Executive Director, Bronx Green Jobs Center

Executive Director, Bronx Green Jobs Center

To apply: https://careers.fordham.edu/postings/11523

Fordham University
Bronx, New York · In-Person · Full Time

Compensation: $140,000 to $175,000 Annually

Comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental, and vision insurance; flexible spending accounts; retirement plans; life insurance; short- and long-term disability; employee assistance program (EAP); tuition remission; and generous time off.

Workforce Development · Green Jobs · Entrepreneurship · Economic Development

Set to launch in January 2027, the Bronx Green Jobs Center (BGJC) will be the nation’s leading green workforce development and entrepreneurship hub. BGJC will establish a new national blueprint for public-private partnership supporting community-led economic development in the sustainability economy. Conceptualized by Fordham University and powered by a broad set of partners encompassing higher education institutions, industry and employer partners, community-based social service organizations, and local and state government, BGJC will help Bronx residents train for and secure career-track employment within New York’s growing green economy, while adding to the vibrancy and sustainability of the Bronx.

Fordham University invites applications from qualified candidates to serve as the inaugural Executive Director of the Bronx Green Jobs Center. The Executive Director will provide strategic and operational leadership for an innovative community-based initiative that advances green workforce training, entrepreneurship, and sustainable economic development in the Bronx and across New York. The position is full-time and in-person, and officially a Fordham University employee.

Reporting to the Vice President for External Affairs, the Executive Director, Bronx Green Jobs Center (BGJC) will lead and manage an endeavor that is rooted in collaboration across multiple institutions and organizations in every aspect of operations. This position requires extraordinary skills in strategic planning and decision-making, financial management, development and fundraising, communicating with both internal and external stakeholders, and building and sustaining effective curriculum-based programming. The Executive Director will drive the Center’s mission to prepare New York’s growing green workforce.

The Executive Director will work out of the BGJC at 585 East Fordham Road. Evening and weekend hours will be required at times. Up to 35% of time will include travel, primarily within NYC but occasionally outside the city as needed.

Founded in 1841, Fordham is the Jesuit University of New York, offering an exceptional education distinguished by the Jesuit tradition to more than 16,000 students in its nine colleges and schools. It has residential campuses in the Bronx and Manhattan, a campus in West Harrison, N.Y., the Louis Calder Center Biological Field Station in Armonk, N.Y., and the London Centre in the United Kingdom.

Successful candidates should have a knowledge of and commitment to the goals of Jesuit Education and community impact.

Essential Functions

Leadership

• Designs, refines, and leads implementation of plans and strategies to launch, grow, and evolve BGJC programs and partnerships, ensuring alignment with organizational priorities, workforce development goals, and emerging community and industry needs.
• Builds and sets culture for BGJC’s foundational team ensuring effective program management, accountability, and alignment with Fordham University’s mission and values.
• Develops, monitors, and manages the Center’s budget and pursues external funding through public and philanthropic development opportunities, including but not limited to: grants, contracts, and earned-revenue opportunities.

Outreach and Public Engagement

• Cultivates and maintains strong communication with city and state agencies, workforce boards, community-based organizations, employers, elected officials, and industry leaders to identify opportunities for collaboration and funding.
• Advocates for policies and practices that promote equitable access to green workforce training and entrepreneurship resources in historically underserved communities.
• Represents BGJC and Fordham University in local, regional, and national forums on sustainability, workforce innovation, and economic development.

Program Management

• Oversees workforce development initiatives that emphasize stackable credentials, industry alignment, and pathways into quality green jobs.
• Oversees the Green Entrepreneurship program focused on supporting entrepreneurs and small enterprises advancing clean technology, environmental resilience, and sustainable practices.
• Designs and manages the wraparound support services portfolio offered to BGJC training participants through community-based organizations and Fordham departments.
• Establishes reporting mechanisms to monitor career outcomes and evaluate overall Center performance.

This list is not intended to be an exhaustive list. The University may assign additional related duties as necessary.

Management Responsibilities

Supervises individual contributors (admin, clerical, maintenance) and, based on scope, occasionally other managers. Handles hiring, training, development, performance management, and corrective action, with significant input on compensation decisions.

Required Qualifications: Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Sustainability, Environmental Studies, Public Administration, Urban Policy, Workforce Education and Development, Business Administration, Economic Development, or a closely related field.
• Minimum of 10 years of progressively responsible senior leadership experience, including at least 8 years of direct supervisory responsibility overseeing professional teams.

Required Qualifications: Knowledge and Skills

• Proven leadership experience and subject matter expertise in workforce development or a related field, particularly in areas related to green jobs or stackable workforce credentials.
• Demonstrated success in partnership development, program management, and external relations within higher education, government, private or nonprofit sectors.
• Strong understanding of New York City’s economic ecosystem, particularly the Bronx, and the dynamics of equitable workforce and small business development.
• Strong financial management experience and a track record of securing financial support from external sources.
• Excellent communication, strategic planning, and organizational skills.
• Exceptional ability to balance multiple priorities and function effectively in time-constrained and/or ambiguous contexts.
• Commitment to Fordham University’s mission of education in service of social justice and community empowerment.
• Proven experience in start up environments.
• Familiarity with data-driven evaluation, outcomes measurement, and continuous program improvement.

Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced degree preferred.
• Demonstrated experience building or operating programs at the intersection of workforce and business growth services.
• Demonstrated success in grant management and overseeing sponsored programs.