Director of Career Readiness & Workforce Strategy

Job Description

Primary Duties

Workforce Strategy, Partnerships, and External Engagement

Provide leadership for the university's workforce development strategy by monitoring state and federal workforce initiatives, labor market trends, funding opportunities, and employer needs. Develop partnerships with employers, local workforce centers, state and government agencies, and economic development councils like PEDCO and the City of Pueblo, City of El Paso Economic and International Development, and Colorado Office of Economic and International Trade (OEDIT) to ensure CSU Pueblo programs align with workforce demands and create opportunities for student employment and career advancement.

This position is responsible for serving as CSU Pueblo’s workforce development lead, monitoring CDHE and the Dept. of Labor, managing the campus WIOA strategy, pursue grants to foster workforce development opportunities, and help support CSU Pueblo responding in real-time to workforce trends.

Career Readiness, Experiential Learning, and Student Employment Outcomes

Direct university workforce readiness initiatives designed to improve student career outcomes and demonstrate return on educational investment. Oversee career readiness programming, employer engagement, internships, career fairs, and experiential learning opportunities that connect students to career pathways and workforce opportunities.

Direct strategic internship expansion efforts in close collaboration with academic affairs to ensure workforce readiness is embedded in the curriculum.

Conduct employer recruitment for campus engagement and oversee career fairs and networking events that serve students locally and via distance.

Workforce Credentials, Prior Learning Assessment, and Alternative Pathways

Lead the development and implementation of innovative workforce education pathways that increase student access, accelerate degree completion, and respond to employer demand. Direct initiatives related to stackable credentials and scale the current operations for microcredentials.

Seek and expand prior learning assessment opportunities for students, employers, and faculty.

Develop and enhance workforce-aligned educational offerings to offer credential pathways that serve the needs of CSU Pueblo and industry.

Ancillary Duties

Professional Development and Other Duties

Engages in development of personal professional development plan that incorporates developmental goals, career paths, and competency areas. Attends conferences, seminars, and workshops to ensure continued development of professional skills.

Participates on campus committees, councils, and user groups to increase campus-level knowledge and awareness. Participates in local, state, and national activities of relevant professional associations.

Minimum Qualifications

• •Master’s degree from a regionally accredited institution
• •Two years experience supervising others.
• •Two years experience working in higher education or adjacent field.

Preferred Qualifications

• •Knowledge of local, state, and federal workforce initiatives and policies
• •Experience with Handshake or other software, platforms, and assessments used for career services operations.

Additional Job Description

Employment-Based Immigration Sponsorship is not available for this position.

This position is on-site for the Pueblo Campus.

Salary

$78,000 to $86,000

Applicants must attach the following documents, in order to be considered for this position:

• •a letter of intent (cover letter) describing the means in which you meet the qualifications for this position
• •unofficial or official transcripts showing required degree(s) conferred

Early submission of application materials is encouraged. Applications received by 8:00 AM (MST) on November 15th, 2026, will receive full consideration. Screening of applications will begin only after this deadline is met, and will continue until the position is filled.

About Colorado State University Pueblo

Work Location: Unless otherwise stated in the job announcement, positions at Colorado State University Pueblo are expected to be performed in person at a University work location. Any remote or hybrid work arrangements will be explicitly identified in the position announcement.

Colorado State University Pueblo is a comprehensive state university with an enrollment of 4,000 students. CSU Pueblo provides relevant professional coursework and superior instruction with a small student-to-faculty ratio for an ever-changing global economy. Students can choose from 38 undergraduate programs with 70 fields of study in the College of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics; the Hasan School of Business, the College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences; and the College of Health, Education, and Nursing; and 15 graduate programs.

CSU Pueblo is dedicated to interdisciplinary learning and entrepreneurship that elevates our people and our community, creates educational opportunities, fosters unique collaborations, and supports inclusion, access, and affordability as a gateway to the world. CSU Pueblo is equally committed to serving the diverse population of the region; this emphasis is reflected in the demographic characteristics of the student body. Because more than 25 percent of our students are Hispanic, the Federal Government has designated CSU Pueblo a Hispanic Serving Institution. Besides reflecting our commitment to serve this critically important and rapidly growing segment of the student population, that designation also allows the University to compete for certain federal grant funds to support its ability to better serve all students.

Among its unique features, CSU Pueblo is one of seven schools in the nation to offer a degree in mechatronics, which combines electrical and mechanical engineering. The Hasan School of Business ranks among the top 15 percent of all business schools internationally with graduate and undergraduate programs in business administration accredited by the AACSB International Board of Directors. The College of STEM houses an undergraduate engineering program that was ranked in the nation's top 100 by U.S. News and World Report . CSU Pueblo has an ever-changing campus landscape that features a newly renovated Library, a new general academic classroom building, and a newly renovated and expanded student center.

At CSU Pueblo, Student Life offerings have increased significantly with the transition of the campus from a commuter environment to a more traditional collegiate experience. Competing at the NCAA Division II level, CSU Pueblo is a member of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference and offers 22 varsity intercollegiate sports and also has active intramural and club sports teams that allow students to get involved in campus life.

Colorado State University Pueblo offers a comprehensive benefits package including:

Medical and prescription insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Flexible benefit plan

Basic term life insurance

Voluntary term life and AD&D Insurance

Long-term disability insurance

Employee assistance program

Travel accident insurance

Voluntary critical illness and accident insurance

Annual and sick leave

Retirement plans

Employee and dependent tuition discounts

State employee discounts via BenefitHub

Other incentives include v arious on-campus event, recreation, and meal discounts.

About Pueblo, Colorado

The city of Pueblo is a historically and culturally rich, diverse city of more than 100,000, located in the southern part of the state along the Arkansas River near the Wet Mountains and the majestic Sangre de Cristo range. Pueblo enjoys ideal year-round climate with four distinct mild seasons, crisp mountain air, and 300+ days of sunshine per year. Pueblo attracts outdoor enthusiasts to a full slate of summer and winter recreational activities, encompassing water sports at Lake Pueblo, biking or running along Pueblo's beautiful river