Business Development & Community Engagement Specialist (63091)

About the role

The Business Development & Community Engagement Specialist develops and implements regional outreach, partnership development, and community engagement initiatives designed to drive student enrollment growth for EMT and allied health programs across Southern California.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the institution's primary representative for assigned community and workforce partnerships, cultivating, managing, and strengthening external relationships to achieve enrollment and outreach objectives.
• Identify, evaluate, and prioritize partnership opportunities with workforce agencies, community-based organizations, educational institutions, healthcare employers, and public-sector entities based on enrollment potential, strategic alignment, and market demand.
• Establish, negotiate, and maintain referral partnerships and community engagement initiatives within established institutional guidelines, making recommendations regarding partnership development, continuation, expansion, or termination.
• Analyze workforce trends, demographic data, community needs assessments, and enrollment performance metrics to identify new market opportunities and recommend outreach strategies that support institutional growth objectives.
• Serve as the institution's primary representative for assigned community and workforce partnerships, cultivating, managing, and strengthening external relationships to achieve enrollment and outreach objectives.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of outreach activities, referral sources, and partnership performance; develop recommendations and implement adjustments to improve lead generation, enrollment conversion, and return on investment.
• Collaborate with Admissions and campus leadership to develop outreach priorities, align recruitment initiatives, and resolve partnership-related issues that may impact enrollment outcomes.
• Plan and manage community engagement activities, recruitment events, and regional outreach initiatives, determining appropriate resource allocation, event participation, and engagement strategies.
• Maintain accountability for assigned outreach territories, partnership portfolios, enrollment contribution targets, and community engagement objectives.
• Prepare and present reports, analysis, and strategic recommendations to leadership regarding partnership performance, market opportunities, outreach effectiveness, and enrollment trends.
• Ensure compliance with applicable federal and state laws, accreditor standards, institutional policies, and partnership requirements.

Qualifications

• 7–10 years of experience in community outreach, business development, workforce development, admissions, education, sales, or related field preferred.
• Associate or bachelor’s degree preferred in Business, Marketing, Communications, Education, Healthcare, or related field.
• Strong interpersonal and relationship-building skills.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills, both oral and written.
• Ability to work independently while managing multiple outreach activities and priorities.
• Experience with community engagement, event coordination, or referral development preferred.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office required.
• Strong team player with a customer service mindset.