Employer Partnerships & Business Development

Salem University LLC•Indianapolis, IN

4d•$70,000 - $90,000•Remote

About The Position

The Employer Partnerships & Business Development Specialist identifies, develops, secures, and activates employer partnerships that support Salem University's institutional growth, workforce development initiatives, and employee education opportunities. The role connects organizational workforce needs with the University's degree, certificate, and workforce education programs through proactive business development, employer acquisition, and relationship management. The Specialist independently manages the business development lifecycle, from prospecting and outreach through needs assessment, proposal development, agreement coordination, partnership activation, and ongoing employer engagement. Working directly with the Vice President of Partnership Development, the position develops a qualified employer pipeline, advances business opportunities, secures partnerships, and coordinates with internal departments to support implementation. It is a results-driven individual contributor role with accountability for measurable business development outcomes. The position also manages CRM records, pipeline forecasts, reporting, market research, territory planning, cross-functional coordination, and assigned business development expenses. Success is evaluated against quarterly goals and performance measures developed with the Vice President of Partnership Development, with expectations for measurable progress during the first 30, 60, and 90 days.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution, or an equivalent combination of education and directly relevant professional experience.
At least three years of successful business-to-business sales, business development, employer partnerships, or workforce solutions experience.
Demonstrated responsibility for independently generating and closing new organizational accounts or partnerships.
Documented success developing qualified pipelines, securing new accounts, executing agreements, or producing measurable account growth.
Experience with proactive prospecting and organizational decision-making involving multiple stakeholders.
Strong consultative selling, business writing, presentation, negotiation, and relationship-management skills.
Experience using CRM systems to maintain business development records, manage opportunities, and support forecasting.
Ability to independently develop new business opportunities without relying exclusively on established lead sources.
Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
Ability to work independently in a remote professional environment.
Ability to travel approximately 30%, including occasional overnight travel and evening or weekend events.
Experience exclusively recruiting individual students, without organizational business development or employer partnership responsibility, does not independently satisfy the required B2B experience.

Nice To Haves

Experience selling education, workforce development, corporate learning, employee benefits, or other consultative B2B services.
Experience establishing employer education partnerships or workforce development agreements.
Experience with employer tuition assistance or employee education benefit programs.
Experience engaging employers in healthcare, advanced manufacturing, construction, skilled trades, or related industries.
Experience developing and activating employer partnerships that result in sustained employee engagement.
Experience in higher education or workforce education environments.
Experience using HubSpot for pipeline management, forecasting, and employer relationship tracking.
Experience using technology-assisted account research and business development outreach.
Established employer relationships in Virginia, Tennessee, Maryland, Ohio, or Georgia.
Residence within an assigned or priority employer market.

Responsibilities

Develop and execute business development plans for assigned territories, industries, and employer markets.
Identify, prioritize, and prospect prospective employers whose workforce and employee education needs align with Salem University's programs and institutional priorities.
Build relationships with human resources, benefits, learning and development, operations, and executive-level decision-makers.
Assess employer workforce challenges, education benefits, employee development priorities, partnership needs, and organizational decision processes.
Develop qualified partnership pipelines, evaluate opportunities, track outreach effectiveness, and adjust prospecting strategies based on results.
Conduct employer discovery meetings and develop customized partnership recommendations, business cases, and value propositions.
Present to employer stakeholders, respond to objections, negotiate terms within University guidelines, and move opportunities toward formal decisions.
Coordinate the development, review, approval, and execution of employer partnership agreements in accordance with University parameters.
Develop launch and activation plans, coordinate internal responsibilities and communications, and resolve or escalate implementation barriers.
Maintain relationships with assigned employer partners, monitor engagement and participation, and identify opportunities to improve or expand partnerships.
Coordinate employer communications, presentations, employee outreach, and engagement initiatives with Enrollment, Marketing, and other departments.
Maintain complete and timely employer partnership records in HubSpot or the University's designated CRM, including contacts, opportunity stages, next steps, and anticipated decision dates.
Prepare pipeline updates, forecasts, and performance reports; monitor sales cycles, conversion rates, forecast accuracy, and partnership outcomes.
Research employer markets, workforce trends, industries, and partnership opportunities; refine territory strategies and provide market intelligence to University leadership.
Collaborate with Enrollment, Marketing, Academic Affairs, and other University departments, ensuring internal teams are consulted before commitments requiring their resources or approval are made.
Represent Salem University professionally at employer meetings, industry events, conferences, and community activities.
Manage travel and business development expenses within approved budgets, document expenses, and use University resources responsibly.
Represent University programs and requirements accurately and ethically, maintain confidentiality, follow University policies, and participate in required meetings and professional-development activities.
Meet onboarding and performance expectations, including learning University offerings, establishing target lists and CRM practices, generating and advancing opportunities, securing partnership wins, and forecasting business development activity.
Perform other related duties as assigned.