Corporate Social Responsibility Manager

Introduction

At IBM, work is more than a job – it’s a calling: To build. To design. To code. To consult. To think along with clients and sell. To make markets. To invent. To collaborate. Not just to do something better, but to attempt things you’ve never thought possible. Are you ready to lead in this new era of technology and solve some of the world’s most challenging problems? If so, let’s talk.

Your Role and Responsibilities

We are looking for an experienced professional to join the CSR team in the United States as Corporate Social Responsibility Manager. This role will be responsible for helping to lead IBM’s national IBM SkillsBuild (SB) strategy. SkillsBuild is IBM’s signature CSR initiative which aims to skill 30M globally in digital and professional skills by 2030. SB is a free education program focused on underrepresented communities in tech, that helps adult learners, and high school and university students and faculty, develop valuable new skills and access career opportunities. SB includes an online platform that is complemented by customized practical learning experiences delivered in collaboration with a global network of partners. The program serves learners around the world and offers more than 1,000 courses in 20 different languages in courses on AI, cybersecurity, data analysis, cloud computing and many other technical and professional disciplines in addition to workplace skills.

As the SB partner relationship owner, they will lead partnership reviews to ensure that program milestones are being met (contributing to the 30M skills goal by 2030, and 2M global AI skilling goal by 2026), success stories are being captured and opportunities for growth identified. They will align SB to IBM business priorities. They will also represent a specific multi-state region to provide program management support for other IBM CSR strategic initiatives. Within their multi-state region, they will facilitate employee engagement/volunteering (contributing to the global 4M hour goal), often in collaboration with IBM state executives. They will work closely with the leaders across IBM CSR globally to assess the areas of strategic focus and co-create initiatives to meet the goals of IBM CSR.

Your Primary Responsibilities

Corporate Social Responsibility Managers (CSRM) design and execute programs and projects to: Improve IBM’s reputation among all stakeholders including employees, build brand favorability with IBM communications and marketing to create our compelling story and aggressively tell it to every audience.

This role will be responsible for leading a national IBM SkillsBuild (SB) strategy for adult learners. The ideal candidate will understand the workforce development and online education and training landscape, including for veterans transitioning from active duty to civilian life. They will engage with key stakeholders, educational institutions, non-profit organizations, government agencies, and veteran organizations, to foster collaboration and promote the platform’s mission and impact. They will collaborate with IBM content creators and instructional designers to support the curation of high-quality educational content relevant to the interests and needs of adult learners, including US veterans.

CSRMs Lead Four Major Areas:

1. STEM-focused Online Education and Training and Workforce Development: A highly impactful group of initiatives at the core of IBM’s commitment to skill 30 million people globally by 2030. It offers online, asynchronous learning platform-based programs on, for example, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Cloud, Cybersecurity, and Data Analytics for exploratory, entry-level, and professional reskilling and upskilling for two major groups:
   • Individuals who traditionally have been underrepresented in STEM fields, for example, women, veterans, neurodivergent people, and individuals from under-represented and underserved communities.
   • Students and faculty at a diversity of higher education institutions (e.g., community colleges, 4-year colleges, regional flagship universities, research universities, and minority-serving institutions).
2. Lead Volunteerism and Employee Engagement Programs: Supporting these initiatives for a specific IBM multi-state region that they represent.
3. Support ESG/Sustainability: Specific STEM initiative for social impact ‘Sustainability Accelerator’, Materiality assessments for all areas related to the global ESG report.
4. Drive CSR/ESG Communications: Both external and internal.

This position reports to the CSR Leader Americas.

Required Technical and Professional Expertise

• Familiarity with educational technology programs, in the context of online education and training or workforce development.
• Experience with various educational technologies and virtual learning environments designed for populations traditionally under-represented in STEM fields.
• Passion for supporting veterans and a commitment to serving their educational and career advancement needs.
• Deep professional experience revealing professional advancement and an increasing scope of responsibilities.
• Experience as a manager, working with and for senior organizational leaders.
• Professional experience successfully designing and leading large-scale, national initiatives with clear goals, metrics, and outcomes achieved.
• Demonstrated ability to network and to develop and maintain positive relationships.
• Excellent communicator with strong presentation skills in virtual, hybrid, and in-person settings, strong written and oral communication, ability to convey technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders and collaborate effectively across functional teams.
• Professional presence to be a trusted representative of the company with external stakeholders.

Preferred Technical and Professional Expertise

• Experience managing online education and training programs and workforce preparedness aligned to IBM’s portfolio domains, including: AI/genAI, Hybrid Cloud, Cybersecurity, Data Analytics, Quantum Computing, and Computing.
• Experience with government and national nonprofit organizations serving veterans transitioning to civilian life with a particular focus on education or workforce development.
• Experience working with diverse communities and understanding the unique challenges faced by veterans in education and employment.

Learn more here