The Manager, Workforce Development & Talent Pathways is responsible for leading the design, implementation, and ongoing management of workforce development programs, career pathway initiatives, and talent pathway strategies across University of Utah Health.

This role serves as both a people leader and program owner, overseeing a small team while driving enterprise-wide workforce initiatives aligned with organizational staffing needs and long-term workforce strategy.

The position partners across Talent Acquisition, Human Resources, operational leaders, academic institutions, and community organizations to build sustainable talent pathways, expand internal career mobility, and develop innovative workforce solutions. This role combines strategic program leadership with operational execution and team oversight.

This position doesn’t provide patient care.

Corporate Overview: University of Utah Health is an integrated academic healthcare system with five hospitals including a level 1 trauma center, eleven community health centers, over 1,600 providers, and a health plan serving over 200,000 members. University of Utah Health is nationally ranked and recognized for our academic research, quality standards and overall patient experience. In addition to our clinical delivery system, we have a School of Medicine, School of Dentistry, College of Nursing, College of Pharmacy, and College of Health providing education and training for over 1,250 providers annually. We have over 2 million patient visits annually and research grants exceeding $350 million. University of Utah Hospitals and Clinics represents our clinical operations for the larger health system.

As a patient-focused organization, University of Utah Health exists to enhance the health and well-being of people through patient care, research and education. Success in this mission requires a culture of collaboration, excellence, leadership, and respect. University of Utah Health seeks staff that are committed to the values of compassion, collaboration, innovation, responsibility, integrity, quality and trust that are integral to our mission. EO/AA

Essential Functions

Strategic Leadership & Program Ownership

• Leads the strategy, design, and execution of workforce development programs and talent pathway initiatives.
• Owns the full lifecycle of external entry into the organization for strategic workforce programs, including planning, implementation, evaluation, and continuous improvement.
• Aligns workforce initiatives with organizational workforce planning, staffing priorities, and long-term talent strategy.

People Leadership

• Directly supervises Workforce Development Counselor and Talent Sourcers (or equivalent roles).
• Provides coaching, direction, and performance management to ensure effective program delivery.
• Establishes priorities, allocates resources, and ensures alignment of team activities with workforce strategy.

Talent Pathway & Career Pathways

• Develops and implements career pathway frameworks to support internal mobility and career progression
• Builds and sustains talent pathways for critical, high-volume, and hard-to-fill roles.
• Designs and supports innovative workforce models such as apprenticeships, internships, and Learn & Earn programs.
• Partners with Talent Acquisition to align sourcing strategies with workforce pathway initiatives.

Partnership Development

• Establishes and manages partnerships with academic institutions, workforce agencies, and community organizations.
• Represents the organization in workforce boards, community initiatives, and educational collaborations.
• Develops long-term partnership strategies to ensure sustainable talent pathways.

Cross-Functional Leadership

• Leads complex initiatives across HR, operations, academic partners, and external stakeholders.
• Influences leaders and stakeholders without direct authority to drive alignment and outcomes.
• Serves as a subject matter expert in workforce development and talent pathway strategy.

Analytics & Program Performance

• Defines and tracks key performance indicators (pathway strength, program outcomes, placement, retention).
• Uses labor market data and internal workforce analytics to inform strategy and program design.
• Develops reporting and dashboards to communicate program impact and outcomes to leadership.

Operational Execution & Continuous Improvement

• Develops implementation plans, timelines, and governance structures for workforce programs.
• Identifies risks and removes barriers to successful execution.
• Continuously improves processes to enhance scalability, efficiency, and stakeholder experience.

Financial & Resource Stewardship

• Supports management of budgets related to workforce programs and partnerships.
• Ensures effective use of resources and alignment with organizational priorities.

Knowledge / Skills / Abilities

• Strong leadership and team management skills

• Program design and execution expertise

• Ability to lead cross-functional initiatives

• Strong stakeholder influence and partnership skills

• Knowledge of workforce development and talent pathway strategies

• Analytical mindset with ability to use data for decision-making

• Strong communication and presentation skills

• Ability to work evening and weekends

Required

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Education, Workforce Development, Business Administration, Public Administration, or related field, or equivalency.
• Four years of progressively responsible experience in workforce development, career pathways, recruiting, education program coordination, or related HR or talent-focused roles, or equivalency.
• Demonstrated experience building or implementing workforce, training, or community partnership programs.
• Global Career Development Facilitator (GCDF) credential or complete within 6 months of hire. Certified Career Services Provider (CCSP),

Preferred

• Master’s degree in Education, Workforce Development, Healthcare Administration, Business Administration, Public Administration, or related field.
• Experience in healthcare or academic medical centers.
• Experience managing staff or leading multi-disciplinary teams.
• Experience partnering with academic institutions or administering Learn & Earn/apprenticeship programs.

Working Conditions and Physical Demands

Employee must be able to meet the following requirements with or without an accommodation.

• This is a sedentary position in an office setting that may exert up to 10 pounds and may lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects. This position involves sitting most of the time and is not exposed to adverse environmental conditions.