Program Director for Manufacturing Full Time NEW

Position Overview

Nebraska manufacturing is essential to the state’s economy, and this role leads a movement to increase the prominence and influence of the state’s manufacturers, working directly with Nebraska manufacturers.

The Program Director for Manufacturing leads the NE Chamber’s statewide manufacturing initiative, aiming to serve the approximately 3,000 manufacturers across Nebraska. The Program Director position offers a unique opportunity to shape the future of manufacturing in Nebraska by convening and coordinating leaders from education, workforce, and policy partners around shared solutions, using partnerships and the NE Chamber team to carry out the vision.

This is a leadership role for someone who enjoys building relationships, educating, creating momentum, and turning big ideas into real impact. The Program Director reports to the Executive Vice President of Partnerships & Programs, serves as a trusted voice for manufacturing across the state, and is a vital part of the NE Chamber team.

What You’ll Do

Lead a Statewide Manufacturing Movement

• Help develop and execute the vision for the NE Chamber as the state’s leading manufacturing association. Convenes manufacturing leaders across the state to set strategy that aligns with outcomes
• Serve as a spokesperson and thought leader for manufacturing in Nebraska
• Establish functional councils, creating workforce/policy initiatives that demonstrate engagement and impact
• Establish collaborative manufacturing industry growth goals and lead efforts to identify performance indicators and strategies to meet the goals
• Lead efforts to assess manufacturing health in Nebraska by leveraging key partnerships to collect strategic performance data
• Identify opportunities for grant or program proposal development and collaboration
• Work with the Chamber’s policy team to advance manufacturing priorities through advocacy and engagement

Engage and Grow the Manufacturing Community

• Recruit and retain manufacturing members to the NE Chamber
• Identify new or existing event opportunities to build the manufacturing community. Work with event programmers and the NE Chamber team to create or build on Nebraska manufacturing events
• Lead and conduct outreach to non-member manufacturers and demonstrate the value of participation
• Identify and establish partnership, membership and policy outcomes as key performance indicators; track engagement, satisfaction, and retention to ensure the NE Chamber and its manufacturing members continue to grow and thrive
• Create operational systems to record, track and increase manufacturing membership, collaboration and influence, such as building a member database and using constituent relationship management to coordinate and track outreach, events and research, along with member engagement
• Identify and use data to analyze, present and report growth as part of a strategic plan

Build the Workforce of Tomorrow

• Create employer-driven training programs addressing manufacturing skills gaps
• Expand apprenticeships, internships, and work-based learning opportunities
• Build strong partnerships with K-12 schools, community/state colleges, universities, technical programs, and workforce agencies

Connect People and Ideas

• Educate stakeholders on the importance of manufacturing and advanced manufacturing at the state and national level
• Build trusted relationships with manufacturers, educators, chambers of commerce, economic developers, and community leaders
• Represent the manufacturing members of the NE Chamber at industry events, legislative sessions and public forums
• Understand and work with NE Chamber legislative, marketing and event teams to increase awareness and engagement in Nebraska manufacturing initiatives

Support Safe, Strong Manufacturing Operations

• Lead adoption of safety programs, training opportunities, and regulatory guidance
• Champion a culture of safety excellence and continuous improvement across the manufacturing community

What We’re Looking For

Required Qualifications

• Leadership experience in manufacturing, workforce development, economic development, association or a related field
• Proven membership growth/retention success
• Strong communication, relationship-building, and strategic thinking skills
• Ability to identify, use, report and track data
• Willingness and ability to travel statewide (estimated 50% work outside of office)

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree
• 5-8+ years of progressive leadership experience
• Manufacturing operations or manufacturing-related industry experience
• Experience with membership-based organizations or statewide initiatives
• Bilingual (English/Spanish) or multilingual communication skills
• Ability to use advanced business analysis technologies to collect, analyze and report industry data
• Proven membership growth/retention success

What Success Looks Like

Year 1

• Developed a strategic plan for manufacturing collaboration, including a member development plan with manufacturing membership and sponsorship goals
• Established functional councils focusing on specific manufacturing needs, and developing a framework to operate in a manufacturing council structure
• Increased participation and engagement in existing manufacturing events and an additional 1-3 manufacturing-specific events and activities, with attainable attendance/outcome goals
• Increased satisfaction among Nebraska manufacturers in the quality and quantity of collaborative opportunities
• Increased awareness among Nebraskans of the role of manufacturing in Nebraska
• Created a plan to continue to increase the impact of the role in Year 2 and beyond

What We Provide

• NE Chamber covers employee’s health insurance
• Retirement plan matching contribution (after six months)
• Professional development opportunities
• A culture of teamwork and respect with a focus on policy over politics, civil discourse, collaborative problem-solving, and “disagreeing better” to move Nebraska manufacturing forward