Business Development Specialist

About Skilled US
Skilled US is a nonprofit workforce development organization preparing adults and young people for family-sustaining careers through scholarships and tuition-free training in healthcare, IT, construction, manufacturing, logistics, and more. We pair instruction with wraparound supports and work-based learning to move learners from enrollment to employment and long-term retention.

Position Summary

The Business Development Specialist is the engine of Skilled US's employer revenue pipeline. This is a front-line, externally facing role responsible for identifying, prospecting, pitching, and closing employer partnership agreements across healthcare, IT, clean energy, and the trades — the sectors where Skilled US's community college certificate programs produce credentialed, job-ready scholars.

This role works directly alongside the VP of Post-Secondary & Employer Partnerships, taking on an expanding portfolio of employer relationships as the team grows. In the near term, the Specialist/Manager owns Tier 2 healthcare outreach, IT employer development, and the clean energy sector, while the VP focuses on anchor health system relationships. Over time, this person is expected to grow into independent ownership of a full sector pipeline and eventually move into a senior BD or VP role as Skilled US expands to additional states.

The Skilled US employer partnership model is straightforward: employers commit to hiring Skilled US scholars who complete certificate programs at our community college partners, and in return they receive a pre-screened, career-ready, community-rooted talent pipeline they cannot build on their own. This role's job is to find the right employers, make that case compellingly, and close the agreement. It is an outbound, high-activity, relationship-driven role — not a reactive or administrative one

Core Responsibilities

Employer Prospecting & Pipeline Development

Own an active employer prospect pipeline of 30+ organizations at any given time across assigned sectors, with accurate status tracking maintained in the CRM system after every interaction. Research target employers before outreach — identifying workforce challenges, hiring volumes, DEI commitments, and existing workforce development relationships — so every conversation is informed and specific. Identify new employer targets beyond the existing hit list by mining job posting data, workforce board intelligence, and field conversations with scholars and community partners. Execute a minimum of 30–40 meaningful outreach touchpoints per week across email, LinkedIn, phone, and in-person, maintaining a consistent cadence across all active prospects.

Employer Outreach & Relationship Management

Conduct initial outreach calls and meetings with employer HR directors, workforce development leads, talent acquisition managers, and operations leaders. Deliver the Skilled US employer partnership pitch — conveying the value of a pre-credentialed, community-embedded talent pipeline and the 180-day hiring and wage tracking that comes with it. Build relationships with employer contacts that extend beyond individual transactions, creating sustained partnerships where Skilled US scholars are a consistent part of each employer's hiring strategy. Coordinate employer site visits, hiring events, and sector roundtables in collaboration with the Student Success Manager and Scholar Success coaching team.

Proposal Development & Agreement Close

Draft employer partnership proposals and agreement terms — including Scholar hiring commitments, wage floors, timeline for first cohort placement, and any OJT reimbursement structures through the WIOA system. Move prospects from first conversation to signed agreement with discipline and speed, using a structured follow-up protocol and escalating to the VP when senior relationship support is needed to close. Maintain full documentation of all proposal activity in the CRM, including proposal date, terms offered, objections raised, and next steps agreed.

Employer Relationship Support & Placement Coordination

Once an employer agreement is signed, serve as the ongoing relationship manager — coordinating the handoff of placed scholars to the employer contact, tracking hire date and starting compensation, and maintaining 180-day employment follow-up for every placed scholar. Flag any scholar at risk of early attrition within 5 business days of identification and coordinate with the Student Success Manager on retention sup