New Search Announcement! Associate Director of Business Development for Year Up, A Best Nonprofit to Work For!

Pillar Search is pleased to announce the search for Year Up’s Associate Director of Business Development in San Jose, CA

 

ORGANIZATION DESCRIPTION:

Year Up is an award-winning national 501(c)3 organization striving to close the Opportunity Divide by providing urban young adults ages 18-24 with the skills, experience, and support that will empower them to reach their potential through professional careers and higher education. Through a one-year intensive training program, these young adults complete a unique combination of rigorous, hands-on technical and professional skills training, college credit, and corporate internships. With an annual operating budget of $90 million, Year Up served over 2,700 students in 2015 nationwide.

 

Year Up takes three approaches to closing the Opportunity Divide. Their core sites are based on their founding program model – direct service programming where facilities, staff, infrastructure, academics, and all other aspects of the program are managed by Year Up staff. The Professional Training Corps (PTC) is a community college based model that provides an opportunity for students to engage in meaningful workforce training. In this model, students are dual-enrolled in the community college and Year Up; technical skills are taught by college faculty, while Year Up staff provide professional skills and other wrap-around services. Lastly, their Employer Based Solutions are created in collaboration with employer partners; custom solutions are developed to meet critical business needs and solve for skills gap challenges in the marketplace.

 

Consistently voted one of the Best Nonprofits to Work For by the Nonprofit Times, Year Up is a rewarding place to work. Their staff is passionate, supportive, mission-driven, and committed to positive change and continuous learning. They set high standards for both themselves and their students, and live by a set of core values that reflect an unshakable belief in the talent and full potential of young adults. The work they do is life-changing, and they know that their team is the greatest asset in achieving their mission.

 

OVERVIEW:

Reporting to the Regional Director of Partner Relations – West, the Associate Director of Business Development – Bay Area, CA is a key member of Year Up Bay Area’s Corporate Engagement team – the epitome of hard business skills in a mission-driven setting. S/he will connect top corporations in need of entry level talent with professionally trained, high-potential urban young adults.  The Corporate Engagement team, responsible for generating approximately 60% of our annual budget and connecting alumni with post-program career and education pathways, is seeking an additional member to reach tangible targets in developing and following leads, closing sales, and connecting grads with professional jobs.

To be successful in this role, you will desire to leverage your demonstrated for-profit revenue generation and career placement experience in a mission-driven social enterprise.  As an ideal candidate, you are someone who understands sales and thrives in environments that require you to build and maintain relationships.  You have a knack for networking and can speak passionately about Year Up’s mission and the students we serve.

In keeping with Year Up’s values, the Associate Director of Business Development will also have the opportunity to interact with students as a mentor, group facilitator, and advocate, participating in building a positive educational environment.

Year Up Map

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

  • Revenue Generation and Outcomes Business Development:
  • Lead business development and acquisition by building new corporate partnerships for internship seats and alumni hiring to top companies in the Bay Area while maximizing all opportunities and making recommendations on the various solutions, partnerships, and volunteer opportunities Year Up offers
  • Develop and implement Business Development strategy that generates internship revenue through the acquisition of new corporate partnerships and leads to increased alumni hires through partnerships with staffing agencies and hiring managers
  • Engage with C-level executives and decision makers at all organizations, from Fortune 500s to start-ups and small local businesses in a variety of settings from one-one-one meetings to large events
  • Develop and leverage a database of qualified leads through referrals, telephone canvassing, face to face meetings, cold calling, direct mail, email, and networking responding to territory assignments
  • Create and conduct effective presentations and proposals that identify Year Up’s innovative model and past successes for solving entry level talent needs at partner corporations through internships and alumni hires
  • Ensure alignment between graduate skill-set and hiring partnership development, as well as between internship partnership, role development, and intern skill-set
  • Maintain accurate and comprehensive records (in Salesforce.com) of activities such as sales calls, presentations, closed sales, and follow-up
  • In conjunction with the Director, develop annual business plan detailing activities to follow during the year, which will focus the candidate on meeting or exceeding sales quota
  • Relationships Management (External):
  • Build and drive our strategy to engage multiple special interest groups within partner segment to deepen partnerships and grow pipeline
  • Plan and implement corporate partner events aimed at deepening engagement, including convening corporate champions across industry verticals
  • Embrace the mantra of “high expectations, high support” in interactions with corporate partners and interns
  • Staff and Students Relationships Management (Internal):
  • Facilitate collaboration across functional teams, specifically, development, academics, and career services
  • Work closely with program leadership to ensure students strategically align with corporate partners needs
  • Create greater understanding of the internship program to all Year Up staff members
  • Site Team/Learning Community Member
  • Serve as an advisor/mentor for a small number of current students
  • Join and sometimes facilitate weekly group sessions with students
  • Participate in staff meetings and trainings 

 

QUALIFICATIONS:

  • Minimum of 4-5 years of experience preferred
  • New business sales and account management experience strongly preferred
  • Bachelor’s degree typical/preferred
  • Successful achievement of a minimum of $1m in sales targets
  • Demonstrated successful track record in a direct sales capacity
  • Demonstrated ability to generate leads and close business
  • Documented strengths in meaningful relationship building, management and growth
  • Strong networking skills and the ability to move comfortably and credibly in the community
  • Strong communication and collaboration skills to ensure alignment across several teams
  • Strong organizational and time management skills with exceptional attention to detail
  • A professional and resourceful style with the ability to work independently and as a team player, to take initiative and manage multiple tasks and projects at a time
  • Ability to thrive in a fluid, dynamic organization with a minimal amount of direction
  • Ability to plan, introduce and lead a process that enables high quality growth
  • Ability to lead, willingness to be led, and comfort with situational leadership
  • Proficiency with Microsoft Office required; Salesforce.com experience preferred
  • A passion for working with urban young adults, an unshakable belief in their potential and a strong commitment to the mission of Year Up
  • Understanding of the Opportunity Divide and its drivers
  • Commitment to diversity and inclusion

 

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS:

  • Salary: Competitive and commensurate with education and experience
  • Benefits: Competitive package including 100% healthcare coverage, dental, and 401(k) match
  • Vacation: Three weeks paid vacation in first year of employment; four weeks after initial year
  • Professional development: Funds available to support staff in achieving career objectives

 

TO APPLY:

Please submit a thoughtful cover letter and resume to Cindy Joyce of Pillar Search at cindy@pillarsearch.com. Note that applications without a cover letter and salary expectations will not be considered. We respectfully request no phone calls.

Surf’s Up: What Surfing Can Teach You about Your Job Search

I am a surfer, or at least aspiring to be one.  Recently, I was out on my board on a day with few good waves and plenty of downtime to ponder this addicting sport and life in general, and began to realize that there are many parallels between the job search and surfing.

 

Like the job search, surfing depends as much on one’s skill and experience as it does a host of conditions that we have zero control over.  Weather.  Crowded surfing areas and beaches.  Wave size and frequency.  Swell direction.  The list is endless, just as it is when you are seeking a new job in a competitive market or industry.

 

Once you have decided to get in the water (or start looking for your next career opportunity), you paddle out and try not to bump into others.  In the job search, this can be those baby steps that are really critical to overall success, such as writing your resume, crafting solid cover letters, beefing up your LinkedIn profile, and letting people in your network know that you are open to a new opportunity.

 

Experienced surfers will have multiple boards to choose from to suit their mood or the conditions. Savvy candidates will do the same. Perhaps your “board” will be resumes that highlight different skills and career objectives depending on the jobs you are interested in, or cover letters that will be the differentiator. Knowing yourself and the tools that are available to you is key to success.

 

Like choosing the right job to apply to, choosing the right wave is key.  It would be physically and emotionally exhausting to paddle out, attempt to get in the right spot at the right time, pop up, and stay balanced if surfers went after every wave that came along.  Be selective so that you are fresh and energized when the right one comes along.

 

Hang ten.  Surfs up.  Cut the curl.  These are not sayings that you will hear on a golf course, tennis court, or basketball court. They are specific to the sport of surfing. An industry will have its own language and catch phrases.  Do your research so that you can communicate better with the people you are interviewing with and gain their trust and confidence.

 

Enjoy the ride, even if it is not the perfect wave.  There are days that I get out on the board and I am just not feeling it, but I still enjoy being out there.  The same can happen in an interview when the job and company look great on paper, but in the light of day you just do not feel that spark.  Relax.  Every interview is good practice and experience as well as a chance to expand your network.   Surfers talk about catching the perfect wave, but in reality we try and try and keep getting back on the board, even after falling or not doing our best.

 

Having a good instructor helps.  Even the most experienced surfers sometimes need a fine tuning on their technique, someone who can help them to look at their style and approach and make suggestions.  In the job search, working with an Executive Recruiter can be invaluable, as we will take a fresh look at your resume and help you to identify the skills and experiences that you should highlight in the interview.

 

Ultimately, you may need to try a few waves before you find the ideal one, but in the end, there is no feeling as satisfying and euphoric as catching that perfect wave.  The same holds true for the job search.  Keep at it, and you will catch the right job and have the ride of your life.