Director of Workforce Development (Business Partnership Consultant)

Job Summary

The Director of Workforce Development will lead a new campus-wide workforce development initiative focused on building strategic employer partnerships and connecting regional workforce needs with the educational resources and expertise of IU South Bend. As a new initiative, this position offers an opportunity to help shape IU South Bend's approach to workforce development and establish partnerships that support students, employers, community members, and the economic vitality of the region.

Department-Specific Responsibilities

• Proactively engages employers to understand their current and emerging talent needs and develops responsive solutions that may include customized and non-credit training, professional development, certificates and credentials, bachelor's degree completion, graduate education, and other credit-bearing opportunities.
• Develops long-term relationships with employers that create educational pathways for their employees while also generating enrollment, revenue, experiential learning opportunities, and broader strategic value for IU South Bend.
• Works across academic and administrative units, the Director serves as an internal connector who translates employer needs into actionable opportunities and helps coordinate the university's response.
• Reports directly to the Vice Chancellor for Administration and Finance.
• Develops and implements a comprehensive workforce development strategy that aligns IU South Bend resources, academic programs, and institutional priorities with regional workforce and economic development needs.
• Establishes, cultivates, and maintains strategic relationships with employers, industry leaders, workforce development agencies, economic development organizations, community partners, and other external stakeholders.
• Engages employers and community partners to identify current and emerging workforce needs, skills gaps, and opportunities for education, training, and talent development.
• Collaborates with academic schools, faculty, and administrative units to identify and develop educational and workforce solutions responsive to employer and regional needs.
• Identifies opportunities to expand internships, work-based learning, experiential learning, professional development, and other pathways connecting students and community members with employers.
• Develops mutually beneficial partnerships that create opportunities for IU South Bend students while strengthening the university's role as a regional workforce and economic development partner.
• Identifies and pursues external funding opportunities, grants, corporate partnerships, sponsorships, and other resources that support workforce development initiatives and strategic university priorities.
• Develops employer partnerships that create pathways for incumbent workers to access IU South Bend educational opportunities, including customized and non-credit training, certificates, bachelor's degree completion, graduate programs, and other credit-bearing educational opportunities.
• Conducts and utilizes labor market, employer, industry, and regional economic data to identify workforce trends and inform program development and partnership strategies.
• Coordinates workforce development activities across campus and serves as a primary point of contact for external organizations seeking to partner with IU South Bend on workforce and talent development initiatives.
• Develops a financially sustainable workforce and employer partnership model that generates new revenue, expands enrollment, and creates long-term value for IU South Bend and its regional partners.
• Develops goals, metrics, and reporting mechanisms to evaluate the effectiveness and regional impact of workforce development partnerships and initiatives.
• Represents IU South Bend at employer, workforce development, economic development, and community meetings, events, and regional initiatives.
• Maintains awareness of regional and national workforce trends and recommends new initiatives and partnership opportunities that enhance IU South Bend's responsiveness to changing workforce needs.
• Serves as a highly visible external representative of IU South Bend, proactively engaging employers throughout North Central Indiana and the greater Michiana region to identify workforce, talent-development, and employee-education needs.

General Responsibilities

• Develops and implements targeted strategies for identification, cultivation, solicitation, and activation of significant-value, mutually beneficial partnerships with corporations that will assist the university in meeting its long-term financial goals.
• Manages and supports activities related to external funding for special project campaigns by identifying prospective corporate partners; developing, refining, and implementing cultivation plans; and developing, refining, and executing solicitation plans.
• Authors, develops, and manages a comprehensive resource development program in order to expand and continue support from corporations and corporate foundations. Follows through with contracts for assigned prospects and refines cultivation and solicitation plans as needed to assure effectiveness.
• Acts as a resource for university Corporate Relations Consultants and works in coordination with Indiana University (IU) units to set goals, timelines, budgets, and solicitation strategies for specific departmental goals and within budget parameters.
• Prepares and regularly presents reports to support cultivation, solicitation, and activation plans and related activities; modifies plans as appropriate and maintains related records as required.
• Researches and identifies prospective sponsors and provides stewardship for partners by assuring regular contact as needed to maintain and build relationships between sponsors and IU. Recruits, enlists, and trains volunteers and volunteer leaders to assist in cultivation and solicitation activities as appropriate.
• Researches and analyzes national and geographic data to identify prospective partners by gathering and effectively utilizing information from internal and external systems; rating area prospects to identify funding potential; requesting prospect assignments through the Prospect Management (PMP) System; and employing other methodologies, as appropriate.
• Researches industry trends; makes and implements process and policy recommendations to supervisor for improved operational efficiency. Establishes and implements procedures necessary for acknowledging corporate revenue streams.

Qualifications

Combinations of related education and experience may be considered. Education beyond the minimum required may be substituted for work experience. Work experience beyond the minimum required may be substituted for education

EDUCATION

Required

• Bachelor's degree in a related field.

Preferred

• Master's degree in business administration, public administration, higher education, workforce development, economic development, organizational leadership, human resources, or a related field.

WORK EXPERIENCE

Required

• 5 years of experience in business development or a related field.

Preferred

• Experience developing strategic partnerships with employers, industry, workforce development organizations, economic development organizations, educational institutions, or community partners.
• Experience working collaboratively across multiple organizational units and with external stakeholders to develop and implement strategic initiatives.

SKILLS

Required

• Proficient written and verbal communication skills.
• Maintains a high degree of professionalism.
• Demonstrates time management and priority setting skills.
• Demonstrates a high commitment to quality.
• Possesses flexibility to work in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
• Seeks to acquire knowledge in area of specialty.
• Highly thorough and dependable.
• Demonstrates a high level of accuracy, even under pressure.
• Possesses a high degree of initiative.
• Ability to influence internal and/or external constituents.

Preferred

• Experience designing, implementing, or leading workforce development, talent development, employer engagement, business development, or economic development initiatives.
• Experience assessing employer or industry workforce needs and translating those needs into programs, partnerships, training opportunities, or other workforce solutions.
• Experience using labor market, workforce, industry, or economic data to inform program development and strategic decision-making.
• Experience identifying or pursuing grants, external funding, corporate partnerships, sponsorships, or other funding opportunities.
• Experience developing new programs, initiatives, or partnerships from concept through implementation and evaluation.
• Demonstrated knowledge of workforce development, employer engagement, talent development, and regional economic development practices.
• Strong relationship-building and stakeholder engagement skills with the ability to develop productive partnerships across business, education, government, and community organizations.
• Demonstrated ability to translate employer and workforce needs into actionable strategies, programs, and partnership opportunities.
• Strong strategic planning and program development skills, including the ability to establish priorities and move new initiatives from concept to implementation.
• Ability to analyze and interpret labor market, workforce, industry, and economic data to identify trends and opportunities.
• Strong project management and organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple partnerships and initiatives simultaneously.
• Strong written, verbal, presentation, and facilitation skills, including the ability to effectively communicate with senior business leaders, university leadership, faculty, staff, and community stakeholders.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently, exercise initiative, and operate effectively in a role requiring the development of new processes, partnerships, and programs.
• Ability to influence and build consensus among internal and external stakeholders without direct supervisory authority.
• Demonstrated ability to represent the university professionally with employers, government agencies, community organizations, and other external constituencies.

Working Conditions / Demands

This role requires the ability to effectively communicate and to operate a computer and other standard office productivity equipment. The position involves sedentary work as well as periods of time moving around an office environment and the campus. The person in this role must be able to perform the essential functions with or without an accommodation.

Work Location

IU South Bend Campus

South Bend, Indiana

Advertised Salary

Salary Range: $112,000 - $122,000.00 per year

Benefits Overview

For full-time staff employees, Indiana University offers a wide array of benefits including:

• Comprehensive medical and dental insurance
• Health savings account with generous IU contributions
• Healthcare and dependent care flexible spending accounts
• Basic group life insurance paid by IU
• Voluntary supplemental life, long-term disability, critical illness, and supplemental accidental death & dismemberment insurance
• Base retirement plan with generous IU contributions, subject to vesting
• Voluntary supplemental retirement plan options
• Tuition subsidy for employees and family members taking IU courses
• 10 paid holidays plus a paid winter break each year
• Generous paid time off plans
• Paid leave for new parents and IU-sponsored volunteer events
• Employee assistance program (EAP)

Learn more about our benefits by reviewing the IU Benefit Programs Brochure.

Job Classification

Career Level: Advanced

FLSA: Exempt

Job Function: Development & Advancement

Job Family: Bus Partner & Corp Relations

Click here to learn more about Indiana University's Job Framework.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Indiana University is an equal opportunity employer and provider of ADA services and prohibits discrimination in hiring. See Indiana University Notice of Non-Discrimination here which includes contact information.

Contact Us

Request Support
Telephone: 812-856-1234