Associate Director of Business Development

Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE) invites applications for a full-time Associate Director of Business Development to join our Center for Professional Education team. Under the direction of the Executive Director of Professional Education, the Associate Director of Business Development plays a crucial role in leading and strategically guiding the development and growth of direct-to-employer, contract-based education, and training programs. Following a University-to-Business (U2B) model/approach, the Associate Director prospects and cultivates relationships with executive-level employers, identifies workforce development needs, formalizes service agreements, and collaborates with internal and external subject matter experts and Center support staff to design and implement targeted onsite training programs. Programs may address recognized workforce competency gaps, support new technology implementation, and/or advance workplace innovation. The successful candidate will be responsible for assessing program impact, ensuring positive outcomes, and establishing a system for continuous program and service improvement.

Essential Job Functions

• Establishes and maintains strong relationships with regional industry-based leaders.
• Develops and leads the needs assessment process at the worksite in collaboration with industry contacts to assess and identify workforce development needs and solutions and leads the development of ROI-driven service proposals.
• Proposes, negotiates, closes, and executes training contracts to meet industry partner needs.
• Collaborates with internal and external subject matter experts in the development and delivery of unique and timely solution-based training curriculum using a variety of delivery methods to facilitate student learning in a dynamic, innovative, and positive learning environment.
• Manages the CPE Speakers Bureau which serves as a primary entry point for new business partners.
• Works with Center staff to coordinate logistics, instructional materials/resources, and other supports for seamless and high-quality program delivery.
• Develops and implements assessment tools to measure the impact and effectiveness of training programs and ensure client satisfaction, analyzes data and feedback to continually refine and enhance program offerings to support continuous program improvement, and satisfies regular reporting as required.
• With support from the Program Coordinator, updates and maintains the database of industry contacts, proposals, contracts, and fulfillment status.
• Stays abreast of industry trends and incorporates best practices in the field of contract and customized training.
• Monitors, identifies opportunities, and applies for external grant funding from local, state, and federal sources.
• Satisfies established annual revenue goals for sales by growing/retaining existing corporate accounts and supporting and developing new accounts.
• Assists in the recruitment of new students (i.e., selling seats) in existing CPE public programs and campus credit-based offerings through interactions with corporate partners.
• Engages with local, state, and regional business and workforce development offices and agencies to promote programs and services and connect clients with resources and technical assistance.

This list of duties and responsibilities is not all-inclusive and may be expanded to include other duties and responsibilities as management may deem necessary from time to time.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in business, engineering, computer science, healthcare, or related field. Master’s degree preferred.
• 3+ years’ experience in consultative selling
• 1-3 years’ experience in selling educational or training solutions within a university or similar setting strongly preferred
• Strong understanding of workforce development needs across industry sectors
• Familiarity with assessing training program impact and implementing continuous improvement strategies

Skills and Abilities

• Demonstrated ability to build and maintain relationships with executive-level employers.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Excellent communication, collaboration, and presentation skills.
• Demonstrated technical expertise in the use and application of computer systems and software programs including databases, spreadsheets, and word processing software.
• Demonstrated professional presence and maturity in dealing with a variety of audiences, external and internal to the university.
• Demonstrated experience providing excellent customer service to others.
• Excellent verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Ability to work effectively on a high-performance team.
• Ability to prioritize multiple work tasks, meet deadlines, and exercise adaptability to changing priorities.
• Proven experience in grant writing and administration.
• Ability to travel up to 50%, mainly in Wisconsin.

Physical Demands

While performing the duties of this job the employee is frequently working out-of-office engaging with business partners at the worksite.

Work Environment

This job operates in a professional office environment. This role uses standard office equipment, including but not limited to computers, phones, photocopiers, and filing cabinets.

The above statements reflect the general details necessary to describe the principle functions of the occupation described and shall not be construed as a detailed description of all the work requirements that may be inherent in the occupation. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

It is the policy of MSOE to provide equal employment opportunity to all individuals regardless of their race, ethnicity, color, creed, religion, sex, age, national origin, physical or mental disability, military and veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic characteristics, marital status or any other characteristic protected by local, state or federal law. This policy applies to all jobs at the University and to all the terms, benefits, and conditions of employment/enrollment.