Vice President of Training and Education

Job Description

The Vice President of Training and Education plays a critical role as the Wireless Infrastructure Association (WIA) expands its workforce development initiatives which serve the telecommunications industry. This position is responsible for leading the business unit which develops and delivers world-class training content to a wide range of stakeholders. Reporting to the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, the ideal candidate will have an entrepreneurial mindset and acumen, the ability to conceptualize and carry out a strategic plan, be diplomatic in dealings with customers of all shapes and sizes, is a disciplined and empathetic manager and a creative and resourceful problem solver.

Universal availability of broadband is already reshaping the global economy, ushering in a new era of connected devices, powering smart cities, and enabling driverless cars, enhanced telemedicine, remote surgeries, and advanced manufacturing. Private-sector deployment of 5G continues to ramp up, while federal and state infrastructure investments are leading to unprecedented demand for the training of skilled and qualified workers in telecommunications.

As part of the Workforce Solutions team, you will drive the expansion and growth of WIA’s training and education offerings, attract and retain a roster of qualified instructors and direct the development of courses and programs that are part of The Telecommunications Education Center (TEC), WIA’s dynamic learning program devoted to improving education, quality of work, and safety within the telecommunications industry with a customer base that includes enterprise, higher education, government and career and technical education.

Responsibilities

• Works collaboratively with senior management and other executives within the Workforce Solutions team to develop and execute a strategy for growth, leveraging apprenticeship and sector partnership channels
• Establishes quantitative and qualitative targets on an annual basis, aligned with leadership vision; develops and manages the Training and Education annual budget
• Leads a small, but growing team to produce and deliver best-in-class content, drive engagement, execute on business development strategy and ensure customer satisfaction
• Leads appropriate committees within the association to identify member (employer) needs from a content development and delivery, instruction perspective
• Proactively identifies new business opportunities, and directs resources to pursue them
• Leads the development, update and maintenance of the association’s digital training and education tools, including its Learning Management System (LMS) and associated web sites
• Pays close attention to the workforce development and training needs of customers, potential customers, and a range of stakeholders to improve WIA’s product offerings and delivery
• Works closely with the Workforce Solutions team to support workshops, trainings, conferences, materials, and other projects

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree.
• Minimum of ten years of management experience in the education, training or workforce development field, managing a profit center.
• Demonstrated experience in building successful workforce development programs, translating employer needs into training content.
• Experience in the development of a training curriculum.
• Experience managing third party vendors, instructors, consultants, volunteers and subject matter experts.
• Superior written and verbal communication skills; ability to produce publishable materials.
• Excellent interpersonal skills with demonstrated ability to build and sustain relationships. Experience building relationships with government entities.
• Strong management and collaborative teamwork skills. Proven experience cultivating and coaching team members, inspiring their best work by leveraging individual skillsets.
• Ability to travel up to 20 percent.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree.
• Prior experience in eLearning, vocational training, an apprenticeship program, or a community college program.
• Knowledge of the telecommunications industry.
• Trade association management experience.
• Experience working with board committees, leveraging subject matter expertise.

Attributes

• Results-driven. You have the proven ability and experience to bring about change. You see the big picture, monitor your key performance metrics, and take the action necessary to produce results.
• Team leader. You enjoy leading and building teams and you are good at it. You understand the organization’s mission, needs, and direction and you confidently engage with staff at all levels to define expectations and inspire a vision.
• Builder. You are a builder with a can-do attitude. You are entrepreneurial and build from the ground up, keeping an eye on the bigger picture as you navigate and innovate through challenges with a sense of fortitude. You figure out what needs to happen to get things done.
• Accountable. You earn trust by your actions and faithfully keep your promises.
• Great communicator. You are articulate. You have concise, accurate, and effective written and verbal communication skills. You communicate and coordinate effectively at every level.
• Strategic. You are able to see the big picture, plan a business development strategy, and course correct based on real-world results.
• Confident. You have a strong sense of self and take part in spirited conversations with leadership and peers alike, including industry partners, employers, and academia.
• Persuasive. You have an engaging presentation style. You are confident and influential. People follow your lead.
• Rapport builder. You understand how organizations work, where to build relationships, and how to get results through other people. You earn trust by your actions and faithfully keep your promises. People know you have their best interests in mind and are sincere in your communications.

What’s Attractive to the Right Candidate?

• You will be joining a team of strong, talented colleagues who are dedicated to our mission. Our colleagues are friendly, respectful of different perspectives, and supportive of each other both personally and professionally.
• We are the workforce leader in a rapidly growing industry. 5G and rural broadband access will transform every industry of the U.S. economy. Our work is interesting and varied; the issues facing our industry are constantly changing and we are pioneers of new ideas.
• We offer competitive compensation and generous benefits that include vacation, sick, and bereavement leave; volunteer days; parking/Metro allowance; income security options; and health and wellness benefits that include an on-site gym facility.

To Apply 

We encourage you to apply even if your experience is not a perfect match with the position description; we will consider people from a variety of backgrounds and career experiences.

Simply email your resume to HR@wia.org with “Vice President of Training and Education” as the subject of the email. Please include your resume as a Word or PDF attachment to the email and paste your cover letter in the body of your email.

WIA takes seriously its commitment to advancing diversity, equity and inclusion. WIA is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity in the workplace. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to gender, race, color, age, national origin, religion, disability, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity/assignment, citizenship, pregnancy, or maternity, protected veteran status, or any other status protected by applicable national, federal, state, or local law.

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