Job Title: VP of Workforce – Business Development (EdTech)
Experience: 15+ Years
Industry: EdTech / Digital Learning
Employment Type: Full-Time | Remote (5 Days a Week)
Core Competencies
revenue growth
K12/ Higher ED
building strategic partnerships
full sales lifecycle
workforce development, career colleges, corporate training, Edtech solution
go-to-market strategy (lead generation, discovery, aid in solution design and proposals, negotiations, and closing)
Role Overview
The VP of Workforce – Business Development is a senior leadership role responsible for driving revenue growth, building strategic partnerships, and expanding Academian’s footprint in the Workforce sector.
This role owns the full sales lifecycle from strategy and pipeline development to closing and long-term partnership growth. The ideal candidate brings deep experience selling into workforce development, career colleges, corporate training, or EdTech, and has strong relationships across the employability and skills training ecosystem.
This is a high-impact, externally facing role requiring strong enterprise selling experience, strategic thinking, and the ability to navigate long-term, services-led partnerships.
Key Responsibilities (BD-Focused)
Services-Led Growth & Workforce Partnerships
- Develop and execute U.S. go-to-market strategy for workforce training and employability-focused segments.
- Identify, prospect, and close new business with:
Workforce training providers
Career colleges and vocational institutions
Corporate training organizations
EdTech companies focused on employability and reskilling
Business Development & Sales Leadership
- Own end-to-end sales process: lead generation, discovery, aid in solution design and proposals, negotiations, and closing.
- This is a sales ‘hunter’ role, seeking net-new business
- Build and manage a strong enterprise and mid-market pipeline.
Partnerships & Market Expansion
- Establish strategic partnerships with training providers, platforms, and ecosystem players.
- Buyer personas tend to be (1) Provosts, Deans, and VPs of Workforce or Continuing Ed, (2) Corporate L&D and Talent Development leaders, and (3) Workforce boards, intermediaries, and employer consortiums
- Represent Academian at industry events, conferences, and workforce development forums.
- Track market trends, funding programs, employer needs, and policy drivers influencing workforce training demand.
Client Solutions & Growth
- Collaborate with delivery, account management and product and solutions teams to design tailored service solutions for partners.
- Identify opportunities for account expansion, renewals, and multi-year engagements.
- Act as a trusted advisor to clients, aligning Academian’s services to their student outcomes and employer placement goals.
Deal Shaping & Services Execution Alignment
- Shape deals in close collaboration with Delivery and Account Management to ensure feasibility, margin alignment, and delivery readiness
- Requires experience navigating public funding, grants, employer sponsorships; ability to sell into budget-constrained, politically complex institutions.
- Translate client requirements into clearly scoped services engagements and execution roadmaps
- Support seamless transition from sales to delivery with defined success metrics and governance
Leadership & Reporting
- Provide accurate forecasting and reporting to executive leadership.
- Contribute to pricing strategy, service packaging, and competitive positioning.
- As the business grows, help build and mentor a sales or partnerships team.
Success Metrics
- Services-led revenue growth and pipeline quality
- Net-new client acquisition and strategic account expansion
- Deal win rate, contract value, and partnership longevity
- Client satisfaction and repeat business
Qualifications & Experience
· Bachelor’s degree required, Master’s preferred
· 15+ years of experience in business development, sales, or partnerships within:
- Workforce development
- Career education
- Corporate training
- EdTech or employability solutions
· Proven track record of closing complex B2B or B2B2C deals in education or training markets.
· Strong network across workforce training providers, career colleges, employers, or education technology companies.
· Experience selling services, solutions, or managed delivery models (not just software).
· Ability to engage senior stakeholders including CEOs, academic leaders, and workforce program directors.
· Strong consultative selling, negotiation, and relationship-building skills.
· Familiarity with WIOA, corporate reskilling programs, apprenticeships, or employer-led training initiatives.
· Experience selling offshore or blended service delivery models.
· Comfortable working in a fast-growing, entrepreneurial environment.
What We Offer
- Competitive base salary plus performance-based commission.
- Opportunity to build and lead a national growth strategy in a high-impact sector.
- Direct collaboration with executive leadership and global delivery teams.
- Flexible work environment with significant autonomy.
- Mission-driven work supporting workforce development and employability outcomes.
Location
- This is a US-based position with potential travel to client sites, education conferences, and educational institutions across the country.
Pay: $110,000.00 - $130,000.00 per year
Benefits:
Work Location: Remote
