Workforce and Contractor Development Manager 

Position Title: Workforce and Contractor Development Manager 

Reports to: Workforce and Planning Director

Direct reports: None

Employee Classification: Regular, full-time, exempt

Hours: 1.0 FTE 32-hours per week (hybrid), Monday-Thursday, through December 31, 2028 (with occasional after hours and weekend work for programming events). 

Compensation: $60,657- $67,210 per year, DOE

Benefits: Generous 90% employer-paid medical, dental, and vision insurance; 401K plan with employer contribution; fully subsidized transit pass; work from home stipend; paid time off & 14 paid holidays annually. 

About APANO: 

APANO Communities United Fund unites Asians to build power, develop leaders, and advance equity through organizing, advocacy, community development, and cultural work. We envision a just world where Asians, Asian Americans and communities who share our aspirations and struggles have the power, resources, and voice to determine our own futures, and where we work in solidarity to drive political, social, economic, and cultural change. APANO has a 501(c)(3) organization called APANO Communities United Fund (CUF) and works closely with its affiliate 501(c)(4) organization, APANO Action Fund (AF). Through APANO Good Growth, APANO advances equitable access to healthy homes, environmental resources, workforce opportunities, and climate resilience. Our work connects community members to practical resources and pathways that support healthier families, stronger communities, and a more inclusive green economy.

Position Description: 

APANO is seeking a motivated, creative, and organized Workforce and Contractor Development Manager to lead and grow workforce development, contractor development, and economic opportunity initiatives that advance racial and social justice and create pathways to quality careers and business opportunities.

The position will initially play a key role in APANO's 82nd Avenue Community Workforce Training Program, funded through the Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund (PCEF) and administered through TriMet. The program is designed to connect residents along the 82nd Avenue corridor with career exposure, work readiness, case management, pre-apprenticeship training, certifications, and other pathways into construction and related careers. APANO's role includes coordinating community partnerships, outreach and recruitment, contractor and business development, and engagement with Limited English Proficient communities.

Beyond the 82nd Avenue project, this position will help build APANO's broader Workforce and Contractor Development portfolio, identifying opportunities to expand career pathways, strengthen connections between workers and employers, support emerging contractors and small businesses, and develop culturally responsive workforce programs that respond to community needs.

The ideal candidate is committed to racial and economic justice, community power-building, and equitable access to career and business opportunities. They are relationship-oriented, results-driven, responsive, organized, and comfortable working across community, nonprofit, government, training, business, and industry partners. The successful candidate will bring strong project management and communication skills and the ability to move complex initiatives forward independently while working collaboratively with APANO staff and community partners.

This position may require travel throughout Portland and the broader Oregon region, as well as occasional evening and weekend work for community events, outreach, training, and partner meetings.

‍Key Responsibilities:

Workforce Development Program Leadership & Implementation

• Lead the implementation and ongoing development of APANO's workforce development initiatives, beginning with the 82nd Avenue Community Workforce Training Program and expanding into future workforce development opportunities.
• Develop and maintain systems for connecting community members with career exposure, work readiness, pre-apprenticeship training, credentialing, employment pathways, and other workforce opportunities.
• Coordinate with workforce training and community partners to support outreach, recruitment, enrollment, participant engagement, and successful connections to training and employment opportunities.
• Work with TriMet, Worksystems, pre-apprenticeship providers, employers, community-based organizations, and other partners to identify and strengthen career pathways in construction, transportation, green infrastructure, and related industries.
• Develop and maintain project work plans, timelines, deliverables, outreach schedules, and tracking systems to ensure programs remain on schedule and responsive to community needs.
• Monitor program performance using qualitative and quantitative data and use findings to strengthen program design, outreach, participant engagement, and outcomes.
• Coordinate program reporting, documentation, and deliverables for public and private funders and partners, including monthly progress reporting and project closeout requirements.
• Manage program budgets and administrative requirements, including purchasing, contracting, invoicing, event expenses, outreach materials, and other program-related expenditures.
• Supervise and support workforce development staff, interns, contractors, and/or volunteers as assigned.
• Develop culturally responsive outreach and communications strategies that increase awareness of workforce opportunities and make training and employment pathways accessible to diverse communities.
• Represent APANO at workforce development meetings, community events, training, public forums, and other activities that advance program goals.
• Support the development of new workforce development programs that align with APANO's mission, community priorities, and organizational strategic plan.

Contractor & Business Development 

• Lead and coordinate APANO's contractor and business development work, with an initial focus on the 82nd Avenue corridor and opportunities created through publicly funded investments.
• Support the development and implementation of a Contractor and Business Development framework for new and emerging businesses, including contractors serving communities along the 82nd Avenue alignment.
• Identify technical assistance needs, barriers, and opportunities facing small, emerging, and community-based contractors and businesses.
• Build relationships with contractors, small businesses, employers, industry partners, government agencies, and business-support organizations.
• Connect contractors and emerging businesses to relevant technical assistance, training, procurement opportunities, networking, and other business development resources.
• Support strategies that increase access to contracting and economic opportunities for historically underserved businesses and communities.
• Track contractor and business engagement, needs, referrals, and outcomes to inform future program development.
• Explore opportunities to integrate contractor development with APANO's broader workforce, economic development, environmental justice, and community development work.

Community Engagement & Stakeholder Partnerships 

• Serve as a key APANO liaison to the 82nd Avenue Coalition, maintaining regular communication and ensuring that community partners receive timely information about project opportunities, activities, timelines, and progress.
• Build and maintain trusting relationships with community leaders, residents, workforce organizations, training providers, employers, contractors, government agencies, funders, and other stakeholders.
• Develop and implement community outreach strategies and events that increase awareness of workforce pathways and training opportunities available through the project and across the region.
• Center the voices, experiences, and needs of Asian, Asian American, immigrant, refugee, and other communities served by APANO.
• Identify Limited English Proficient communities, service providers, community organizations, and individuals who may benefit from or contribute to accessible workforce training and employment-readiness opportunities.
• Develop culturally and linguistically responsive engagement strategies that reduce barriers to participation in workforce programs.
• Coordinate with community-based organizations and service providers to reach residents who may not otherwise access traditional workforce development systems.
• Support community events, informational sessions, workshops, tabling, and other outreach activities that connect residents with workforce and economic opportunities.
• Foster communication and coordination among internal APANO teams and external partners to strengthen cross-program collaboration.

Program Growth & Sustainability 

• Identify emerging workforce, contractor, and economic development opportunities that align with APANO's mission and community priorities.
• Support the Workforce & Planning Director in developing strategies for expanding and sustaining APANO's workforce and contractor development portfolio.
• Identify public and private funding opportunities and contribute to grant applications, proposals, budgets, and funder communications.
• Cultivate relationships with funders, public agencies, workforce systems, employers, contractors, and community partners that can support long-term program growth.
• Contribute to organizational planning, evaluation, and development of new workforce and contractor development initiatives.
• Stay informed about workforce trends, construction and infrastructure investments, public contracting opportunities, workforce policy, and emerging career pathways relevant to APANO's communities.
• Develop recommendations for future workforce programs based on community feedback, partner input, program data, and emerging opportunities.

Required Qualifications:

• 3+ years of experience managing workforce development, community development, economic development, contractor development, education, or related programs.
• 2+ years of experience supervising staff, teams, interns, and/or volunteers.
• Demonstrated understanding of workforce development systems, career pathways, pre-apprenticeship programs, or employment-readiness programs.
• Experience developing and maintaining relationships with community-based organizations, workforce training providers, government agencies, employers, contractors, and/or other stakeholders.
• Experience coordinating complex projects involving multiple partners, timelines, deliverables, and funding requirements.
• Strong project management, organizational, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to establish priorities and move multiple projects forward simultaneously.
• Experience designing and implementing community outreach, recruitment, engagement, or public education strategies.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills and the ability to communicate effectively with diverse audiences.
• Ability to work independently with appropriate supervision while maintaining strong communication and coordination with colleagues and partners.
• Demonstrated ability to build trust, navigate differing perspectives, and manage relationships in ways that reflect APANO's values of equity, care, collaboration, and accountability.
• Commitment to racial justice, economic opportunity, community power-building, and APANO's mission and strategic direction.
• Respect for and demonstrated experience working with Asian communities and an understanding of issues affecting immigrant, refugee, and historically underserved communities.
• Ability and willingness to work occasional evenings and weekends and travel locally and regionally as needed.
• Must be able to successfully pass a background check.

Preferred, but not required:

• Experience working in construction, transportation, infrastructure, green jobs, energy efficiency, or related industries.
• Experience with contractor development, small business development, procurement, or technical assistance.
• Experience working with pre-apprenticeship, apprenticeship, workforce training, or employer-connected programs.
• Experience supporting Limited English Proficient communities or designing multilingual and culturally responsive programs.
• Fluency in a spoken and/or written Asian language.
• Strong knowledge of and connections within the Portland-area and/or Oregon workforce development and community development landscape.
• Experience working with public-sector contracts, grants, or government-funded programs.
• Experience collecting, analyzing, and reporting program performance data.
• Experience with project management and reporting tools such as Smartsheet, Microsoft Project, Gantt charts, or similar systems.
• Experience managing and navigating conflict in ways that align with APANO's values of equity, care, and collaboration.

How to Apply

Applications will be reviewed upon receipt and this position will be open until filled, with priority given to applicants who apply by October 30th, 2026. Applications should be emailed as a single attached document (PDF preferred) to jobs@apano.org with subject line “Workforce and Contractor Development Manager.”  

Complete applications include:

• Cover letter (1 pages max) clearly outlining the specific skills and knowledge you bring to the job and how they are a good fit with the responsibilities of the position.  
• A resume detailing relevant experience, work history, education and accomplishments.
• If you proceed to a final round of review, we will ask for 3 references with contact information and your relationship to the reference. (You may include these references in your initial application, but it is not required.)

• APANO Communities United Fund and APANO Action Fund are actively seeking to increase representation and develop the leadership of women, LGBTQ people, people with lived experience of economic injustices, and other underrepresented groups, including diverse Asian and Asian American communities, both within the organization and the broader racial justice movement in Oregon. APANO CUF and APANO AF are equal opportunity employers. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran or disability status, or any other legally protected classification.

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