Year Up United seeks an experienced, strategic, and outcomes-driven leader to serve as National Director of Academics, responsible for leading the design, delivery, and continuous improvement of academic strategy and execution across all pathways.

Reporting to the Chief Operating Officer, this role provides day-to-day leadership across Academic Affairs, including curriculum design, instructional quality, faculty development, learning innovation, and academic performance outcomes.

The National Director will help operationalize a unified Academic function, ensuring curriculum, instruction, assessment, and student learning experiences are aligned to employer demand, program outcomes, and Year Up United’s mission.

This is a hybrid role requiring regular in-person engagement. Applicants must live within a reasonable commutable distance to a Year Up United location in the Eastern or Central time zone.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Enterprise Leadership & Functional Integration

·       Lead and integrate the Academic function across curriculum, instruction, assessment, faculty support, and learning innovation.

·       Establish clear operating rhythms, instructional standards, and shared academic priorities across markets.

·       Foster a high-expectations, high-support culture grounded in student success, accountability, and continuous improvement.

·       Supervise and mentor academic leaders, ensuring strong performance management and professional growth.

·       Partner cross-functionally with Program, Student Services, Career Services, and Market Leadership to ensure alignment of academic delivery with outcomes.

·       Drive adoption of learning technologies, LMS platforms, AI-enabled tools, and data systems to enhance instruction and scalability.

Curriculum Strategy, Design & Employer Alignment

·       Lead the design and continuous improvement of curriculum across all Career Pathways.

·       Ensure curriculum reflects employer demand, labor market trends, and evolving skills requirements (including AI and durable skills).

·       Establish processes for regular curriculum updates (e.g., biannual refresh cycles).

·       Partner with Corporate Engagement and employers to validate skills, competencies, and learning outcomes.

·       Support the development of stackable credentials, certifications, and potential college articulation pathways.

Instructional Excellence & Faculty Development

·       Define and uphold standards for instructional quality and student engagement.

·       Develop and implement faculty training, coaching, and performance frameworks.

·       Ensure consistency in instructional delivery across markets while allowing for local adaptability.

·       Promote applied learning, project-based instruction, and real-world simulations aligned to workplace expectations.

·       Integrate in-person and hybrid delivery models to strengthen engagement and retention.

Academic Performance, Assessment & Outcomes

·       Establish KPIs and performance metrics for academic success, including retention, skill attainment, and readiness indicators (e.g., WCR alignment).

·       Use data and analytics to monitor academic performance and drive continuous improvement.

·       Partner with Research & Evaluation to assess program effectiveness and inform strategy.

·       Ensure alignment between academic outcomes and internship/job placement success.

Innovation, Learning Strategy & Technology Enablement

·       Lead innovation in learning models, including hybrid delivery, modular learning, and AI-enabled instruction.

·       Explore and implement scalable approaches to improve cost-to-serve while maintaining quality.

·       Identify and pilot new instructional approaches, tools, and partnerships.

·       Drive integration of academic systems with enterprise data and analytics platforms.

Internal Alignment & Cross-Functional Collaboration

·       Ensure alignment between Academic strategy and broader organizational priorities (enrollment, retention, job outcomes).

·       Partner with Marketing & Communications to articulate academic value propositions externally.

·       Collaborate with Career Services to align the curriculum with job-readiness and placement needs.

·       Support Market Leaders in understanding and executing local academic strategy.

Operational Excellence & Resource Management

·       Develop and manage the Academic budget, ensuring efficient allocation of resources.

·       Identify opportunities to improve efficiency, scalability, and impact.

·       Establish processes and governance for academic decision-making.

·       Ensure compliance with accreditation standards, where applicable.

Learning Community Member

·       Serve as a mentor and coach for a small number of current students.

·       Participate in weekly group sessions and learning community activities.

·       Engage in staff meetings and professional development.

*And all other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS

·       12+ years of progressive leadership experience in education, academic program design, or workforce training, with at least 5 years managing teams.

·       Demonstrated success leading academic strategy, curriculum design, and instructional delivery at scale.

·       Experience aligning education/training programs with employer needs and labor market demand.

·       Strong understanding of instructional design, adult learning theory, and competency-based education.

·       Experience leveraging data and analytics to drive program improvement and outcomes.

·       Experience managing complex, cross-functional stakeholder environments.

·       Financial acumen and experience managing budgets and resources.

·       Deep commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging, and antiracism.

·       Passion for Year Up United’s mission and belief in the potential of young adults.

·       Understanding of the Opportunity Divide and its drivers. We define the Opportunity Divide as the gap between companies seeking skilled talent, and young adults who lack access to the skills, experiences, and support to break through barriers and achieve their full potential in their careers. 

#LI-Hybrid

WORKING AT YEAR UP UNITED:

Starting January 5, 2026, employees are expected to work on-site at least two days per week (Monday through Thursday dependent on job requirements). To be eligible for employment, candidates must live and work in a state (or an approved proximate state*) where Year Up United operates. For a list of eligible locations, please visit:  https://www.yearup.org/job-training/locations

*Approved proximate states where Year Up United operates are: Connecticut, Indiana, New Hampshire, New Jersey, South Carolina and Virginia.

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS:

• Year Up United has established salary ranges for each of our sites, which allows us to pay employees competitively, equitably and consistently in different geographic markets. For roles in which the location is listed as flexible, the range displayed reflects the minimum and maximum target for new hire salaries for the position across all US locations. Salary offers take into account a candidate’s skills, experience, and location. Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary range for your location during the hiring process.

• Benefits: Comprehensive healthcare options and dental coverage; 401(k) match for eligible participants.

• Vacation: Earn three weeks paid vacation in first year of employment; four weeks after initial year.

ORGANIZATION DESCRIPTION:

Year Up United is a national 501(c)3 workforce development organization committed to ensuring equitable access to economic opportunity, education, and justice for all young adults—no matter their background, income, or zip code. Employers face a growing need for talent while millions of talented young adults lack access to meaningful careers. These inequities only further perpetuate the opportunity gap that exists in our country—a gap that Year Up United is determined and positioned to close through three interconnected strategies: providing targeted skills training and connections to livable-wage employment for students and alumni; empowering others to serve and support young adults, and changing systems that perpetuate the opportunity gap. Year Up United’s intensive training program utilizes a high expectations, high support model where students learn in-demand technical and professional skills and apply them during a corporate internship. Year Up United has directly served more than 40,000 young adults since its founding in 2000. Year Up United's nationwide presence includes Arizona, Austin, Bay Area, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas/Fort Worth, Greater Atlanta, Greater Boston, Greater Philadelphia, Jacksonville, Los Angeles, the National Capital Region, New York City/Jersey City, Pittsburgh, Puget Sound, Rhode Island, South Florida, Tampa Bay, and Wilmington.

Voted one of the Best Nonprofits to Work For in the country by The NonProfit Times, Year Up United is a rewarding and impactful place to work. Our staff is passionate, supportive, mission-driven, and committed to positive change and continuous learning. We set high standards for both ourselves and our students and live by a set of core values that reflect an unshakable belief in the talent and potential of our young people. The work we do is life-changing, and we know that our team is the greatest asset in achieving our mission.

COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY:

Year Up United embraces diversity and equal opportunity in a serious way. All aspects of employment, including the decision to hire, promote, discharge, or discipline, are based on meritocracy. We do not permit discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristics protected by federal, state, or local laws. Learn more about our commitment to diversity: http://www.yearup.org/about-us/careers/commitment-to-diversity/

Year Up United is also committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities. Your recruiter can provide details regarding the expected work environment and any physical requirements. Please let our hiring team know if you need an accommodation at any point during the interview process. Information received relating to accommodation will be addressed confidentially.

TO APPLY:

Please submit a thoughtful cover letter and resume through our website.

We respectfully request no phone calls.