Project Manager - SEMO RISE

Community Partnership of Southeast Missouri•Cape Girardeau, MO

About The Position

Community Partnership of Southeast Missouri (CPSEMO) is seeking a Project Manager to lead the implementation and coordination of SEMO RISE (Regional Industry Skills and Employment), a workforce development initiative serving 14 counties in Southeast Missouri. The initiative focuses on skilled trades and construction, and information technology, particularly commercial drone technology and its applications across industries. Its goal is to connect people with relevant education, occupational training, industry-recognized skills, and employment opportunities aligned with employer demand. The Project Manager provides day-to-day project leadership, coordinates regional partners, monitors performance, and ensures compliance with grant requirements. The role works with employers, educational institutions, training providers, community organizations, and workforce development partners to address regional workforce priorities, expand access to industry-relevant training, and strengthen career pathways. The position requires strong organizational, communication, project management, and relationship-building skills, along with the ability to manage competing priorities, meet grant deliverables, and remain accountable for project outcomes. The position is based in Southeast Missouri and requires travel throughout the service area as needed.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in business administration, public administration, workforce development, project management, human services, education, or a related field; equivalent relevant education and experience may be considered.
At least three years of experience in project management, program coordination, workforce development, grant administration, or a related field.
Demonstrated ability to coordinate multiple activities, manage deadlines, and achieve project objectives.
Strong written and verbal communication skills, including preparing professional reports and communicating with diverse stakeholders.
Experience developing and maintaining professional relationships with community partners, employers, agencies, or other organizations.
Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office or comparable productivity tools, including spreadsheets, word processing, presentations, and data tracking.
Ability to travel throughout the 14-county service area as required.
Valid driver's license and reliable transportation, subject to CPSEMO's applicable driving and vehicle-use requirements.
Ability to work independently while remaining accountable to organizational leadership; manage multiple deadlines and competing priorities.
Ability to analyze performance data, identify risks and challenges, and implement practical solutions.
Ability to build productive relationships and communicate with stakeholders from diverse professional backgrounds.
Commitment to equitable access to workforce development, education, training, and employment opportunities.
Ability to exercise sound judgment, maintain confidentiality, and represent CPSEMO professionally.

Nice To Haves

Experience administering or implementing federally funded, state-funded, or other grant-funded projects.
Familiarity with grant compliance, performance reporting, budget monitoring, and documentation requirements.
Experience in workforce development, adult education, occupational training, career services, or employer engagement.
Knowledge of the workforce and economic development landscape in Southeast Missouri.
Experience coordinating multi-agency initiatives or regional partnerships.
Familiarity with skilled trades, construction, information technology, commercial drone technology, or related technical training and career pathways.
Experience using data to monitor outcomes, assess program effectiveness, and support continuous improvement.

Responsibilities

Lead and oversee day-to-day SEMO RISE activities in alignment with grant objectives, work plans, timelines, and deliverables.
Develop and monitor project work plans, schedules, milestones, and performance targets; identify implementation challenges and recommend corrective actions or adjustments.
Coordinate project activities across participating counties and partner organizations, facilitate meetings, and maintain communication among staff and partners.
Build and maintain relationships with employers, workforce agencies, educational institutions, training providers, community organizations, and other regional stakeholders.
Coordinate partner engagement to identify workforce needs and skills gaps, document commitments, track follow-up, and promote collaboration that reduces participation barriers.
Represent CPSEMO and SEMO RISE at meetings, community events, workforce forums, and other relevant engagements.
Ensure project activities comply with grant requirements, approved budgets, contractual obligations, and organizational policies.
Maintain accurate and timely records of project activities, partner engagement, expenditures, outcomes, and deliverables; prepare grant reports and other required documentation.
Monitor grant performance measures, eligibility requirements, documentation standards, and reporting procedures; support expenditure tracking, monitoring visits, audits, and reviews.
Engage employers to identify workforce needs, occupations, and required skills; coordinate activities and pathways in skilled trades, construction, and IT, including commercial drone technology.
Collaborate with employers, educational institutions, and training providers to connect training with employment and address barriers to education, training, and work.
Monitor regional workforce trends and share emerging needs and opportunities with partners and organizational leadership.
Track milestones, participation, engagement, deliverables, training, credentials, employment, and other outcomes; maintain tracking systems or dashboards and analyze performance data.
Work with partners to address performance gaps, collect success stories, and recommend improvements based on data and feedback.
Maintain project records, correspondence, meeting minutes, files, and supporting documentation; coordinate project meetings, training sessions, and events.
Manage competing priorities, collaborate with CPSEMO departments, and communicate project progress, challenges, and resource needs to leadership.
Perform other related duties as assigned by the Executive Director or designated supervisor.