About Opportunity@Work

Opportunity@Work’s mission is to rewire the labor market so that STARs–workers who are skilled through alternative routes instead of a bachelor’s degree– can work, learn, and earn to their full potential. By 2030, Opportunity@Work aims to enable at least 1 million working adults in America to get hired into middle- and high-waged jobs to generate a $20 billion boost in annual earnings. 

We are driven by a firm belief that “if you can do the job, you can get the job.” STARs earn valuable skills through pathways like military service, community college, talent development programs, partial college completion, or on-the-job experience, instead of through a bachelor’s degree. STARs are half of the U.S. workforce, yet over the last few decades, they’ve been blocked from accessing millions of good-paying jobs – and have actually seen their wages decline.

Opportunity@Work’s research capabilities inform the nation’s understanding of STARs and uncover insights that show how to make positive change within regions and industries. Our national awareness campaign, “Tear the Paper Ceiling,” communicates a new, positive narrative about STARs and elevates contributions to the skills-first movement. We’ve developed accessible STAR-centric tools powered by our data and generative AI, to help organizations make more informed decisions on inclusive workforce strategies and hiring. 

By adding this role, we seek to expand our base of organizations that are interested in receiving more structured support from Opportunity@Work as the companies continue their journey towards increased mobility and wage gains for STARs.

About the Role

As Senior Director, Business Development, you will lead the expansion of Opportunity@Work’s corporate partnerships, driving revenue growth and increasing the impact of the TTPC Coalition. Specifically, you will research, source, and close new partnership relationships with corporate, professional services, tech, and nonprofit partners to help O@W achieve its annual new business development and impact metrics. You will hone and drive the consultative sales process for Opportunity@Work, including prospecting, cultivating current relationships toward close, leading new business pitch presentations, negotiating partnership terms, and ensuring a smooth handoff to the account management team. You will also support renewals and upsells.

What You'll Do

Reporting to the SVP, Private Sector and Membership Experience, you will lead the business development team responsible for bringing new companies into the TTPC Coalition and achieving revenue targets.

Lead and Develop a High-Performing Team

• Foster a high-performance team culture and positive working environment; clearly and comfortably delegate decisions and tasks across the team while offering support and encouragement along the way.
• Seamlessly articulate O@W’s foundational narrative on STARS, the Paper Ceiling, and our overall value proposition; coach and model for others how to do the same.
• Establish team-wide and individual prospecting and revenue targets, and provide ongoing guidance and coaching to help the team achieve its growth goals (e.g., 10 new partners contributing $100K+ in 2025).
• Build positive relationships at all levels of the organization, creating an environment that fosters developmental feedback and inspires others to contribute and grow.
• Work closely with the Account Management vertical to ensure a seamless handoff and a deep understanding of what success looks like and how to deliver value for each partner.
• Provide timely insights and feedback to O@W leadership to inform strategy and offerings.
• Cultivate relationships with existing corporate partners to help them tell O@W’s story of impact and refer other prospective partners to join the Coalition.

Build and Lead Scalable Processes

• Contribute to the design, implement, and refine a structured, repeatable sales process to drive business development for the TTPC Coalition, ensuring efficiency, scalability, and alignment with O@W’s ability to drive impact.
• Develop and maintain a CRM-driven tracking system for lead generation, pipeline management, deal closure, and renewal forecasting.
• Standardized, outreach materials, pitch decks, and contract templates to streamline sales efforts across the organization.
• Establish clear KPIs to measure success at each stage of the business development funnel, regularly reviewing performance data to optimize strategy.
• Lead the development of internal training programs for sales and account management team members to ensure consistency in messaging, approach, and relationship-building.
• Collaborate cross-functionally to ensure that all business development efforts are aligned with broader organizational objectives and market trends.
• Create an iterative feedback loop, gathering insights from prospects and partners to refine our value proposition, pricing structures, and engagement strategies.

Build a Strong Consultative Sales Engine

• Partner with leadership and teams across the organization to identify leads—potential coalition companies, key sponsors, decision-makers, and supporters.
• Engage key senior leaders in strategic discussions internally to understand where they may hold relationships with and influence potential sponsors/decision-makers.
• Define and lead a learning agenda for the field to understand STARs across key audience segments, effectively identify the paper ceiling in different contexts, and communicate to prospects how they are either supporting or impeding "tearing" the paper ceiling.
• Lead proactive outreach, strong follow-up, and communication strategies to introduce the TTPC Coalition, generate interest in our mission, and schedule meetings with key stakeholders.
• Build and manage a robust prospect pipeline, ensuring an ongoing flow of qualified leads.
• Deliver compelling, insight-driven presentations to decision-makers and account supporters, aligning the TTPC Coalition with their talent priorities.
• Work cross-functionally at O@W to triage with partners who may be better suited to another O@W service offering.
• Effectively negotiate terms and close deals to meet or exceed sales targets.

Qualifications

Skills, Knowledge, & Expertise

This role is open to individuals skilled through alternative routes.

• A strong track record of success leading a team to deliver against business development or consultative sales objectives, ideally within a mission-driven organization for some of that time.
• Minimum in 5 years of experience in a people development/supervisory role.
• A strong track record of success in Minimum corporate relationships and meeting or exceeding business development/partnership objectives in an impact-driven environment.
• A proven ability to develop semi-customizable, compelling written pitch documents and frame data/information for applicable audiences.
• Experience managing new business pipelines through Salesforce (or similar CRM).
• Excellent attention to detail and organizational skills.
• Ability to navigate multiple layers of an organization to understand key access points, develop strategic relationships, and influence decision-making.
• Expertise at managing sales cycles for self and others, efficiently moving opportunities to close.

Personal Characteristics

• You thrive in a fast-paced, mission-driven, and entrepreneurial environment.
• Self-starter with initiative to drive deals forward independently.
• Strong coaching and mentoring abilities to enhance team skills and performance.
• You embody our core values of: better together, intentionally inclusive, always learning, seeking clarity to inform action, and championing empowerment.
• Passionate about STARs and economic mobility.
• Results-oriented and driven to achieve ambitious goals.