Director, Workforce & Professional Development

TITLE: Director, Workforce and Professional Development

REPORTS TO: Executive Vice President

FLSA CLASSIFICATION: Full-time; Exempt

LOCATION: Remote (East coast hours), with occasional travel

SALARY RANGE: $113,968 - $170,952, depending on experience

ABOUT US

The Irrigation Association (IA) is the leading trade association for irrigation equipment and system manufacturers, dealers, distributors, designers, consultants, contractors, and end users. We are committed to ensuring the Irrigation Association remains a central point for collectively elevating our interests and a unifying voice on the value that irrigation brings to green spaces and the food, fuel, fiber and feed that our nation and globe need.

As IA evolves to meet stakeholder needs and future growth opportunities, we prioritize agility, innovation, and member value. We are committed to developing forward-looking educational and event experiences that advance sustainable irrigation practices and strengthen industry connections.

ABOUT YOU

The Director of Workforce Development & Professional Development is responsible for designing, governing, and continuously improving the Irrigation Association’s workforce development ecosystem, from career awareness and education and professional learning through credential attainment and ongoing professional development. This is a build-and-transform role, not a maintenance position.

The Director will assess current programs, communications, and workflows; identify what is working and what is not; and what must change; and design clear, scalable systems that support learners, instructors, volunteers, and staff while protecting the integrity and credibility of IA credentials.

This role leads a small but critical team and works in close partnership with the Irrigation Association Certification Board, which holds authority over credential standards and credibility. Success requires creative problem solving, operational discipline, and collaborative leadership, especially in an environment transitioning away from ad-hoc, email-driven program management.

Core Responsibilities will include:

Workforce Development Strategy & Ecosystem Leadership

• Define and continuously refine IA’s end-to-end workforce development ecosystem, including career awareness, education, credential pathways, and ongoing professional development.
• Identify talent pipeline gaps and develop programs, partnerships, and delivery models that strengthen industry entry, advancement, and credential attainment.
• Assess the competitive landscape and position IA’s education and credential offerings to reinforce its role as the industry’s professional authority while protecting long-term relevance and revenue.
• Ensure workforce initiatives are coordinated, measurable, and aligned with IA’s strategic priorities.

Team Leadership & Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Lead and develop a small, specialized team with clear accountability, performance expectations, and operational discipline.
• Establish structured planning, documentation, reporting, and program management practices.
• Collaborate across IA functions, including membership, communications, technology, finance, and events, to ensure coordinated execution and avoid duplication.
• Serve as a trusted partner to industry volunteers, instructors, and board leadership.

Credential Program Leadership, Governance & Performance

• Serve as the primary liaison to the Certification Board, supporting governance, decision-making, and continuous program improvement.
• Ensure clear governance boundaries between education delivery, credential eligibility and assessment, and Certification Board authority.
• Design and maintain scalable, auditable credential workflows, including applications, examinations, renewals, and communications.
• Monitor and manage credential program performance, including participation, operational effectiveness, financial sustainability, and program integrity.

Scholarship, Student & Early-Career Pipeline Development

• Lead strategy, administration, and continuous improvement of scholarship and early-career engagement programs.
• Establish structured processes for scholarship outreach, selection, administration, and recipient tracking.
• Define and manage IA’s student and early-career engagement model, including pathways into education, credentialing, and membership.
• Develop systems to track and support learner progression through the workforce and credential pipeline.

Operational Systems, Program Infrastructure & Learner Experience

• Implement scalable program management systems, workflows, and operational structures that improve clarity, efficiency, and accountability.
• Partner with technology and operations teams to improve system integration, data integrity, reporting, and user experience across education and credential platforms.
• Ensure learners, instructors, volunteers, and candidates experience clear, consistent, and well-supported pathways across all programs and credential activities.
• Serve as the internal subject-matter authority on workforce pathways, ensuring accurate and effective communication of programs, credentials, and career progression.

Education Strategy & Program Oversight (in Partnership with Associate Director, Education)

• Set and oversee IA’s education strategy in partnership with education leadership, ensuring programs align with workforce needs, credential standards, and industry priorities.
• Oversee curriculum development, instructional quality, delivery models, and program evaluation.
• Partner with subject-matter experts and industry leaders to maintain relevant, credible, and high-quality education offerings.
• Ensure programs are appropriately priced, financially sustainable, and operationally scalable.

Responsibilities may evolve based on business needs.

Qualifications, Skills, & Experience will include:

Education & Experience Required

• Bachelor’s degree in education, adult learning, or similar; master’s degree preferred.
• 10+ years of experience in workforce development, professional education, credentialing, certification, or complex program leadership.
• Experience with certification or credentialing programs (assessment, eligibility, accreditation, or governance).
• Demonstrated ability to build, fix, and scale programs in imperfect or evolving environments.
• Strong systems thinking, ability to see the whole ecosystem, not just individual programs.
• Experience working with boards, committees, or credentialing bodies where credibility and governance matter.
• Proven ability to translate complexity into clear processes, decisions, and action.
• Comfort leading through ambiguity, diagnosing problems, and proposing solutions.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Technical & Analytical Skills

• Strong technical acumen and analytical skills with proficiency in Microsoft products and the ability to learn and integrate new and emerging technologies to simplify and improve business practices.
• Experience with accreditation and application submission platforms.
• Experience with a variety of CRM and LMS databases (iMIS, RiSE, HTML, Webassessor and/or Articulate).

Preferred

• Familiarity with program management tools, and data-driven evaluation.
• Background in regulated, technical, or standards-based industries.
• Experience modernizing legacy programs or transitioning organizations away from ad-hoc practices.
• Industry knowledge in agriculture, irrigation, or the green sector is a plus.

Success Competencies

• Clear, documented learning-to-credential pathways understood by staff, volunteers, and members.
• Education and credential programs that are credible, scalable, and defensible.
• Strong, collaborative relationships with the Certification Board grounded in trust and clarity.
• Dramatically improved communications and learner experience.
• Reduced confusion, fewer last-minute issues, and programs that run on systems, not heroics.
• A team that knows what it owns, how decisions are made, and how success is measured.

Leadership Attributes We Value

• Creative problem solver who sees constraints as design challenges.
• Comfortable questioning legacy approaches and improving them respectfully.
• Calm, structured, and decisive in complex environments.
• Collaborative, not territorial; confident without ego.
• Deep respect for credibility, standards, and volunteer leadership.

Irrigation Association is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Irrigation Association participates in E-Verify and will provide the federal government with your Form I-9 information to confirm that you are authorized to work in the U.S. For more information, please visit e-verify.uscis.gov.

Salary: $113,968 - $179,952, depending on experience

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