Director of Industry Partnerships

Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce is a non-profit business advocacy organization serving our nine-county Finger Lakes region. Greater Rochester Chamber member organizations and their teams enjoy unparalleled access to information, advocacy, human resource services, and networking to help them grow their businesses, their dreams, and our economy.

Position Title: Director of Industry Partnerships

Position Summary
We’re seeking a strategic convener and trusted facilitator to lead industry partnerships for the Greater Rochester region, for the NY SMART I-Corridor Tech Hub. This role will launch and grow an industry council in advanced manufacturing and semiconductors—bringing employers, training providers, and community partners together to solve shared workforce challenges.

The Director will make sure employer needs translate into aligned training programs and supportive community services, so providers are equipped to adapt and people are ready to succeed in the workforce. While grant-enabled through the STEP UP initiative, this position is designed to build lasting, industry-led structures for collaboration and problem-solving that extend well beyond the life of the grant.

Essential Job Functions

Industry Partnership Facilitation & Strategy (30%)

• Facilitate an employer-led industry council, guiding shared priorities into clear action.

• Build trust and ownership among business champions to ensure the work is truly industry-driven.

Employer Engagement & Relationship Management (30%)

• Cultivate strong, ongoing relationships with employers in the semiconductor and advanced manufacturing ecosystem.

• Recruit and support new champions while ensuring employer insights drive training and workforce strategies.

Program Implementation, Data & Continuous Improvement (20%)

• Align employer needs with training providers and community organizations, ensuring programs adapt to industry standards.

• Collect and analyze employer demand data to shape program design, track outcomes, and support continuous improvement.

Broader Tech Hub Collaboration (20%)

• Share employer insights across the Tech Hub to strengthen regional strategies.

• Collaborate with partners to identify gaps, test innovative solutions, and build a connected regional approach.

Education & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field or equivalent professional experience

• 5–7 years leading cross-sector, collaborative initiatives

• Demonstrated success convening stakeholders to deliver measurable outcomes

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Skilled facilitator able to build trust and consensus among diverse stakeholders

• Strong relationship-builder, credible with senior leaders and front-line partners alike

• Strong communicator who keeps momentum without imposing a personal agenda.

• Curious, adaptive, and comfortable with ambiguity and experimentation.

• Team-oriented mindset, motivated by shared success and collective impact.

• Commitment to inclusive growth and expanding opportunities for unemployed and underemployed talent.

Accountability:

The Director of Industry Partnerships will be measured by their ability to keep employer needs at the center, align training and community services to those needs, and deliver visible results—such as stronger talent pipelines, early employer wins, and sustained collaboration across the region.

Other Responsibilities:

Requires occasional travel across for participation in various presentations, meetings, and events in the Greater Rochester area and in other parts of NYS along the NY SMART I-Corridor area.

This role operates with a high degree of autonomy and is expected to proactively communicate and collaborate with internal teams, external partners, and the broader STEP-UP project management team.

Additional Notes:

• This is a full- time, exempt position scheduled to work a minimum of 37.5 hours per week.

• Salary range is $80,000-$90,000, commensurate with experience. Competitive benefits include health, dental, vision, 401k, HSA / FSA, sick days, vacation days, and more.

• Greater Rochester Chamber offers competitive benefits including health, dental, vision, 401k, HSA/FSA, sick days, vacation days, volunteer time, tuition reimbursement, and more.

Full job description available upon interview.

Our ideal candidate will effectively represent our values of Inclusion, Passion, Integrity, Collaboration, and Customer Commitment.

Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce is an Equal Opportunity Employer. It is the policy of Greater Rochester Chamber to provide equal opportunity in employment and conditions of employment to all individuals regardless of age, race, color, religious beliefs, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, sex, veteran or military status, disability, pregnancy-related condition, predisposing genetic characteristics, genetic information, marital status, familial status, prior arrest, domestic violence victim status, non-job related convictions, participation in lawful activities outside of our workplace, or any other status protected by law.