Educational Program Coordinator

Climate People is excited to partner with UAW-CMGE in the search for an Educational Program Coordinator who will help design and deliver workforce training programs supporting the clean energy manufacturing transition. CMGE is a California-based nonprofit working closely with labor, industry, and community partners to build pathways into high-quality jobs in emerging clean energy sectors such as batteries, solar, and advanced manufacturing.

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Job Description:

The Educational Program Coordinator will help drive successful implementation of UAW-CMGE’s pre-employment and community training programs, beginning with initiatives in the Inland Empire and Northern California. This role is responsible for the deployment and ongoing improvement of CMGE’s core curriculum for workers in battery, solar, and other green energy transition programs, and will play a key role in classroom training delivery. The Program Manager will also proactively identify and develop new opportunities for community education about cleantech manufacturing and a just transition for workers, and build relationships with community organizations, employers, and partners to expand CMGE’s reach and impact across the region.

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Essential Duties:

Curriculum Design (30%)

• Lead refinement of CMGE’s core curriculum for each classroom training program, ensuring that it is responsive to the needs of employer partners and remains both worker-centered and grounded in best practices for adult learners.

• Lead development of curriculum for community education initiatives, ensuring content is strategically aligned with partner needs, relevant to community audiences, and reflective of CMGE’s broader mission and goals.

• Conduct employer needs assessments and sector-specific curriculum updates to ensure alignment with evolving industry requirements.

• Participate in joint curriculum development initiatives with the UAW Health & Safety Department and other partners, incorporating partner expertise and recommendations into CMGE’s training programs

• Working with the Workforce Development Director, assess which curriculum development projects can be carried out by CMGE staff, and which require external subject matter expertise.

Classroom Training & Facilitation (25%)

• Working with the Workforce Development Director, carry out recruitment and selection of program trainees for each new training cohort, including presentations to community partners and trainee candidates, building relationships with new partners, and responding to questions and concerns from candidates, case managers, and community organizations’ staff.
• Identify and develop opportunities for community and political education, including building relationships with community partners, designing and delivering workshops, info sessions, political education sessions, and other educational programming for prospective trainees and community members.

• Anchor classroom trainings, including working with contracted instructors, directly carrying instruction for a portion of classroom trainings, documenting trainee participation, and maintaining partner relationships on-site.

• Establish and maintain internal data systems for tracking participant participation and outcomes, and provide data reporting to CMGE funders.

Coaching (10%)

• Throughout classroom training and trainees’ probation period on the job, provide ongoing coaching to support their success in the program and on the job.

• Working with the Workforce Development Director, establish systems for distributing and tracking supportive services by CMGE and program partners.

• Work closely with employer partners to identify key areas for trainee development and coaching.

Organizational Support (10%)

• Contribute to CMGE’s original research and recommendations related to job quality, health and safety, manufacturing standards, and other policy areas that are key to establishing a stable and just energy transition sector in California and the United States.

• Collaborate with CMGE staff to ensure that insights from classroom training and community education programs inform the organization’s broader research and policy agenda.

• Work with the Operations Director to support trainee-facing operational functions, including reporting, stipend payments, and other administrative processes that are essential to program participants’ experience.

• As a member of a small, growing organization, contribute flexibly to organizational priorities as they emerge, including communications projects, employer and industry outreach, and other initiatives that advance CMGE’s mission.

External Relations and Partnerships (25%)

• Establish and maintain strong relationships with community organizations, government agencies, subject matter experts, and other partners who are central to successful implementation of CMGE training programs.
• Engage with potential employers, funders, and other partners through site visits, meetings, conferences, and networking events.

• Collaborate with partner organizations and UAW Region 6 teams (Organizing, Research, and Policy) to ensure CMGE’s programs complement and strengthen broader coalition goals.

• Serve as a visible ambassador for CMGE, communicating the organization’s mission, values, and program impact.

Experience and Skills:

• At least five (5) years of experience working directly in one or more of the following core subject areas of CMGE worker training: lithium ion and next gen batteries, solar energy, other cleantech sectors, and manufacturing, OR working in a policy advocacy or movement organizing role, for example, organized labor, community organizing, or climate change.

• At least (3) years of experience in one or more of the following core areas of CMGE operations: curriculum design, classroom instruction, training facilitation, and worker health and safety.

• Excellent written communication and critical thinking skills, and the ability to synthesize information from different sources and translate technical concepts into clear and accessible language.

• Experience working collaboratively with adult learners, trainees, and/or co-workers of wide-ranging backgrounds.

• Dedication to working compassionately alongside job-seekers who have faced barriers to securing good, dignified jobs, supporting their success in our classroom program and on the job.

• Demonstrated commitment to the core values underlying CMGE’s work, including racial and economic justice, a just energy transition, and the central role of organized labor in accomplishing these goals.

• Demonstrated ability to work both collaboratively and independently towards agreed-upon deliverables and deadlines, and to set priorities, goals, and manage multiple competing workstreams.

• Ability to collect, organize, and analyze data related to program deliverables and outcomes.

Organizational Relationship:

The Program Manager for Classroom Training reports directly to the Workforce Development Director, and will also work collaboratively with other members of the CMGE team.

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Location:

This is a hybrid position; the selected candidate will need to be based in California and within convenient distance of a major airport. The Program Coordinator will need to travel to training sites within California; training programs may last up to three weeks.

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Compensation and Benefits: The salary for this position is $95,000. We offer a comprehensive benefits package that includes fully employer-paid health, dental, and vision insurance, a 401(k) with 4% employer match, paid holidays, 20 vacation days, paid parental leave, and sick time. We review our benefits package annually to ensure it provides strong value and stays competitive with our peers.

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Time:

This is a full-time, exempt position working an average of 40 hours a week. At times, evening and/or weekend work may be needed to complete tasks.

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Physical Demands:

This position requires the ability to work at a computer for extended periods, communicate effectively with a variety of people, travel by car or plane for several hours at a time, and lift up to 30 pounds. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

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How to Apply:

CMGE is working with Climate People for this search; please direct questions about the role and the process to Brendan. To apply, submit a resume and tailored cover letter to Brendan Andersen (brendan@climatepeople.com) or apply using this link: https://www.climatepeople.com/job/3583155.

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Cover letters are an important part of our review process — they help us understand your writing and assess why you see yourself as a strong fit for this role and for CMGE's mission. We ask that cover letters be written in your own voice and reflect your genuine interest and experience.