Program Manager Employment & Training -Training Fund

State of Maine • Springvale, ME

1d • $59,717 - $84,469

About The Position

If you are a current State of Maine employee, please submit your application through the internal application process using the Find Jobs report in PRISM. Seasonal employees who do not have PRISM access should apply through the State’s career page and indicate on the application that they have previously worked for the State. . Department of Labor – State Workforce Development Board Job Class Code: 0784 Grade: 26 (Supervisory Bargaining Unit) Salary: $59,716.80 - $84,468.80/Annually Location: Statewide - Augusta, Bangor, Lewiston, Portland or Springvale Opening Date: March 13, 2026 Closing Date: March 27, 2026 Don’t miss out on this great opportunity! This is your chance to join a team of hardworking professionals who support businesses and workers across Maine. If you want to make a difference for Maine businesses and workers, enjoy building something new, have an interest in workforce development, and program management, this position is for you! The Maine Department of Labor (MDOL)’s State Workforce Development Board (SWDB) is seeking a dynamic individual with experience in grant, program or project management in the workforce or public sector to manage a new grant program focused on bolstering Maine’s manufacturing and defense workforce. Maine’s manufacturing employers face a shortage of over 3,000 skilled-trades workers, including welders, machinists, painters, CNC operators, and electrical engineering technicians over the next five years. To close this labor gap, the Maine Department of Labor (MDOL), in partnership with industry leaders, education providers, and other state agencies, received a grant to establish the Defense Shipbuilding and Advanced Manufacturing Training Fund to directly support and reimburse employer investment in skills training for new hires and incumbent workers. The Training Fund Grant program manager is a critical role in overseeing all grant implementation activities to ensure industry needs and grant deliverables are met. The person filling this position will manage a statewide, multi-year federal grant aimed at accelerating training and employment in Maine’s high-demand manufacturing and defense occupations. This person will work closely with employers, partner agencies, industry associations, training providers, and other interest groups to design and deploy the training fund. Strong collaboration, facilitation, operations, documentation, and contract/grant-management skills will be required to be successful in this position. Work is performed under limited supervision.

Requirements

• Excellent oral and written communication
• Ability to use independent judgment in handling work assignments, priorities, and schedules
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with variety of stakeholders
• Experience with program and/or project management
• Experience using Microsoft Office suite and virtual communications platforms such as MS Teams and Zoom.
• Ability to work independently while following programmatic protocols and enhancing the current standard operating procedures to adapt to changes.
• An eight (8) year combination of education and/or experience demonstrating progressively responsible experience in developing and administering employment and training programs.

Nice To Haves

• Experience in program management, project management, grants management, ideally within public sector or workforce development system.
• Demonstrated ability leading collaboratives and building cross-sector relationships.
• Demonstrated ability and experience in improving operational efficiency and effectiveness and using data to improve program and process effectiveness.
• Demonstrated ability to develop new programs from ideation to implementation.
• Demonstrated ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with inter and intra-agency staff, employers, public officials, training and education partners, and the general public.
• Demonstrated experience in collecting and reporting data on program performance to a wide variety of audiences including federal grant officers, employers, agency partners, and the public.
• Demonstrated experience in writing effective public and internal staff communications (informational, instructional, or marketing materials), possibly grant applications or contracts.

Responsibilities

• Convene industry employers and training providers via newly established industry partnership to identify priority workforce needs and training offerings needed to address needs
• Lead implementation of the Training Fund’s one-stop portal and reimbursement process, including designing standard operating procedures (SOPs) and conducting user testing
• Provide coordinated technical assistance in collaboration with apprenticeship program staff to employers in establishing new or expanding existing registered apprenticeship programs to meet their needs
• Provide technical assistance to employers in connecting with training providers to meet their needs
• Coordinate with other workforce partners to leverage training resources from partners including DECD and the Maine Community College System to best meet industry needs and maximize impact
• Conduct employer outreach efforts in partnership with industry associations, local workforce boards and other partners to raise awareness about the Training Fund
• Identify business champions to drive employer engagement including managing grant advisory group
• Support industry partnerships in highlighting sector trainings and job opportunities through customized webpages and outreach efforts via State platforms
• Lead federal grant reporting efforts including data collection, reporting and monitoring
• Regularly review and evaluate program performance to improve efficiency and impact
• Oversee the administrative work of the Training Fund Consultant in assessing employer training requests and distributing reimbursements

Benefits

• Work-Life Fit – Rest is essential. Take time for yourself using 13 paid holidays, 12 days of sick leave, and 3+ weeks of vacation leave annually. Vacation leave accrual increases with years of service, and overtime-exempt employees receive personal leave.
• Health Insurance Coverage – The State of Maine pays 85%-95% of employee-only premiums ($11,196.96 - $12,514.32 annual value), depending on salary. Use this chart to find the premium costs for you and your family, including the percentage of dependent coverage paid by the State.
• Dental Insurance – The State of Maine pays 100% of employee-only dental premiums ($387.92 annual value).
• Retirement Plan – The State contributes the equivalent of 14.11% of the employee's pay towards the Maine Public Employees Retirement System (MainePERS) for MSEA, or 18.91% for Confidential employees.
• State employees are eligible for an extensive and highly competitive benefits package, covering many aspects of wellness. Learn about additional wellness benefits for State employees from the Office of Employee Health and Wellness.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager
• Education Level: No Education Listed