Director of Partnerships and Policy

Role: Director of Partnerships and Policy

Location: Washington, DC, with four days a week in the office and Fridays remote.

Reports To: Executive Director

Salary Range: $120,000 - $135,000 and a comprehensive benefit package that includes health, dental, and vision coverage, eligibility for benefits under a defined benefits pension plan, and a 401(k) with an employer match of up to $2,000 per year.

About TradesFutures

TradesFutures is a leading national non-profit organization dedicated to increasing access to high-quality union construction careers through our network of 200+ Apprenticeship Readiness Programs. We partner closely with workforce organizations, community-based partners, and building trades councils to implement the Multi-Core Craft Curriculum (MC3), strengthen local program quality, and expand pathways to Registered Apprenticeship opportunities in the unionized construction industry. We also expand access to union construction careers through broader policy engagement, national partnerships, and convenings, such as Tradeswomen Build Nations and the National Apprenticeship Readiness Forum.

Position Summary

TradesFutures is seeking a Director of Partnerships and Policy to set and lead the organization's external partnership and policy strategy, and to serve as one of TradesFutures' primary external voices with unions, employers, funders, and policymakers. This is a leadership role for someone who is ready to shape strategy at a senior level.

The Director will develop an original partnership strategy and a policy portfolio, and translate research and data into clear direction for a wide range of audiences, including funders and the Board, media and the general public, labor unions, employers, apprenticeship readiness programs, and policymakers and legislators. This is also an implementation role, bringing proposed partnerships from conceptualization to fruition. The ideal candidate brings deep knowledge of workforce development, union and employer dynamics in the construction sector, is comfortable representing the organization at the highest levels externally, and ideally, has experience managing staff.

What You'll Do

Partnerships and Policy Strategy

• Set and execute on organizational external engagement, partnership and policy strategy in close collaboration with the Executive Director and leadership team
• Develop TradesFutures' external positioning on relevant priorities, including original research, briefings, and public statements
• Build and manage TradesFutures' external engagement and partnership portfolio with unions, employers, philanthropic funders, and government stakeholders from initial relationship through implementation
• Represent TradesFutures as a spokesperson in settings with unions, employers, and policy stakeholders
• Direct research on industry and programming trends that shapes program strategy and network-wide standards
• Guide and develop staff as necessary

Fundraising Strategy

• Shape funding strategy in partnership with the Executive Director, including proposal direction and funder relationship management
• Contribute to programmatic grant reporting to ensure funder deliverables reflect organizational priorities

Program Strategy and Collaboration

• Connect national external engagement, partnerships and policy priorities directly into programmatic efforts with the TradesFutures apprenticeship readiness network
• Ensure program and evaluation findings are synthesized into compelling reporting for funders and leadership, and feed directly back into organizational priorities

Organizational Leadership

• Serve as a senior voice in organization-wide planning and strategy discussions
• Build alignment with program and communications staff to ensure policy positions and partnership strategy are consistently reflected across the organization

What We're Looking For

• Minimum of 8 years of relevant experience demonstrating progressively increasing levels of responsibility
• A track record of developing, managing and implementing a portfolio
• Demonstrated ability to represent an organization credibly with senior stakeholders
• Experience directly managing or project managing and mentoring staff
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with a portfolio of external-facing policy or thought-leadership products
• Experience with unions, union construction, and/or workforce development strongly preferred
• Interest in working closely with a small team to build a growing organization
• Passion for organized labor and economic opportunity

TradesFutures is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law, including the DC Human Rig