VP of Workforce – Business Development

About Role:

The VP of Workforce – Business Development is a senior leadership role responsible for driving services-led revenue growth, building strategic partnerships, and expanding Academian’s presence in the Workforce sector.

This role owns the full sales lifecycle, from go-to-market strategy and pipeline development to deal closure and long-term partnership growth. The ideal candidate brings deep experience selling into workforce development, career colleges, corporate training, or EdTech, along with strong relationships across the employability and skills training ecosystem.

This is a high-impact, externally facing “hunter” role requiring enterprise sales expertise, strategic thinking, and the ability to navigate complex, long-cycle, services-driven partnerships.

Key Responsibilities:

Services-Led Growth & Workforce Partnerships

• Develop and execute the 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
• Employability- and reskilling-focused EdTech companies

Business Development & Sales Leadership

• Own the end-to-end sales process: lead generation, discovery, solution input, proposals, negotiations, and closing.
• Drive net-new business acquisition as a sales hunter.
• Build and manage a strong enterprise and mid-market pipeline.

Partnerships & Market Expansion

• Establish strategic partnerships with training providers, platforms, and ecosystem players.
• Engage buyer personas including:

1. Provosts, Deans, and VPs of Workforce or Continuing Education
2. Corporate L&D and Talent Development leaders
3. Workforce boards, intermediaries, and employer consortiums

• Represent Academian at industry events, conferences, and workforce forums.
• Track market trends, funding programs, employer demand, and policy drivers impacting workforce training.

Client Solutions & Growth

• Collaborate with delivery, account management, product, and solutions teams to design tailored service offerings.
• Identify opportunities for account expansion, renewals, and multi-year engagements.
• Act as a trusted advisor, aligning Academian’s services to client outcomes and employer placement goals.

Deal Shaping & Services Execution Alignment

• Shape deals in close collaboration with Delivery and Account Management to ensure feasibility, margins, and delivery readiness.
• Navigate public funding, grants, and employer sponsorship models within budget-constrained and politically complex institutions.
• Translate client needs into clearly scoped services engagements and execution roadmaps.
• Support seamless sales-to-delivery handoff 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 scales, 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 success closing complex B2B or B2B2C deals in education or training markets.
• Strong network across workforce providers, career colleges, employers, and EdTech companies.
• Experience selling services, solutions, or managed delivery models (not software-only).
• Ability to engage senior stakeholders including CEOs, academic leaders, and workforce directors.
• Strong consultative selling, negotiation, and relationship-building skills.
• Familiarity with WIOA, apprenticeships, corporate reskilling, and employer-led training initiatives.
• Experience selling offshore or blended service delivery models.
• Comfortable operating in a fast-growing, entrepreneurial environment.