervises the INVEST Case Manager and the Venture Instructor, and works with Pioneer Industries' leaders and training staff to run the Academy inside the production environment. With program delivery led here, the Vice President can stay focused on new ventures and the case manager can stay focused on participants. 

Primary/essential duties and responsibilities 

Economic empowerment strategy and leadership 

• Provides strategic and operational leadership for the Aerospace Manufacturing Academy and INVEST, aligned with Pioneer's mission, Theory of Change and the five strategic criteria. 
• Sets program goals, performance measures and accountability for results in both programs. 
• Identifies opportunities to strengthen, expand or add economic mobility programs based on participant needs, industry trends and where Pioneer is well positioned, and brings venture-shaped ideas to the Innovation pipeline for review. 
• Connects both programs with Pioneer's reentry, housing, treatment and social enterprise work. 

Aerospace Manufacturing Academy 

• Leads the relaunch of the Academy on Pioneer's earlier pre-apprenticeship and on-the-job training model, combining paid production work, classroom instruction and industry-aligned career pathways. 
• Refreshes curriculum, training materials and program structure to current manufacturing practice and Pioneer Industries' production needs. 
• Works with Pioneer Industries leadership, production supervisors and training staff so the Academy supports the business, fits the production schedule and keeps disruption low. 
• Builds a reliable pipeline of entry-level talent for Pioneer Industries, with skills that transfer to other aerospace and advanced manufacturing employers in the region. 
• Oversees competency-based training and industry-recognized credentials such as OSHA-10, forklift, CPR and NIMS, with training pathways in workplace safety, blueprint reading, shop math, precision measurement, quality systems, Lean and equipment operation. 
• Manages the cohort calendar and participant selection with reentry partners. 
• Secures and manages the Academy's grant funding with Development, and meets each funder's performance and reporting requirements. 
• Leads apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship applications, including Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) requirements, and articulation agreements with partners such as AJAC. 
• Keeps the Academy compliant, including ITAR US-person checks at selection, OSHA-10 before floor work, L&I and payroll requirements for trainees, WAC 137-56 for partial-confinement residents, and 42 CFR Part 2 consent for treatment referrals. 

INVEST entrepreneurship program 

• Provides strategic and operational leadership for INVEST, including cohort schedules, curriculum quality, facilitation and participant support. 
• Supervises the Venture Instructor and the INVEST Case Manager, and oversees facilitators and outside partners so the program stays true to Pioneer's model, standards, intellectual property and brand. 
• Owns partner MOUs, the guest speaker program, classroom materials, pitch days, graduation and event logistics. 
• Strengthens pathways for graduates to mentorship, technical assistance, capital and customers, and uses outcomes and participant feedback to improve the program each cohort. 

Additional programs 

• Leads new economic empowerment programs as they are approved, with reporting lines and staffing set at approval. 

Partnerships and external engagement 

• Builds and maintains relationships with aerospace and advanced manufacturing employers, industry associations such as PNAA and AJAC, training and apprenticeship partners, community organizations and funders. 
• Represents Pioneer in economic mobility, entrepreneurship and industry forums, and works with Development on proposals, reports and funder relationships. 

Program operations, performance and measurement 

• Develops annual operating plans, budgets and performance targets for both programs, and manages program budgets and grant resources to funder requirements. 
• Builds and keeps an outcomes scorecard for both programs: enrollment, completion, credentials, placement, wages at entry and in the next job, retention at 90 days, 6 months and 12 months, housing stability and recidivism, measured the same way as Pioneer's quarterly impact report. Reports monthly to the Vice President and quarterly to SLT. 
• Works with Pioneer's data analyst and any outside evaluation partner to supply the outcome data that the board and funders need. 
• Ensures compliance with contracts, grants, certifications and participant privacy and consent rules. 
• Recruits, supervises and develops direct reports, and manages facilitators, consultants and contractors. 

Pioneer Human Services expectations 

• Represents the company's Core Values, department and self by maintaining a high degree of personal professionalism, conducting business with honesty and fairness, and dealing fairly with employees, customers and competitors. 
• Knows and follows all company requirements and procedures, including the Company's Business Management System. 
• Mentors and guides new and support employees, and takes part in the company's Core Values and Mission programs. 
• Maintains awareness of personal skills and abilities and tells supervision when training or help is needed. 
• Performs all other duties as assigned. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice. 

Knowledge, skills and abilities 

• Proven success leading programs to measurable goals, including workforce training, career pathway or entrepreneurship programs. 
• Strong project management: builds plans, runs implementation, forms teams, engages stakeholders and uses data to track progress. 
• Ability to turn program results and changing priorities into practical improvements. 
• Strong business acumen, including program budgets, grant finances and how Pioneer's enterprises operate. 
• Ability to quickly establish credibility and build partnerships with employers, funders and leaders at all levels. 
• Comfortable moving between strategy and hands-on delivery. 
• Strong interpersonal skills and a track record of working across functions. 
• Excellent written and verbal communication, with close attention to detail. 
• Experience coaching and developing staff, and leading a small team. 
• Sound judgment and the courage to take smart risks that improve results. 
• Ability to prepare clear reports, proposals and compliance documents. 
• MS Office Suite. 

Qualifications: required 

• Bachelor's degree in business, education, economic development, nonprofit management or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience. 
• Five or more years of progressively responsible experience leading programs, initiatives or business functions, with responsibility for both strategy and execution. 
• Demonstrated experience building, relaunching or significantly strengthening a program or operation, taking complex work from concept to delivery. 
• Experience developing and managing partnerships across businesses, community organizations and education or training providers. 
• Demonstrated ability to set measurable goals, use data to evaluate performance and turn results into program improvements. 
• Experience managing budgets, grants or other significant program resources, and supervising staff. 
• Strong written, verbal and interpersonal communication skills, and the ability to work with people from diverse backgrounds and experiences. 
• Commitment to Pioneer's mission and to expanding economic opportunity for people impacted by the criminal legal system. Lived experience of the justice system is valued. 

Qualifications: preferred 

• Experience in advanced manufacturing, aerospace, manufacturing training or another industry-based career pathway. 
• Experience with entrepreneurship, small business development or economic mobility programs. 
• Knowledge of apprenticeship, pre-apprenticeship, industry-recognized credentials or competency-based training models. 
• Experience partnering with operations leaders to integrate training into an active production environment. 
• Experience leading grant-funded programs to funder performance and reporting requirements

Physical demands 

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit or stand for extended periods; reach with hands and arms; talk and hear; use hands to handle or feel; walk and go up and down stairs; and bend, squat, kneel and reach above the shoulders. Specific vision abilities include close, distance, color and peripheral vision, depth perception and the ability to adjust focus. Willingness to wear protective equipment on the production floor (safety glasses, gloves and foot protection). 

Work environment 

Professional office environment 

• Normal conditions for a professional office. 
• Must be able to occasionally lift up to 25 pounds. 
• Routinely uses standard office equipment such as laptop computers. 
• Must handle the stress of deadlines and high-volume projects, and work flexibly with employees at all levels. 
• Travel to multiple locations within Washington state, mostly local during the business day, with some out-of-area travel. 

Manufacturing or production environment 

• Normal conditions for a manufacturing or production environment, including required PPE such as safety glasses, masks and hearing protection. 
• Periods of standing in a loud environment. 
• Exposure to hazards common to manufacturing, including chemicals, heat and cold. 
• Travel between Pioneer Industries plants and occasional off-site meetings. 
• Must be able to frequently lift up to 15 pounds and occasionally up to 25 pounds. 

EEO

Pioneer human services is an equal opportunity employer of minorities/women/individuals with disabilities/protected veterans and does not unlawfully discriminate under federal, state, or local laws. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, physical or mental disability, or protected veteran status. EEOC is the Law/EEO Policy Statement

Pioneer Human Services is a Drug-Free Company

Pioneer Human Services is a drug free company. This position has been deemed safety sensitive under RCW 49.44.240(3) and is subject to both pre-employment drug testing and drug testing during employment, to include testing for marijuana.