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 support. Organize and execute at least 2 employer hiring events or site visits per quarter beginning Month 5, managing all logistics, scholar preparation briefings, and post-event outcomes documentation.

Market Intelligence & Feedback Loop

Bring employer intelligence back into the organization — flagging hiring trends, credential gaps, salary benchmarks, and new sector opportunities to the VP and to the RCC and college partnership conversations. Provide direct input into the career readiness curriculum based on what employers are telling you they need in the candidates they hire. Identify new certificate programs that employer demand is signaling before our college partners have developed them, supporting the theoretical program development recommendations Skilled US brings to community college presidents.

Required Qualifications

• 2+ years of experience in business development, employer partnerships, workforce development, talent acquisition, staffing, or a closely related field — with demonstrated success moving from prospect to closed agreement
• Proven ability to manage a high-volume outbound pipeline with consistency, follow-through, and accurate CRM discipline
• Strong presentation and communication skills — comfortable leading employer meetings independently and delivering a concise, credible pitch to HR directors and senior operations leaders
• Experience working with or selling to employers in healthcare, IT, or workforce development contexts strongly preferred
• Genuine comfort with a high-activity, metrics-driven role where results are tracked weekly and expectations are explicit
• Proficiency with CRM tools (Salesforce, HubSpot, or equivalent) and standard outreach platforms including LinkedIn Sales Navigator
• Ability to work independently in a fast-paced environment while staying tightly coordinated with a small, interdependent team

Preferred:

• Existing relationships with HR or workforce development contacts at Boston-area healthcare systems, IT employers, or community health organizations
• Experience in a workforce development organization, staffing firm, or community college workforce partnership context
• Familiarity with WIOA on-the-job training reimbursements, employer tax credits (WOTC), or employer co-investment models
• Bilingual candidates are strongly encouraged to apply
• Experience working with adult learners, non-traditional students, or low-income populations at any point in their career

Competencies for Success

• Professional presence and strong front-line communication
• Fast-paced multitasking and execution under pressure
• Follow-through, dependability, and ownership mindset
• Strong teamwork and ability to support multiple managers
• Consistent accuracy in data, communication, and logistics
• Positive attitude and “do what it takes” service orientation

Work Environment & Schedule

• Hybrid, role-based is remote with daily communication and interaction.
• Schedule may include occasional early morning, evening, or weekend events, depending on recruitment and program

Our Commitment
We are here to lift up individuals who are ready to work but have been shut out of opportunity. Our goal is not only to prepare them, but to place them. If you are passionate about workforce equity and driven by results, we want you on our team.

This position description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change, or new ones may be assigned at any time, with or without notice

Please read carefully.

Phalen Leadership Academies (PLA) is an equal opportunity employer. PLA does not discriminate in employment on account of race, color, religion, national origin, citizenship status, ancestry, age, sex (including sexual harassment), sexual orientation, marital status, physical or mental disability, military status or unfavorable discharge from military service.

By completing this application you understand that neither the completion of this application nor any other part of my consideration for employment establishes any obligation for PLA to hire me. If hired, I understand that either PLA or I can terminate my employment at any time and for any reason, with or without cause and without prior notice. I understand that no representative of PLA has the authority to make any assurance to the contrary.

You attest by applying to this position that you have given PLA true and complete information on this application. No requested information has been concealed. I authorize PLA to contact references provided for employment reference checks. If any information I have provided is untrue, or if I have concealed material information, I understand that this will constitute cause for the denial of employment or immediate dismissal.