Career Services Program Manager - Central Office

State of Nebraska•Lincoln, NE

2d•Onsite

About The Position

Meaningful employment changes lives – lead the team making that possible. The Nebraska Department of Correctional Services (NDCS) seeks a transformational Career Services Manager to lead innovative workforce development efforts that prepare justice-involved individuals for meaningful employment and long-term success after incarceration. This role leads a dedicated team delivering career coaching, workforce readiness, and employment pathway development while building strong partnerships with employers, workforce systems, and community stakeholders. NDCS recognizes that lived experience can be a powerful asset in reentry work. Individuals with prior justice involvement who meet position qualifications are welcome to apply, consistent with applicable employment policies and requirements.

Requirements

A bachelor’s degree in criminal justice, behavioral sciences, human services or a related field and one year of corrections experience, including supervisory experience; OR associate’s degree in criminal justice, behavioral sciences, human services or related field and three years of corrections experience, including supervisory experience; OR five years of corrections experience, including supervisory experience.
Must be at least 18 years of age.
No felony or domestic abuse related convictions.
Transcripts required prior to appointment.
Valid driver's license is required.
Applicants accepting a job offer must pass the following pre-employment exams in this order: medical exam, and at a randomly announced time, pass a drug test.
Once at the Staff Training Academy, must successfully complete the fully paid NE Corrections Training Program.
Knowledge of: workforce development systems, employment pathway design, and strategies that connect individuals to meaningful career opportunities aligned with labor market demand; career coaching methodologies, workforce readiness principles, trauma-informed practices, and participant-centered approaches that support long-term employment success; reentry best practices, barriers to employment for justice-involved individuals, and strategies that promote successful community reintegration and equitable access to opportunity; organizational leadership principles, team development practices, and performance-driven service delivery models.
Skill in: coaching, mentoring, and developing staff to achieve high performance, accountability, continuous improvement, and professional growth; building collaborative relationships with employers, workforce partners, educational institutions, community organizations, and internal stakeholders to strengthen service coordination and employment pathways; skill in cross-system collaboration, partnership development, and navigating complex human service or justice-related environments to improve participant outcomes.
Ability to: lead mission-driven teams, translate strategic vision into operational practice, and drive measurable outcomes in complex service delivery environments; foster innovation, accountability, and a culture of excellence while balancing strategic leadership with operational oversight; Ability to communicate effectively with diverse audiences and build credibility with business leaders, community partners, internal leadership, and justice-involved individuals.

Nice To Haves

Demonstrated experience with workforce development initiatives or grant programs, employment-focused programming or services, talent pipeline strategies, or workforce readiness programs.
Demonstrated experience developing and maintaining partnerships with employers, workforce boards, economic development organizations, apprenticeship programs, educational institutions, or community-based service providers.
Demonstrated experience working with justice-involved individuals, reentry populations, probation/parole populations, behavioral health populations, or other complex service populations facing barriers to employment.
Experience supervising, coaching, mentoring, and developing professional staff in a performance-driven service environment.
Experience using performance metrics, program outcomes, quality improvement methods, or data-informed decision-making to evaluate program effectiveness and drive operational improvement.

Responsibilities

Design and implement workforce development strategies that prepare justice-involved individuals for successful employment and long-term economic stability.
Develop and maintain strong employer partnerships that create direct hiring pipelines, transitional employment opportunities, apprenticeships, and industry-aligned workforce pathways.
Serve as NDCS’ key employer engagement liaison, cultivating relationships with business leaders, chambers, workforce boards, American Job Centers, training providers, unions, educational institutions, and community partners.
Lead strategic special projects, pilot initiatives, and innovative workforce development opportunities that expand participant access to meaningful employment.
Identify labor market trends and align career programming, credential opportunities, and training pathways with high-demand occupations.
Oversee performance metrics, reporting, outcome tracking, and quality assurance efforts to ensure program effectiveness and measurable employment outcomes.
Ensure compliance with operational standards, documentation expectations, grants, workforce partnership requirements, and applicable policies.
Lead employer-facing recruitment initiatives including hiring events, employer engagement activities, mock interviews, talent pipeline development, and partnership-building efforts that expand employment opportunities for participants.