Business Development Director – Strategic Workforce Funding Partnerships

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in United States.

📋 Description

• Identify, shape, and secure funding opportunities in workforce development with the potential for seven-figure revenue or the capacity to enhance funded enrollment across various partners, markets, or states.

• Utilize connections with senior decision-makers and influencers in governor's offices, state government, workforce and labor leadership, economic development, and public-private partnerships.

• Anticipate priorities for workforce investment and position ed2go in discussions prior to the formal establishment of funding programs or opportunities.

• Manage opportunities from inception through relationship development, negotiations, agreements, and activation.

• Create funding partnerships that involve state-funded programs, public-private initiatives, employer-backed coalitions, and other models for workforce investment.

• Build and enhance a pipeline of funding opportunities, assessing revenue potential, scalability, and alignment with business objectives.

• Represent ed2go in high-level discussions, negotiations, and industry forums.

• Collaborate with Government Affairs and teams across Cengage and ed2go to address policy considerations, coordinate engagement with key decision-makers, and activate secured funding partnerships.

• Provide senior leadership with insights into trends in workforce funding, emerging opportunities, and market risks.

• Work remotely and be prepared to travel up to 30% as required by business needs.

⛳️ Requirements

• A Bachelor's degree or equivalent relevant experience.

• More than 10 years of experience in workforce funding, economic development, public-private partnerships, government-related business development, or a similar field.

• Direct experience in developing complex funding opportunities.

• Extensive knowledge of workforce funding as well as state and national investment priorities and decisions.

• An established network of senior decision-makers and influencers in government, workforce and labor, economic development, and public-private partnerships.

• A proven ability to leverage those relationships to create opportunities.

• Demonstrated success in personally originating, developing, and securing large-scale workforce funding partnerships or initiatives with significant commercial or funding impact.

• Experience in identifying and shaping opportunities prior to their formalization as programs, procurements, or widely available market opportunities.

• Experience leading intricate, long-cycle business development initiatives involving senior executives, government leaders, and multiple decision-makers.

• Strong commercial judgment, negotiation skills, communication abilities, and relationship-building competencies.

• Capability to navigate political considerations and competing interests.

• Preferred: an advanced degree or equivalent experience in business, public policy, economic development, workforce development, education, or a related field.

• Preferred: experience in developing funding initiatives that engage government, education, economic development, employers, and private-sector partners.

• Preferred: experience collaborating with Government Affairs on state or national initiatives.

🏝️ Benefits

• Variable sales incentive compensation program.

• Target variable compensation of $85,000 USD annually.

• Comprehensive Total Rewards package.

• Reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities, including during the job application process.

• Remote work arrangement.

• Travel up to 30% as business needs require.