Senior Manager, Talent & Workforce Planning

About JFF 

Jobs for the Future (JFF) drives transformation of the U.S. education and workforce systems to achieve equitable economic advancement for all. Seeing that millions of people are unfairly shut out of quality jobs and the chance for a better life, our goal is to align education, workforce, and employment changemakers toward a shared North Star: By 2033, 75 million people facing systemic barriers to advancement will work in quality jobs.  

To achieve that goal, we design solutions, scale best practices, influence policy and action, and invest in innovation. With staff across the country working remotely and in offices in Boston (headquarters), Washington, DC, and Oakland, California, we operate at the national, state, and local levels, forging deep partnerships with employers, investors, entrepreneurs, policymakers, and education and workforce development providers to break down barriers and reimagine what’s possible.   

Learn more about JFF and join us as we build a future that works—for everyone.   

Equal Employment Opportunity at JFF  

Inclusion, belonging, and well-being are core to JFF’s North Star and mission, and we seek to invest in and learn from those who represent the communities we serve as it is important to the success of our work and the engagement of our staff members. We aim to cultivate a culture that centers the overall care, well-being, and success of the employee through flexible work hours, balanced workloads, professional development, and career advancement opportunities for all. 

JFF is a fair chance employer and in alignment to our North Star, we strongly encourage individuals whose highest level of education attained is less than a 4-year degree; People of Color; and people with records to apply to our open roles. 

About the Position 

The Senior Manager, Talent & Workforce Planning will serve as a strategic partner and advisor to leaders across JFF, helping ensure the organization has the right people, skills, and structures to deliver on its mission and North Star. This role blends search management, workforce planning, talent acquisition innovation, and career development strategy, with a focus on building fair, scalable, and future-oriented people practices. 

The Senior Manager will work closely with People & Culture (P&C) and stakeholders across the organization to anticipate needs, modernize JFF’s talent systems, and strengthen leadership and staff readiness. This is an ideal role for a people strategist who excels at search management, relationship-building, analytical thinking, and translating organizational strategy into actionable talent solutions. The role reports to a senior member of JFF’s People & Culture team and regularly collaborates with People Operations, People Business Partners, Learning & Development, and senior leaders across the enterprise. 

This is an exciting opportunity for someone who is energized by search management and strategic thinking, is data-driven and is fueled by cross-organizational collaboration. The ideal candidate brings a mindset of curiosity and innovation with comfortability experimenting with new tools, systems, and practices to strengthen efficiency, fairness, and both candidate and employee experience.  

What You’ll Do 

Strategic Business Partnership (20%) 

• Serve as a trusted advisor to stakeholders including hiring teams, business partners, peers and senior leaders, bringing a people-centered lens to search management, organizational planning, succession planning and decision-making 
• Provide proactive coaching on leadership effectiveness, change management, and team design 
• Use data and insights—allocations, engagement, performance, turnover, and market benchmarks—to shape talent strategies and guide decision-making 
• Translate organizational priorities into clear talent requirements, advising leaders on workforce implications and options 

Talent Acquisition Innovation and Search Management (40%) 

• Manage a portfolio of searches simultaneously in alignment with the team’s best practices and oversee all stages of the search process from role design to offer stage 
• Serve as the face of JFF with candidates, ensuring timely and warm communication to support an engaging and inclusive experience for them with the organization  
• Analyze talent acquisition data and metrics to inform decisions about search strategy 
• Modernize JFF’s approach to recruiting, with a focus on inclusive pipelines and hiring practices, and exceptional candidate experience management 
• Introduce and pilot new tools and technologies—including AI-enabled sourcing and workflow systems—to enhance efficiency and reach 
• Guide hiring managers to define role requirements, competency expectations, and long-term organizational fit 
• Strengthen JFF’s employer brand and market positioning in mission-driven talent markets 

Workforce Planning, Development & Succession (40%) 

• Support JFF’s workforce planning efforts, including capacity modeling, skills forecasting, and scenario planning 
• Support the building and maintenance of clear, inclusive pathways for staff career development through career lattices, developmental frameworks, and skill validation processes 
• Support the build and implementation of succession planning approaches for key roles, enabling stronger bench strength and leadership readiness 
• Partner with P&C colleagues to connect workforce planning outputs to performance, learning, and compensation practices 
• Leverage quantitative and qualitative insights to shape recommendations and analyze workforce demographics, turnover patterns, hiring velocity, and talent needs to inform organizational planning 

Who You Are  

The qualifications listed within the job description are intended as a guide and we do not expect candidates to bring all experiences and skills listed. Research supports that self-selecting out of potential professional opportunities is particularly common among individuals with identities that are marginalized in professional spaces. So, if you believe that you can meet the overall expectations of the position, we encourage you to apply so that we have an opportunity to learn more about you and the unique strengths you would bring to the work. 

• You bring a track record of success in building workforce planning models, scaling succession planning efforts in addition to experience managing searches (recruitment) and progressive People/HR experience (experience operating in a nonprofit or mission-driven, matrixed environment is a plus); New hires at the Senior Manager level at JFF typically bring 5-10 years of prior professional experience through a combination of full-time, part-time, internship, and/or freelance positions 
• You bring demonstrated experience modernizing or innovating talent acquisition practices (e.g., inclusive hiring, new platforms, sourcing strategies, employer branding)   
• You bring fresh, data-informed ideas to talent acquisition and workforce planning and can translate complex strategic goals into actionable people initiatives 
• You are skilled at connecting people data to operational and strategic priorities through analysis and storytelling 
• You bring experience supporting senior leaders in a strategic advisory capacity and have the ability to build influence across stakeholders; You can build trust quickly with hiring teams, peers, leaders and staff across multiple layers of the organization 
• You communicate with clarity, candor, and respect and are comfortable giving and receiving feedback 
• You can anticipate organizational shifts and proactively align talent strategies to future needs 
• You are comfortable experimenting with tools, systems, and practices that improve efficiency, fairness, and candidate/staff experience 
• You are adept at organizational design concepts and guiding leaders through team or structural shifts 
• You are skilled in using HR/Talent Acquisition systems and tools; comfortable experimenting with emerging technologies (e.g., AI-enabled talent tools) 

What We Offer  

At JFF, we’re fueled by the desire to create a world where everyone has equal opportunity for economic advancement. Our team works hard to push the boundaries of what is possible, and in return, we provide a gratifying work experience, competitive salaries, and a comprehensive benefits program that includes flexibility and choice as core values in order to support people wherever they are in their lives and careers.  

JFF has offices in Boston, Oakland, and Washington, DC; employees are welcome to use JFF office space to work in-person or hybrid, or completely remote. To improve the employee experience and promote productivity while working remotely, JFF offers an annual home office stipend to all regular full-time and part-time employees. In addition, new employees receive office equipment as needed.   

The hiring range for this role is $80-100k annually, in alignment to JFF’s Senior Manager salary band and our compensation philosophy. Starting salaries for new hires will be determined based on a combination of the new hire’s relevant experience and market demands.  

To Apply  

As part of your application, please include your resume and a thoughtful cover letter, addressed to Damaris Espinal, Senior Director, People & Culture, outlining how your skills and experience meet the qualifications of the position. 

We are accepting applications through Monday, December 8, 2025 at 11:59pm ET. Applications submitted by that date will be reviewed and candidates will receive updates on their candidacy by the end of the week of December 15th  

At JFF, we’re also committed to accessibility and want to ensure that everyone, including people with disabilities, can fully access and engage with our application and hiring process. If you are unable to complete this application due to a disability and/or have specific access/accommodation needs in order to fully participate in our hiring process, please contact us at hiringaccommodations@jff.org. 

Positions at JFF are not eligible for employer-visa sponsorship or open to F-1 student visa holders.