Strategic Initiatives Coordinator

Who We Are

The Center for Labor and Community Studies (CLCS) at the University of Michigan-Dearborn partners with workers, labor unions, community organizations, faculty, and students to strengthen worker power through education, research, leadership development, and strategic partnerships.
For more than 40 years, CLCS has connected the University with the labor movement through conferences, leadership institutes, courses, research, public programming, and other educational opportunities that help workers understand and shape the economic, political, and technological changes affecting their workplaces and communities.

Job Summary

The Strategic Initiatives Coordinator will coordinate and support educational programs, partnerships, outreach, and strategic initiatives that connect workers, labor organizations, students, faculty, and community partners with CLCS.
Working closely with the Director and other CLCS staff, the Strategic Initiatives Coordinator will help strengthen participation in CLCS programs; expand relationships across the University and labor movement; support the development of new educational initiatives; coordinate student, internship, and faculty engagement; strengthen conference and program operations; improve organizational systems; and support grant and funding development.
The central purpose of the position is to help CLCS build sustainable pathways through which workers, students, and organizational partners can become engaged in the Center, participate in educational programs, develop their leadership, and deepen their relationship with CLCS over time.

Responsibilities*

Worker Outreach and Recruitment - 25%

• Build and maintain relationships with workers, union leaders, local unions, labor councils, statewide labor organizations, and other labor movement partners. 
• Conduct direct outreach to recruit workers and organizations for CLCS conferences, institutes, training, courses, public programs, and other educational opportunities.
• Develop and maintain systems for tracking relationships, outreach, participation, sponsorships, and follow-up.
• Recruit organizational sponsors and partners for CLCS conferences and educational programs and coordinate sponsorship follow-through with appropriate staff.
• Gather feedback from workers and labor leaders regarding emerging educational, organizing, bargaining, research, and leadership-development needs.
• Help implement pathways that move participants from initial engagement with CLCS into additional education, leadership development, organizing, research, and other opportunities.

University, Faculty, and Student Engagement - 20%

• Coordinate implementation and continued development of the Faculty Affiliates
• Program, including faculty recruitment, communication, meetings, engagement, and participation in CLCS initiatives.
• Recruit and connect students to labor education, conferences, research, internships, apprenticeships, leadership development, and other CLCS opportunities.
• Build relationships with academic departments, faculty, advisors, student organizations, and other university programs to expand connections with CLCS.
• Coordinate implementation and continued development of CLCS internship and apprenticeship initiatives, including student and partner recruitment, placement processes, communications, and program materials.

Strategic Projects and New Program Development - 20%

• Support development of new educational programs and areas of work, including initiatives related to the future of work, technological and economic change, sustainable jobs, worker leadership, and other emerging priorities.
• Conduct research on emerging worker-education needs, potential programs, partnerships, and opportunities and prepare recommendations for CLCS staff.
• Coordinate relationships and activities involving university, labor, community, and other partners participating in strategic initiatives.
• Support development of workshops, training, short courses, certificates, public programs, research initiatives, and other continuing-education opportunities.
• Help move new initiatives from concept through planning, implementation, documentation, evaluation, and continued development.

Grant and Funding Development Support - 15%

• Research grants, university funding, partnerships, sponsorships, and other funding opportunities aligned with CLCS programs and strategic priorities.
• Maintain information about prospective funding opportunities, deadlines, requirements, and next steps.
• Assist with development of grant proposals, letters of inquiry, project descriptions, work plans, budgets, and supporting materials.
• Coordinate information and materials needed from faculty, labor, community, university, and other project partners.
• Help document program participation, outcomes, partnerships, and impact for use in grant applications, reports, and fundraising materials.
• Assist with grant reporting and other funding-related documentation as assigned.

Conference and Educational Program Operations - 10%

• Support planning and implementation of CLCS conferences, leadership institutes, workshops, trainings, short courses, and other educational programs.
• Provide project coordination and operational support during peak conference and program periods, including onsite support when needed.
• Document conference and program workflows, timelines, procedures, outreach practices, contacts, and other institutional knowledge.
• Crosstrain in key conference and educational-program functions to strengthen organizational continuity and staff capacity.

Organizational Systems and Continuous Improvement - 10%

• Develop and maintain practical systems for tracking projects, partnerships, outreach, participation, deadlines, program outcomes, and recurring responsibilities.
• Document organizational processes, workflows, timelines, procedures, templates, and institutional knowledge.
• Help improve systems for program planning, participant recruitment, communications, registration, partnership management, evaluation, and follow-up.
• Collect and organize participation data, partner feedback, program evaluations, and other information that can inform program improvements.
• Identify opportunities to make CLCS programs and operations more efficient, consistent, accessible, collaborative, and sustainable.
• Support cross-functional projects that strengthen organizational capacity and continuity.

Required Qualifications*

• Bachelor's degree or an equivalent combination of education and experience plus a minimum of 2-3 years of related experience.
• Demonstrated experience with the Center for Labor and Community Studies, including familiarity with its programs, operations, partnerships, and strategic priorities.
• Demonstrated knowledge of the University of Michigan-Dearborn and the broader University of Michigan, including experience navigating university systems and
  collaborating across academic and administrative units.
• Demonstrated experience building relationships and conducting outreach with workers, students, community members, organizational partners, and other stakeholders.
• Strong organizational, written, and verbal communication skills, with demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects, deadlines, and competing priorities.
• Strong computer and technology skills, including the ability to learn and effectively use digital tools for communication, project coordination, data management, and program administration.

Desired Qualifications*

• More than 3 years of experience working with labor unions, worker organizations, labor education programs, or related organizations to support trainings, conferences, workshops, or other educational programs.
• Experience recruiting participants, students, organizational partners, sponsors, or other stakeholders and supporting the development or implementation of educational programs.
• Experience with grant development, fundraising, program evaluation, organizational systems, documentation, or process improvement.

Why Work at U-M Dearborn?

The University of Michigan-Dearborn is a vibrant and diverse community, centrally located within one of America's largest business regions. The area provides a variety of urban, suburban, and rural environments within a reasonable commute, including Detroit, its suburbs, and Ann Arbor.

In addition to a career filled with purpose and opportunity, the University of Michigan-Dearborn offers a comprehensive benefits package, effective on your first day to help you and your family stay well, and plan for a secure future.

Benefits include:

• Generous time off
• A retirement plan that provides two-for-one matching contributions after 12 months of eligible service
• Many choices for comprehensive health insurance, along with prescription drug plan
• Life Insurance
• Long-term disability coverage
• Flexible spending accounts for healthcare and dependent care expenses

Eligibility for benefits is based on your job group, your appointment percentage and the length of your appointment. Learn more about employee benefits and eligibility from the UM Human Resources Benefits and Wellness webpage.

Additional UM-Dearborn benefits include:

• Employees may be eligible for tuition reimbursement. Learn more about the tuition reimbursement policy.
• Eligible UM-Dearborn dependents may receive a 50% tuition and fees scholarship towards undergraduate courses. Learn more about the Dependent Tuition Scholarship from the Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships webpage.
• No charge for all faculty and staff parking permits. Learn more from the Parking Transportation webpage.

Information about our mission, values and leadership can be found at: https://umdearborn.edu/about-um-dearborn/mission 

Modes of Work

Positions that are eligible for hybrid or mobile/remote work mode are at the discretion of the hiring department. Work agreements are reviewed annually at a minimum and are subject to change at any time, and for any reason, throughout the course of employment. Learn more about the work modes.

• This position is eligible for a hybrid work arrangement, with an expectation of three days per week onsite and up to two days per week working remotely.
• The specific schedule may vary based on conferences, meetings, program activities, and other operational needs.
• Regular travel to off-campus program sites, partner organizations, conferences, and other locations is required.
• Evening and weekend work is a regular component of the position and is necessary to support CLCS conferences, institutes, training, workshops, outreach, and other events.

Additional Information

Expected Outcomes

• During the first year, the Strategic Initiatives Coordinator will be expected to:
• Expand participation and deepen relationships among CLCS, workers, labor organizations, students, faculty, and university and community partners.
• Establish stronger and more consistent systems for outreach, participant pathways, program coordination, documentation, and follow-up.
• Successfully coordinate assigned strategic initiatives and contribute to the development of new CLCS educational programs and partnerships.
• Strengthen CLCS's long-term organizational and financial sustainability through improved systems, institutional knowledge, sponsorships, and funding development.

Core Competencies

• Organizing and Relationship Building: Ability to initiate conversations, build trust, maintain relationships, recruit participation, and help move individuals and organizations toward deeper engagement.
• Program and Project Coordination: Ability to coordinate multiple programs and projects, organize complex information, manage timelines and competing priorities, and move work from planning through implementation and follow-up.
• Communication and Collaboration: Strong written and verbal communication skills and the ability to work effectively with workers, union leaders, students, faculty, community partners, University staff, and other stakeholders.
• Initiative, Systems Thinking, and Continuous Improvement: Ability to work independently, anticipate needs, solve problems, create practical organizational systems, and identify ways to improve programs and processes over time.

Union Affiliation

This position is included in the bargaining unit represented by the University Staff United (USU), which represents bargaining unit members in all matters with respect to wages, benefits, hours and other terms and conditions of employment.

Background Screening

The University of Michigan conducts background checks on all job candidates upon acceptance of a contingent offer and may use a third party administrator to conduct background checks.  Background checks are performed in compliance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act.

U-M EEO Statement

The University of Michigan is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to providing an environment of mutual respect where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.