Business Development & Community Engagement Specialist (63091)

Business Development & Community Engagement Specialist

Salary Range $71,000.00 - $77,000.00 Salary/year

Overview

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. This role is responsible for building and maintaining relationships with workforce agencies, community organizations, schools, and public sector partners to generate qualified student referrals and strengthen community presence. This role works closely with Admissions and campus leadership to ensure strong communication, partnership engagement, and conversion of prospective student leads into enrollments.

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.
• Develop and deliver presentations, workshops, and community education initiatives that effectively position institutional programs and healthcare career pathways to prospective students and partner organizations.
• 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.
• Other duties as assigned.

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.