Address:

4441 East McDowell Road.
Phoenix, AZ 85008
https://corrections.az.gov  

Salary:  $112,000.00 - $125,000.00

Grade: 28

Closing Date: 01/07/2024

The Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation, and Reentry (ADCRR) is reimagining the role of Arizona Correctional Industries (ACI).

In the past, the ACI Deputy Assistant Director/CEO was primarily focused on building sales and customer relationships. While this remains an important part of the role, the Department seeks a candidate with the additional skills and background to reimagine ACI as a hub for the vocational, career, and technical workforce development of the more than 35,000 inmate population.

With the state needing to fill upwards of 400,000 jobs by 2030, ACI can envision, plan, and direct career and workforce development opportunities for currently incarcerated individuals in preparation to fill the state's workforce needs while improving the long-term success of individuals with correctional involvement. Working in close collaboration with the ADCRR’s Division of Education, Programming, and Community Reentry, the Chief of Workforce Development will provide strategic leadership to advance existing relationships and build new relationships with the employer community toward the end goals of enhancing job training programming inside the prisons and build direct paths for employment opportunities post-release.

In addition, the Chief of Workforce Development will manage the self-funded, revenue-generating business ventures currently within ACI.

The Chief of Workforce Development reports to the ADCRR Chief of Staff.

The Chief of Workforce Development will subscribe to the Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation, and Reentry vision and mission. Centering the work and leadership of ACI in the four overarching mission-centered goals, which include a commitment to:

- Building a meaningful organizational culture and promoting the development of the team
- Creating and implementing optimal population management and progression strategies
- Deploying quality services and continuity of care in prison complexes and community corrections
- Achieving modernized and sustainable practices and resources


Primary responsibilities include:

General Leadership of ACI and Associated Employees, Inmates, and Partners to Include:
- Provide leadership and management of all aspects of ACI, including business and sales functions, implementation, and expansion of inmate workforce development programs, opportunities, and services
- Participate in the management of the ACI budget in collaboration with ACI’s CFO
- Assist in contract management
- Assist in the development and implementation of policies and procedures of ACI and ADCRR, and Arizona and federal laws
- Provide administrative leadership, ensuring the completion of necessary reports
- Participate in executive-level meetings, multidisciplinary teams, councils, and/or advisory committees, and represent the agency at events and/or publicly as directed
- Supervise subordinate employees, providing reviews of work, evaluations of staff, and general HR functions associated with direct oversight of staff

Thought and Strategic Leadership of Workforce Development Programs, Services, and Opportunities to Include:
- Build and maintain partnerships with local businesses, educational institutions, community organizations, other stakeholders, and government agencies to create opportunities for the incarcerated population
- Work in close collaboration with others from ADCRR on the development and delivery of training programs, workshops, and seminars for staff, inmates, and employers to prepare them for a reimagined prioritization of preparing inmates to rejoin the world of work
- Identify and promote viable career pathways, both internally and externally, that support individuals with felony records and meet the state's workforce needs
- Keep abreast of trends in workforce development, including career assessment, career training, simulation programs, and correctional education
- Develop systems for monitoring and reporting on workforce development

Business Management, Business Operations, and Sales, to include:
- Manage sales, customer services, marketing, and Arizona Management System (AMS) activities
- Support increase of production and sales
- Provide direct oversight of sales, vendor management, and production
- Assist in planning, developing, and implementing new products, production, and services
- Participate in reviewing and/or writing of grants

Develop and Maintain Strong Relationships and Partnerships with Internal and External Stakeholders
- Following a self-generated regular cadence, spending time in prisons and community corrections field offices, developing relationships with staff to build consensus and trust, seeing workforce-related programming and services, and troubleshooting
- Following a self-generated regular cadence, spend time in prisons developing relationships with the inmate population to better understand how the workforce development programs and services are working and troubleshoot
- Promote the ADCRR internally and externally
- Attend various specialty group meetings and events, representing the ADCRR and the Department’s interest in expanding workforce development pathways
- Perform other duties appropriate to the assignment

Knowledge of:
- Workforce development principles and practices
- Business trends
- Arizona’s business community
- Employer and state workforce needs
- Public administration
- Criminal justice and correctional systems
- Career and technical education, including for-credit, non-credit, community education, apprenticeships, adult education, and non-traditional learners
- Public safety
- Corrections

Skill in:
- Transformational leadership
- Change management
- Written and verbal communication with a strong ability to explain expectations and coach individuals and groups of people.
- Establishing effective goals and action plans
- Establishing and maintaining relationships with individuals and organizations at varying levels
- Use of technical computer programs for the organization of business materials

Ability to:
- Bring vision to life
- Inspire
- Mentor
- Coach
- Manage and lead change
- Connect ideas and see the big picture
- Enjoy creating and overseeing opportunities to improve the lives of justice-involved
- Work as part of a team
- Adhere to the mission and vision of the ADCRR

- Master’s degree in a discipline related to leadership, public administration, or related field
- Ten years experience in workforce development, business leadership, college and/or adult education/career planning, or leadership management
- Knowledge of correctional practices

Employment is contingent on the selected applicant passing a background investigation.

If this position requires driving or using a vehicle as an essential function of the job, then the following requirements apply. Any employee operating a motor vehicle on State business must possess and retain a current, valid, class-appropriate driver’s license, complete all required training, and successfully pass all necessary driver’s license record checks. The license must be current, unexpired, and neither revoked or suspended. Employees who drive on state business are subject to driver’s license record checks, must maintain acceptable driving records, and must complete all required driver training. An employee who operates a personally owned vehicle on state business shall maintain the statutorily required liability insurance (see Arizona Administrative Code (A.A.C.) R2-10-207.11).

In an effort to maintain a safe environment, all employees are required to take a Tuberculosis (TB) test during their New Employee Orientation and every year thereafter.

All newly hired State employees are subject to and must successfully complete the Electronic Employment Eligibility Verification Program (E-Verify).

We offer an excellent and affordable comprehensive benefits package to meet the needs of our employees:
- Vacation and sick days with 10 paid holidays per year
- Paid Parental Leave-Up to 12 weeks per year paid leave for newborn or newly-placed foster/adopted child (pilot program).
- Robust and affordable insurance plan to include medical, dental, life, short-term and long-term disability options
- Exceptional retirement program
- Optional employee benefits such as deferred compensation plans, credit union membership, and a wellness program
- An incentivized commuter club and public transportation subsidy program

Learn more about the Paid Parental Leave pilot program here. For a complete list of benefits provided by The State of Arizona, please visit our benefits page

Positions in this classification participate in the Arizona State Retirement System (ASRS). Enrollment eligibility will become effective after 27 weeks of employment.

Current ADCRR Employees: Consult with your respective Human Resources Liaison if you are in a different retirement plan than the one indicated above.

The State of Arizona is an Equal Opportunity/Reasonable Accommodation Employer. Persons with a disability may request a reasonable accommodation such as a sign language interpreter or an alternative format by calling (602) 255-2430. Requests should be made as early as possible to allow sufficient time to arrange the accommodation.