Business Development Officer

Job no: 495230

Work type: Staff Full-Time

Location: Lafayette, LA

Categories: Workforce Development & Education

College: South Louisiana Community College

Department: Workforce & Economic Development

Sub department: Corporate College

Type of Appointment: Unclassified - Administrative/Staff

Salary: $57, $64,800.00

Duties and Responsibilities:

Work Habits: 50%

• Proactively seek and secure new partnerships with employers to develop customized workforce training opportunities.
• Independently manage a pipeline of prospects, track leads, and follow up in a timely, organized, and goal-oriented manner.
• Submit weekly progress reports and maintain accurate records of partner interactions, proposals, and program performance in CRM (Salesforce).
• Exhibit strong time-management skills by effectively balancing multiple priorities and meeting deadlines consistently.
• Demonstrate initiative by staying informed about regional labor trends and proposing programmatic responses.
• Forecast sales targets and ensure they are met by the team.
• Track and record activity on accounts and help to close deals to meet these targets.
• Present about the opportunities at the college to Economic Development Groups, Chamber of Commerce, and Industrial Associations.
• Cold call as appropriate within your market or geographic area to ensure a robust pipeline of opportunities. Meeting of potential clients through growing, maintaining, and leveraging network opportunities.
• Understands and communicates funding assistance opportunities for industry partners.
• Possess and active, unencumbered driver's license and maintain all mandatory trainings assigned.

Behavioral Standards: 15%

• Represent the college with professionalism, integrity, and a commitment to community impact.
• Communicate with clarity, respect, and purpose across diverse audiences, including business leaders, faculty, and students.
• Maintain confidentiality of sensitive business and institutional information
• Exhibit adaptability in a fast-paced, evolving workforce development environment.
• Uphold equity and inclusion principles by supporting access to training for diverse populations and underserved communities.

Institutional Support: 15%

• Collaborate with college leadership to align workforce initiatives with institutional goals and strategic plans.
• Provide insight and data to support training proposals, funding applications, and program evaluations.
• Ensure all workforce training activities comply with college policies, state regulations, and accrediting bodies.
• Support enrollment and student success efforts by aligning program delivery with adult learner needs and employer expectations.
• Help showcase the college's workforce impact through reports, success stories, and employer testimonials.

Team Relations: 20%

• Partner closely with faculty, instructional designers, career services, and continuing education teams to deliver relevant and high-quality training.
• Work with marketing staff to ensure that prerequisites (like prequalification or getting on a vendor list) are fulfilled in a timely manner.
• Share employer feedback and labor market insights with internal teams to inform curriculum updates and new offerings.
• Attend and actively participate in departmental and cross-functional meetings.
• Serve as a connector and communicator between external partners and internal stakeholders.
• Foster a team culture of collaboration, shared purpose, and mutual respect.
• Work with the team to develop proposals that speak to the client's needs, concerns, and objectives, including participation in pricing the solution/service.

Other duties as assigned.

Required Education:

Associate degree in education, business administration, workforce development, or a related field.

Required Experience:

Three (3) years of experience in higher education, continuing education, or workforce development.

Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Strong presentation skills with the ability to manage and inspire a team to achieve program goals.
• Ability to manage budgets, resources, and financials to support program growth and sustainability.
• Proficiency in data management and reporting tools to track program performance, student success, and financial health.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to develop partnerships and engage external stakeholders.
• Ability to understand student recruitment, retention strategies, and workforce development trends.
• Experience working with employers and industry partners to align curriculum with workforce needs

Preferred Education:

Master's degree in education, business administration, or public administration.

Preferred Experience:

Five (5)+ years of experience working within higher education programs, learning management systems or noncredit programs.

Benefits:

As a member of the Louisiana Community and Technical College System, South Louisiana Community College has an attractive benefits package with a wide variety of benefit options. Benefits offered include retirement, multiple medical insurance options, supplemental insurances (dental, term life, disability, accident, vision, etc.), Tax Saver Flexible Benefits Plan (saves tax dollars on some child care and medical expenses), holidays (14 per year, typically includes longer break at Christmas), generous annual (vacation) and sick leave benefits and Employee Assistance Program. Specific benefits depend on job category, percent effort and length of employment.

Passing pre-employment criminal background screen is required as a condition of employment. South Louisiana Community College is an equal opportunity/equal access employer. South Louisiana Community College is a State As a Model Employer (SAME) agency that supports improved employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities.

Advertised: 15 Oct 2025 Central Daylight Time

Applications close: 29 Oct 2025 Central Daylight Time