Location: Boulder, Colorado
City:
Boulder
State: Colorado
Employment Type: University Staff
Schedule: Full-Time
Posting Close Date: 07-Jun-2026
Date Posted:
27-May-2026
Job Summary
The Program Manager of Workforce Skill Development serves as the product
manager of solutions that allow CU Boulder students to measure their skill development and represent those skills to employers in a
technology-driven, ever-shifting job search environment. The program manager of this area has a high level of ownership and responsibility
to align with leading practices in this area, set a strategic vision, and partner with internal and external partners to both obtain and
share insights related to workplace skill needs and student development in this area. This person would also be the strategic steward of
existing (and developer of new) Career Services’ workplace-readiness skills resources.
As a member of the Skills and Experiences
team in CU Boulder’s central Career Services office, this role partners with a team committed to broadening and championing the ways CU
Buffs can develop workplace skills. The role is designed for a researcher and systems thinker who is excited about developing processes and
tools to aid skill development and articulation for 39,000 students. This position will also manage “MySkills,” a skill-articulation
curriculum based around NACE’s career readiness competencies and developed in-house by CU Boulder Career Services.
CU Boulder is a
large, complex institution that relies heavily on relationships to move initiatives forward; therefore, the ability to garner support, build
trust, and communicate effectively is central to this work. This role is an experienced individual contributor who will likely expand their
reach through supervision of one or more student employees. This position reports to the Senior Associate Director of the department and has
the high-level task of updating and building the infrastructure that informs the campus skill development ecosystem. This role is
responsible for designing and partnering to build resources that will be integrated into career advising through the centralized career
office and utilized by campus partners across the university.
CU is an Equal Opportunity Employer and complies with all applicable
federal, state, and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment. We are committed to creating a workplace where all individuals are
treated with respect and dignity, and we encourage individuals from all backgrounds to apply, including protected veterans and individuals
with disabilities.
Who We Are
The Division of Student Life consists of 36 departments that provide student support and services dedicated to helping students
become successful, curious, competent individuals during their time at CU Boulder. Career Services Career Services prepares CU
Boulder students and alumni for their current and future goals by facilitating connections and raising student self-awareness to develop
skills and communicate career readiness to employers. Our team leads a comprehensive career-focused infrastructure for campus, which
includes career planning, programs, resources, access to professional experiences, and is responsible for on-campus student employment.
Additionally, the department is an entry point for CU talent recruitment- cultivating employer partnerships and responding to workforce
needs.
What Your Key Responsibilities Will Be
Systems Design & Scalable Solutions
- Lead the design and implementation of scalable methods for measuring and validating skill proficiency
across diverse student experiences, ensuring the process is robust enough for a large-scale campus. - Collaborate with campus partners to create and integrate solutions that demonstrate clear alignment between degree outcomes and
core career readiness competencies. - Audit campus opportunities focused on work-integrated learning to
ensure these experiences are effectively mapped to the MySkills framework, allowing students to identify and pursue experiences that build
specific workplace skills.
Market Intelligence & MySkills Resource Stewardship
- Research hiring trends and emerging skills in collaboration with the employer relations team, focusing on AI-generated
applications and skills-based hiring. Adjust research priorities as trends evolve. - Maintain and update
the existing MySkills resources (like our skills gap analysis tool and degree skill sheets) to ensure content reflects current market
realities while preserving established pedagogical goals. - Serve as the departmental “super-user” for
Lightcast Analyst, demonstrating real-time labor market data to inform program updates and departmental strategy.
Team
Resourcing
- Manage an existing suite of skill-articulation tools and develop data briefs for the
career education team, ensuring they have the most current resources to support their student-facing work. - Provide guidance to staff and campus partners on the appropriate application of skills resources within their student-facing
work.
Student Intern Supervision
- Hire, train, supervise and coach a student
intern(s). - Participate in departmental student supervisor working group.
Administrative
Leadership
- Set, assess and report on program engagement metrics and strategic milestones to
departmental leadership and campus partners. - Participate in departmental planning and professional
experience initiatives as a senior individual contributor.
Department Meetings and Events
- Attend weekly Career Services all-staff and team meetings.
- Attend and support “All Hands on
Deck” events such as (but not limited to) campus career fairs, new student orientation, and on-campus student employment events. - Attend occasional campus-level and liaison meetings.
- Support peak times
for all staff support in the Division of Student Life. - Given the changing nature of work and Career
Services’ commitment to be adaptable, innovative, and resilient as the nature of work changes, staff will need to shift gears, jump in, and
try new things, even when those things fall outside of a formal job description.
What You Should Know
- This is a hybrid work opportunity with occasional nights and weekends as necessary.
- Typical working hours are Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m.- 5:00 p.m.
What We Can Offer
- The salary for this position is $67,600 – $70,000.
- Additional Compensation
Details: Onboarding assistance is available within the Student Life division guidelines.
Benefits
At the
University of Colorado Boulder, we are committed to
supporting the holistic health and well-being of our employees. Our comprehensive benefits package includes medical, dental, and retirement plans; generous paid time off;
tuition assistance for you and your dependents; and an ECO Pass for local transit. As one of Boulder County’s largest employers, CU Boulder
offers an inspiring academic community and access to world-class outdoor recreation. Explore additional perks and programs through the CU Advantage program.
Be Statements
Be dynamic. Be visionary. Be Boulder.
What We Require
- Education: Bachelor’s degree in a related field.
- Professional
Experience: 3-5 years of professional experience in program management, student success, career services, or a systems-design role. An
equivalent combination of education and experience may substitute. - Project Management: Proven
ability to lead complex projects from the discovery phase through to full-scale implementation, including setting milestones and meeting
strategic institutional goals. - Technical Data Proficiency: Demonstrated experience using data
to drive decision-making and a high level of comfort learning and navigating advanced technical.
What You Will Need
- Organization and follow-through.
- Strategic
planning; - Relationship building and management.
- Public
speaking. - Instruction.
- Content creation.
- Process improvement.
- Program assessment.
What We Would
Like You to Have
- Advanced Education: Master’s degree in a related field.
- Higher Education Context: Experience navigating the unique complexities of a large R1 university
system and a deep understanding of the student lifecycle. - Supervisory Experience: Previous
experience hiring, training, and coaching student employees or interns. - Instructional Design:
Experience developing educational content, specifically content focused on career readiness. - Product Management Mindset: Experience designing end-to-end processes for proficiency measurement.
Special Instructions
To apply, please submit the following materials:
1. A current resume.
2. A cover letter that specifically tells us how your background and experience align with the requirements, qualifications, and
responsibilities of the position.
We may request references at a later time.
Please apply by
June 7, 2026, for consideration.
Note: Application materials will not be accepted via email. For consideration,
please apply through CU Boulder Jobs.
In compliance with the Colorado Job Application
Fairness Act, in any materials you submit, you may redact or remove age-identifying information such as age, date of birth, or dates of
school attendance or graduation. You will not be penalized for redacting or removing this information.
