Chief, Business Engagement Officer

Job Description

Job Description

Position Title: CHIEF BUSINESS ENGAGEMENT OFFICER

Department: BUSINESS ENGAGEMENT OFFICE/EXECUTIVE TEAM

Reports to: Chief Operating Officer (COO)

Latest Revision: April 2026

FLSA status: Full time, exempt

Hiring range: $150,000-$175,000

Benefits include: Hybrid work model, flexible work schedule, generous paid time off, 401(K) match, healthcare, dental and vision insurance, health savings account and life insurance.

Location: Centre City Tower, 650 Smithfield Street, Suite 2400, Pittsburgh, PA 15222

Partner4Work values diversity and is committed to building a team that reflects the rich variety of people and perspectives in our region. We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer, providing fair and inclusive employment opportunities to all qualified individuals regardless of race, color, culture, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, or veteran status .

About Us

As the leader of Pittsburgh/Allegheny County’s public workforce system, Partner4Work works to ensure that the current and future needs of businesses and job seekers are met. Through innovative initiatives and programs spanning every facet of the workforce, Partner4Work bridges the gap between people looking for work and companies in need of talent. For our own workforce, we seek out individuals who exemplify our core values by being:

▫ Committed to excellence and measurable impact

▫ Drivers of continuous and purposeful innovation and improvement

▫ Inclusive of other’s perspectives and talents

▫ Leaders of utmost integrity

▫ Passionate and enthusiastic about the systems level work behind workforce development

About this Position

Partner4Work is establishing a Business Engagement Office, a new division designed to engage employers as co-creators in closing priority skill gaps, building talent pipelines, and improving job quality across Allegheny County. The Chief Business Engagement Officer (CBEO) will lead this office and its growth, establishing operating systems, building and supporting a team, and ensuring the office delivers results that are visible to employers, funders, and the public workforce system.

This is a senior leadership role that requires the ability to work credibly with senior and executive level business leaders, navigate a complex public workforce system, and translate employer needs into executable strategy. The role carries both internal and external accountability - internally to the COO and Board of Directors, and externally to employer partners, system stakeholders, and public and philanthropic funders.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

▫ The CBEO is accountable for the performance and direction of the Business Engagement Office. This includes building and managing a team of business engagement liaisons and managers, a data specialist, and a K–12 strategist and holding each accountable for defined outcomes.

▫ Foster a culture of teamwork, innovation, and accountability among staff members, promoting a positive and inclusive work environment.

▫ Staff the Sector Strategy committee of the Board of Directors, ensuring regular reporting, strategy discussion, and board-level engagement regarding the work.

▫ Lead communications efforts regarding the new Business Engagement Office, including responding to media requests, presenting in meetings with stakeholders and key decision makers, and overseeing the development and maintenance of a new website.

▫ Demonstrated ability to understand strategic business objectives for employer partners, and to devise effective strategies for Partner4Work to help employers achieve those strategic goals.

▫ Lead, manage, and hold a team of between 3-6 staff members accountable to organizational goals.

Employer Engagement and Co-Design

▫ Lead development of the full employer engagement lifecycle from prospect qualification through sustained relationships, ensuring each engagement is documented, measurable, and grounded in co-designed solutions.

▫ Oversee development of business briefings, data-informed employer profiles that synthesize hiring needs, wage competitiveness, talent supply, and potential funding stacks, as the foundation for every engagement.

▫ Work closely with system partners, including the PA CareerLink® business services teams when engagements move into candidate sourcing, screening, or interview coordination, while maintaining employer continuity and experience.

▫ Apply a social determinant of work lens to solution design, translating barriers such as transportation, childcare, scheduling, and supervisory practice into practical program elements.

▫ Understand and grow workstreams for individual 1:1 employer engagement and Industry Partnerships, where multiple employers across an industry work together to build solutions for system level workforce challenges.

▫ Coordinate with regional economic development stakeholders, relevant State agencies, elected officials, and business leaders to help attract new employers to the region as needed.

Strategy and Operations

▫ Set the strategic direction of the office and establish systems for intake, CRM documentation (Creatio), structured handoffs, and performance tracking.

▫ Establish and monitor KPIs to demonstrate the return on investment for the Department.

▫ Document successful engagement models as internal playbooks and support staff in their implementation.

▫ Identify and pursue opportunities to blend federal and non-federal funding, including fee-for-service offerings, in support of employer-driven solutions.

▫ Evidence entrepreneurial skills by creating innovative strategies to connect with employer partners, and to devise effective solutions to meet their workforce needs.

▫ Coordinate with the K–12 strategist to align employer engagement with Career Ready Allegheny and Connect4Work, ensuring coherence across exposure, hiring, and retention strategies.

Leadership and External Representation

▫ Represent Partner4Work with employers, policy makers, funders, and regional stakeholders.

▫ Serve as the office’s primary relationship holder with senior employer contacts, ensuring continuity, trust, and accountability throughout multi-phase engagements.

▫ Staff the Sector Strategies Committee of the Board of Directors, working closely with the Committee chair to set a strategic agenda, plan meetings, and ensure accountability to the Board.

Skills and Qualifications

▫ 7 or more years of progressive experience in employer engagement, business development, workforce development, or a related field, with at least 3 years in a leadership role. Experience with talent acquisition is highly preferred.

▫ Demonstrated ability to lead complex, multi-stakeholder engagements from initial outreach through execution and sustained relationships.

▫ Ability to communicate credibly with senior business leaders and translate employer needs into program or policy solutions.

▫ Curiosity and a deep interest in helping business partners improve their recruitment, retention, and job quality required.

▫ Experience working within or alongside a public workforce system preferred. Familiarity with WIOA-funded programs and PA CareerLink® business services is an asset but not required.

▫ Familiarity with labor market data tools (e.g., Lightcast, EconoVue), CRM systems, and braided funding structures preferred, but not required.

▫ Strong written and verbal communication skills; ability to brief executive and board-level audiences.

ADA Requirements

This position is primarily office-based. The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential job functions.

▫ Regular activities: sitting, typing, writing, speaking, and hearing.

▫ Occasional activities: standing, walking, bending, and lifting items up to 10 pounds.

Acknowledgment

I understand that this job description is not intended to be inclusive. Employees may be required to perform other related duties as directed by their supervisor or leadership.