School Engagement Specialist

TechForce Foundation is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) working nationwide to support technical education and the professional technician workforce. We help students explore the career path, pursue their technical training through scholarships and grants, and connect with apprenticeships and jobs in the automotive, trucking, collision, aviation, restoration, motorsports, HVAC, welding, stationary engines, and numerous other industry sectors that rely on this skilled workforce. 

Position Summary

The School Engagement Specialist  supports our priority emphasis on student engagement and support  through cultivating and deepening nationwide school partnerships; specifically high school and post-secondary institutions’ Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs. 

This position nurtures existing school relationships and initiates new school partnerships which includes onboarding, educating and promoting TechForce to key campus stakeholders & students.  The School Engagement Specialist will deliver programs tailored to students, developing communication strategies, and managing school market CRM to ensure tracking, data, and analysis are current.  The goal is to build authentic relationships between student techs and TechForce.  

Key Performance Competencies:

• Interpersonal Savvy: Build and maintain strong relationships with school administrators, students, educators, and key stakeholders to support TechForce’s mission. 
• Communication: Develop and implement effective communication strategies to engage school leadership, students and instructors, ensuring clear and consistent messaging.
• Relationship Building: Cultivate and deepen relationships with schools and students, providing exceptional customer support and engagement to foster long-term partnerships.
• Customer Service:  Proactively listens to and understands the needs of schools, students, and stakeholders, ensuring responsive and solution-driven support.
• Time Management & Prioritization:  Ability to assess and manage competing demands effectively, ensuring that high-impact tasks and initiatives are prioritized in alignment with TechForce’s mission and strategic goals.

Principle Accountabilities & Deliverables:

• Drive School Outreach and Engagement: To reach more tech students, develop new and deepen  existing relationships with high school and post-secondary administrators, educators, and instructors by traveling to schools for in-person visits as well as hosting virtual visits.  Coordinate and participate in these school visits, presentations, webinars, and other engagement activities to encourage student participation and support for TechForce initiatives. Provide exceptional support to schools, addressing their needs and concerns promptly and effectively.  Exceed student engagement and growth goals in the TechForce network.
• Manage Student Experience & Employer Engagement Programs: Use the TechForce network, as well as our corporate, school and association partnerships to identify opportunities for meaningful connections with students and working techs. Create field trips and student experience opportunities for industry / employee volunteers to engage with schools, students and aspiring technicians.  Manage the details necessary to make such introductions, to coordinate events, and to make these connections happen.
• Relationship Management: To spur growth in TechForce’s network and scholarship programs, , cultivate and deepen relationships with schools, volunteers and key stakeholders. Ensure consistent communication and engagement to strengthen relationships and support TechForce’s mission. Build relationships with schools and connections to volunteers where none may exist and work to sustain and grow existing partnerships.  Track contacts and nurture relationships through accurate recordkeeping in HubSpot.  
• Collaboration and Coordination: Collaborate with internal teams, including marketing, corporate partnerships, and the scholarship team, to align strategies and achieve organizational goals. Assist in creating and distributing resources, guides, and toolkits to support schools, students, and volunteers. Support leadership as needed.

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities

Education / Experience:

• High School diploma / GED required; 4-year college degree preferred.
• Minimum of 3-5 years of experience in relationship management, or a related role within the education sector, particularly with high schools and post-secondary institutions.
• Proven experience in developing and implementing programs tailored to student engagement or volunteer management.
• Strong understanding of the education market, including Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs and the needs of students, educators, and administrators. Understanding the transportation technician market is preferred.

Skills:

• Ability to develop and implement effective strategies for school engagement.
• Strong ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment, adapting to rapidly changing priorities, and managing multiple projects simultaneously.
• Proficiency with CRM software, data analysis tools, and other relevant technologies.
• Comfortable and effective in delivering presentations to small and medium-sized groups.
• Strong advocacy skills to promote TechForce Foundation's mission and engage stakeholders.
• Exceptional problem-solving abilities, with a knack for innovative and proactive solutions to operational challenges.
• Proven decision-making abilities, with a track record of making sound judgments based on data and strategic considerations.
• Ability to work independently, self-starter.

Abilities:

• Physical Demands: Must be able to lift, carry, push, or pull up to 20 pounds 5% of the workday; must be able to talk, see, hear, concentrate, think, learn, and reason for all of the workday; must be able to sit and walk or otherwise move around for prolonged periods throughout the workday.
• Travel Requirements: Willingness and ability to travel as needed, up to 50% travel.
  

Work Environment

Location: Remote (Preference for candidates in AZ, NC, SC, or VA)

• This is a fully remote position.
• Regular business hours, with the occasional exception to attend events.
• Most work is performed indoors in a climate-controlled environment. The exception to this occurs in the context of special events which can include outside work in varying weather conditions.

TechForce is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate against applicants or employees due to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity and sexual orientation), national origin, age, disability, genetic information or any other federal, state or local protected class.

This position description has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by jobholders within this role.  Job descriptions are not intended as, nor should be construed to be, exhaustive lists of all responsibilities, skills, efforts, or working conditions associated with a job.  These requirements are representative, but not all-inclusive, of the knowledge, skills, and abilities required.  They are intended to be accurate reflections of those principal job duties and responsibilities essential for making fair pay decisions about the job.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these essential functions. To perform the job successfully, an employee must perform each essential responsibility satisfactorily.