Global Head of Workforce Development

About Thrive

Thrive Career Wellness is a company dedicated to helping organizations and their people navigate workforce change. We partner with government agencies, employers, and partners to deliver employment programs, outplacement services, and workforce development solutions across Canada and internationally. We are a purpose-driven organization at a pivotal stage of growth through expanding our government program footprint, deepening our employer partnerships, and building the team to take us there.

The Opportunity

We are looking for a Global Head of Workforce Development to lead and grow Thrive's Workforce Development business unit. This is one of our highest-impact leadership roles with a blend of commercial accountability, active business development, and senior client stewardship in the government employment services sector.

Workforce Development at Thrive is in a strong growth phase: an expanding pipeline of government-funded programs, an active channel in public-sector contracts, and a team that delivers real outcomes for program participants and funders alike. You will own the P&L, lead the team, develop relationships with government stakeholders around the world, close deals, and set the direction for where this business unit goes next.

We are happy to accept candidates across Canada, US and EU.

What You'll Do

Commercial Leadership & Business Development

• Own the Workforce Development P&L.
• Maintain an active sales motion alongside your leadership responsibilities: identify, pursue, and close new government contracts and employer-sponsored program agreements.
• Build and hold senior relationships with government funders, program administrators, and key employer accounts.
• Lead, evaluate and respond strategically to RFPs for government-funded employment and workforce development programs, including proposal strategy, solution design, and pricing.
• Engage upstream within the bounds of fair procurement practice: participate in vendor days, market soundings, and RFI processes properly, and coach the team to do the same.

Client & Program Stewardship

• Serve as the senior point of escalation for government clients and active program accounts.
• Collaborate with Growth & Customer Success teams on program launches, platform onboarding, and scope expansions.
• Ensure contractual commitments, program milestones, and funder reporting obligations are met consistently.
• Build the customer relationships that drive renewals and expand scope within existing accounts.
• Absorb change without losing the contract

Strategy & Growth

• Define the go-to-market strategy for Workforce Development: target sectors, geographic expansion, and program type mix.
• Stay ahead of government funding cycles, policy changes, and emerging workforce development priorities that create new opportunities.
• Identify and pursue partnership opportunities with regional employers, workforce boards, and sector associations.
• Build and manage a healthy pipeline; provide accurate forecasting to the executive team.
• Grow your team’s capacity and execution through improved process, strategic hiring, individual mentorship, and leadership by example.

What You'll Bring

• 8–12 years of experience in workforce development, employment services, government-funded programs, or a closely related field.
• A proven track record of winning and managing government contracts.
• Demonstrated commercial leadership experience: you've owned a P&L, managed a sales motion, and led a team simultaneously.
• Experience leading RFP responses in the employment and workforce development space.
• Familiarity with Canadian government employment programs and funding frameworks is a significant asset.
• Strong presence and credibility with senior government stakeholders and employer leadership.
• A builder's mindset, you are energized by complexity, ownership, and the opportunity to grow something meaningful.
• Exceptional communication skills, equally strong in writing proposals, presenting to government, and coaching your team.

What We Offer

• A senior leadership role with full P&L ownership and genuine executive influence.
• Competitive base salary with a performance-based commission structure tied to business unit revenue growth.
• A company in active growth mode. New programs being won, a team being built, and a market opportunity that is real and expanding.
• A collaborative, mission-driven environment where the work you do directly improves outcomes for program participants across Canada and the world.

Our Hiring Commitments

Equal OpportunityThrive is an equal opportunity employer. We welcome applications from all qualified candidates and do not discriminate on the basis of any ground protected under the Ontario Human Rights Code, including race, ancestry, place of origin, colour, ethnic origin, citizenship, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, record of offences, marital status, family status, or disability. Canadian work experience is not required.

Accommodations

Accommodations are available on request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the recruitment and selection process, in accordance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) and the Ontario Human Rights Code. If you require accommodation, please let us know.

Use of Artificial Intelligence

Thrive does not use artificial intelligence to screen, assess, score, or select applicants. All application reviews and hiring decisions are made by people. We may use AI-enabled tools to support administrative parts of the process, such as note-taking and transcription during interviews, and we will let you know before any interview where such a tool is used.