Vocational Education Program Consultant – Advanced Manufacturing

Employer engagement and program strategy

• Establish and maintain a structured process for engaging employers and industry stakeholders to identify required competencies, knowledge, skills, abilities, and employment outcomes.

• Use employer feedback, labor-market demand, competitive intelligence, and recognized industry competency frameworks to inform program direction and differentiation.

• Collaborate with Product, Academics, and other stakeholders to develop and maintain a discipline-specific program roadmap and recommendations.

Program and curriculum development

• Partner with academic and curriculum teams to translate employer requirements into program outcomes, curriculum architecture, course sequencing, and applied learning experiences.

• Support the design, documentation, and submission of the proposed Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree and related concentrations for Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE) or other applicable state approvals, in collaboration with Regulatory Affairs and Academics.

• Ensure proposed programs reflect relevant industry standards, appropriate academic requirements, and measurable student learning and employment outcomes.

• Coordinate input from faculty, academic leaders, and industry partners to maintain program relevance and quality.

Investment and delivery planning

• Develop recommendations and funding requirements for labs, equipment, tools, technology, facilities, instructional resources, and external delivery partnerships.

• Evaluate delivery options that expand learner access, support hands-on skill development, improve the student experience, and create efficient, scalable operations.

• Partner with Finance and operational teams to evaluate program costs, investments, and implementation requirements.

Launch and cross-functional execution

• Lead the discipline-specific academic and product workstreams of the go-to-market project, coordinating with Academics, Product, Regulatory Affairs, Marketing, Enrollment, Finance, and other teams.

• Monitor program design, approval, readiness, and launch milestones; identify dependencies, risks, and decisions requiring leadership attention.

• Support launch readiness and early program review, using employer and learner feedback to recommend improvements to quality, relevance, and outcomes.

Discipline-specific responsibilities

• Apply knowledge of advanced manufacturing technologies, industrial operations, automation, and related technician competencies to program design and employer engagement.

• Evaluate relevant manufacturing competency frameworks, applied laboratory requirements, and industry-recognized credentials when developing program recommendations.

Required Qualifications

• Demonstrated experience in advanced manufacturing, industrial technology, automation, or a closely related technical field.

• Experience developing, launching, or substantially improving technical, career and technical education, or workforce-aligned academic programs.

• Ability to translate employer competency requirements into curriculum and practical learning experiences.

• Working knowledge of program approval processes, academic collaboration, and the operational requirements of hands-on technical education.

• Experience collaborating with employers and cross-functional stakeholders on complex program initiatives.

• Strong project leadership, analytical, communication, and relationship-building skills; ability to advance multiple initiatives across academic and business functions.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with manufacturing employers, industry associations, and recognized technical competency frameworks.

• Experience planning labs, equipment, faculty or instructor needs, and hybrid or technology-enabled technical instruction.

• Prior program director, academic leadership, or comparable technical workforce program leadership experience.