Workforce Development Manager

Workforce Development Manager

Job Summary 

Equinix is the world’s digital infrastructure company, and we are looking for a passionate and experienced Workforce Development Manager to drive the growth and success of our global internship and apprenticeship programs within our IBX (International Business Exchange) Operations. 

As the Workforce Development Manager, you will design, implement, and manage scalable, high-impact programs that attract, train, and retain non-traditional talent across regions. This is a strategic role that requires deep collaboration across internal departments and external partners to ensure our programs align with business needs, local compliance standards, and Equinix’s talent development goals. 

Your work will directly have an impact on our ability to grow our operations workforce with high performing, committed employees by creating robust training pipelines that lead to long-term careers in data center operations. 

Responsibilities

Program Strategy & Design 

• Define the global strategy and framework for Equinix’s internship and apprenticeship programs across all regions, with focus on Data Center Operations roles

• Develop standardized curriculum pathways  tailored to career paths such as mechanical, electrical, HVAC, fiber, and building systems

• Create scalable and locally adaptable onboarding models to ensure compliance with regional laws, standards, and education systems

• Establish and track success metrics including intern-to-employee conversion and long-term retention

• Socialize, Communicate, and Report on Internship program implementation and performance to stakeholders 

• Develop projections for intake volumes in coordination with Workforce Planning team and manage intake processes for the program to projections

Curriculum & Assessment 

• Collaborate with subject matter experts and instructional designers to develop competency-based curriculum

• Design and deploy robust assessment strategies to evaluate both participant learning and instructional effectiveness

• Continually improve curriculum based on feedback, performance metrics, and evolving business needs

Stakeholder Collaboration 

• Partner with internal stakeholders including IBX operations leadership, operations engineering, technicians, Talent Acquisition, HR, and Legal to ensure alignment and support

• Serve as the primary liaison between the Global Operations Academy and external partners such as trade schools, universities, government workforce boards, and community organizations

Program Execution & Management 

• Manage the end-to-end execution of programs, including recruitment, onboarding, training delivery, evaluation, and transition to full-time roles

• Monitor and report on program outcomes including candidate diversity, performance, and attrition data to inform decisions and demonstrate impact

• Create repeatable processes and toolkits to scale programs globally.

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor's degree in Business Management, Instructional Design, Education, or equivalent combination of education and work experience

• Minimum of 5 years of experience in workforce development, learning & development, or a related talent-building field

• Proven ability to manage complex, multi-region programs with a focus on non-traditional talent pipelines

• Experience working with external educational institutions and government agencies

Preferred: 

• Familiarity with skilled trades, data center operations, or infrastructure industry

• Experience creating and evaluating learning assessments and instructor performance tools

• Knowledge of U.S. Department of Labor Registered Apprenticeships or similar global frameworks

Success Measures:

• High intern-to-full-time hire conversion rate

• Low attrition and high performance of program graduates

• Positive feedback from internal stakeholders and external partners

• Increased access to talent from diverse and non-traditional pathways

• Scalable and repeatable programs implemented in multiple regions