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About the job

Position Summary

The Business Development Manager is responsible for developing, expanding, and managing employer partnerships that create employment opportunities for NPower students and alumni. This role focuses on proactively identifying workforce needs, cultivating new employer relationships, and securing job placements, internships, apprenticeships, direct hire career pathway opportunities aligned with participant skills, and equity goals.

This position plays a critical role in expanding equitable access to high-quality technology careers by developing and deepening employer partnerships across NPower’s national footprint while supporting evolving workforce demands. The ideal candidate is highly proactive, relationship-driven, results-oriented, and passionate about connecting diverse talent to meaningful employment opportunities.

Key Responsibilities

Employer Partnership Development

Identify, cultivate, and expand relationships with employers across targeted industries to secure job opportunities, internships, apprenticeships, and direct hire career opportunities

Conduct proactive employer outreach through networking, targeted prospecting, referrals, industry events, and professional associations

Serve as a strategic workforce partner by understanding employer hiring needs, skill requirements, workforce challenges, and talent pipeline opportunities

Develop and maintain a strong employer pipeline aligned with program capacity and participant career pathways

Integrate talent development contribution into the business development pitch framework, strengthening client value propositions and demonstrating organizational commitment to workforce growth

Establish opportunities for additional engagement points (i.e volunteering, mentoring, funding, executive thought leadership) in support of NPower’s mission.

Labor Market & Industry Engagement

Monitor labor market trends, emerging workforce demands, in-demand skills, and wage benchmarks across priority sectors

Provide employer and industry insights to internal teams to inform curriculum alignment, program design, and career pathway development

Develop sector-based employer engagement strategies to deepen partnerships within priority industries, particularly within the technology workforce

Employer Relationship Management

Maintain ongoing relationships with employer partners to support participant retention, career advancement, and repeat hiring opportunities

Address employer concerns and troubleshoot placement challenges in collaboration with internal program and placement teams

Ensure a high-quality employer experience that promotes long-term partnership engagement and satisfaction

Data, Reporting & Performance Outcomes

Track employer outreach, partnership development, job opportunities, placements, and engagement outcomes within Salesforce or similar CRM systems

Meet or exceed employer engagement, placement pipeline, and partnership development goals

Contribute data, insights, and reporting for internal leadership, funders, and organizational stakeholders

Support employer-related deliverables connected to grants, sponsorships, and workforce partnership agreements

Collaboration & Organizational Representation

Partner closely with Career Readiness, Talent Placement, Instructors, and leadership teams to ensure alignment between employer needs and participant preparation

Represent NPower at employer meetings, industry convenings, community events, job fairs, and workforce development forums

Strengthen NPower’s brand reputation as a trusted workforce development and talent pipeline partner

Willing and able to travel throughout Northern California and neighboring markets, up to 50%, in accordance with company reimbursement policies

Qualifications

Required

Bachelor’s degree preferred and/or equivalent professional experience

3–5 years of experience in business development, employer relations, sales, workforce development, staffing, or talent pipeline development

Demonstrated success building and sustaining employer partnerships and generating opportunity pipelines

Established Northern California networks with strong community relationships to support regional outreach and engagement

Strong communication, presentation, negotiation, and relationship management skills

Commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and workforce access