Manager - Talent, Strategy & Community Engagement (TalentED)

Job Description

Calgary Economic Development (CED) is an opportunity-maker, helping to spark and fuel Calgary’s growth. Our mandate is to position Calgary for long term economic success, through the expansion, retention and attraction of companies, capital and talent. We offer a wealth of information to help everyone succeed and we tirelessly promote Calgary, in Canada and around the world. We are passionate about our role in shaping and sharing Calgary’s story, a place of blue sky thinking and unexpected opportunities.

About the TalentED Greater Calgary Project

TalentED Greater Calgary aims to generate 2,000 work-based learning opportunities for youth ages 18-24 by engaging small to medium-sized businesses and non-profits across the greater Calgary region. This project will increase industry engagement with youth and apply an innovative and collaborative approach.

Job Summary

The Manager, Talent, Strategy and Community Engagement develops and executes TalentED’s talent pipeline strategy, aligning youth talent supply with employer demand and priority sectors. The role leads strategic partnerships with post-secondary institutions, employment centres, and community organizations to coordinate outreach, programming, and referral pathways.

Accountable for the end-to-end youth engagement funnel, the Manager drives youth from awareness through to application and placement. The Manager also leads the planning and cross-functional coordination of the ConnectED Expo, positioning it as a flagship talent attraction initiative, and oversees the delivery of AI training.

This is a full-time contract position with a minimum in-office requirement of 3 days a week.

Key Responsibilities

Strategy Development & Execution

• Develop and implement a youth and community engagement strategy to find youth talent to fill WBL opportunities generated by TalentED’s Industry Engagement team.
• Lead the development and management of the end-to-end youth engagement funnel, from awareness through to application and placement.
• Drive outreach and engagement strategies to build a strong, diverse pipeline of youth aligned to employer demand.
• Analyze labour market trends and placement data to identify pipeline opportunities and gaps
• Develop and execute strategic workplans to optimize areas of opportunities aligned to recruitment cycles.
• Collaborate with internal and external stakeholders to develop resources and communications to drive recurring youth access and retention for the TalentED Matching Platform.
• Monitor talent pipeline health, including participation, readiness, and conversion to placements.
• Establish performance targets and measure pipeline effectiveness. Ensure accurate input and tracking of KPIs by clarifying and following-up on data.
  

Community Engagement

• Identify and cultivate high-value partnerships with post-secondary institutions, employment centres, and community organizations to support work-based learning pathways and expand access to youth talent pools.
• Develop partnership frameworks and engagement models to strengthen referral pathways to TalentED.
• Align external youth programming, training, referrals, and supports to TalentED’s placement objectives.
• Act as central connector between community collaborators and internal teams to support effective talent matching.
• Evaluate partnership effectiveness and internal workflows to recommend improvements to increase placement outcomes.
  
• Attend relevant events as needed to foster relationships
  
  

Program Leadership & Management

• Align youth supply with employer needs and priority sectors, supporting successful placement conversion.
• Lead the strategic planning, coordination, and evaluation of the annual ConnectED Expo.
• Oversee delivery of AI training for employers and AI bootcamps for youth.
• Drive the adoption and tactical deployment of tools, processes, and resources (e.g., project templates, pre- and post-surveys, competency assessments) developed or sourced by TalentED.
• Understand and lead the implementation of youth and community engagement practices that are inclusive and responsive to the needs of marginalized or underrepresented groups.
• Maintain accurate data, monitor KPIs, and generate insights for decision-making and continuous improvement.

People Management

• Lead a team; set direction and vision, assigning tasks, roles and responsibilities to direct reports.
• Provide guidance and mentorship to direct reports, supporting their personal development and growth, and conduct scheduled performance reviews.
• Ensure adequate training is provided to staff, and tools/resources are supporting workflow and quality output.
• Manage vendors as needed and oversee budget, contract deliverables, purchase orders, and invoices.

Let’s Talk About You

You are a relationship builder and strategic thinker with a passion for creating pathways to opportunity for young people. You bring experience developing talent pipeline initiatives, building strong partnerships across education, employment, and community sectors, and translating workforce needs into impactful programming that connects youth to meaningful careers.

You thrive in a fast-paced, collaborative environment where you can lead initiatives from strategy to execution. Whether driving engagement, coordinating events or delivering innovative learning opportunities, you are energized by creating measurable impact and are excited at the prospect of working on projects that build on the energy of our community

Education

Post-secondary education such as a degree or diploma in business administration, human resources, or management.

Experience

Minimum 5 years in employment services, recruitment or related fields, with at least

3 years of management and leadership experience.

Previous experience supporting employers and/or jobseekers would be an asset.

Key Skills and Competencies

• Ability to assess labour market trends, identify talent pipeline opportunities, and develop strategies that align youth workforce supply with employer demand.
• Experience coordinating multi-stakeholder initiatives that produce measurable outcomes.
• Understand sales principles, workforce development, government funding structures, youth and community engagement strategies, and human resource practices.
  
• Understands project objectives within the context of organizational goals.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skill
• Problem Solving & Decision-Making
• Performance Management
• Previous experience with a CRM, account management, developing processes for a team.
• Strong computer skills, knowledge of Microsoft 365 products, Monday.com, and generative AI.
• Driver’s license and access to a vehicle.

EDI Commitment Statement

Calgary Economic Development celebrates diversity and is committed to advancing Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI). Through EDI, we create a path to success for all our employees, where they have equal opportunity for advancement, have the voice to contribute to our collective growth and development and work in an inclusive environment.

We strongly believe in accessibility in the work we do and welcome requests to make the hiring process as accessible as possible. Accommodations are available for candidates on request during

all aspects of the selection process. Please advise at any point and we will do our best to work with you to meet your needs.

Calgary Economic Development adheres to the Alberta Human Rights Code. We encourage applications from Indigenous peoples and persons of all races, ethnic origins, religions, abilities, sexual orientations, and gender identities and expressions. Please be aware that Calgary Economic Development is committed to having a safe work environment.

To Apply:

Interested candidates should submit their cover letter and resume in confidence to: calgaryeconomic.bamboohr.com/careers by 12:00pm, September 17, 2026.

We wish to thank all applicants for their interest and effort in applying for this position. Only candidates selected for interviews will be contacted.