Business Development and Industry Strategist

The Business Development and Industry Strategist plays a crucial role in generating leads and supporting initial qualification to provide Regional Business Developers with viable prospects for conversion into paid, creditable co-op jobs. This position prioritizes growing opportunities at scale for strategically prioritized segments, focusing on areas of need identified by faculty such as focus programs, new programs, or new faculty-driven initiatives.

• Develop and implement an ongoing strategy for the identification and nurturing of influencer groups, industry partners at the national and provincial level to generate more co-op opportunities.
• Develop strong lead funnels to support focus and at-risk programs and priority industries.
• Introduce and use a keen understanding of effective sales and conversion tools and techniques to assess the prospective employer's needs and discuss how hiring a student could bring value to the employer.
• Create and deploy internal tools & resources to assist staff in providing industry-specific job development to active employers and prospective employers.
• Collaborate with Regional Business Developers to develop strategies and campaigns at the regional level with influencer groups (Chambers of Commerce, Economic Development Corporations) creating lead development funnels.
• Consult Communications, Engagement and Digital Experience team on development of social media and marketing campaigns to promote the University, Work Learn Institute & Co-operative Education (key message platforms personas).
• Research, adopt and implement technologies that can enable more efficiency and productivity for business development and training the BD staff on effective use.
• Actively participate in industry events and developing materials that will have the highest impact for the industry.
• Become an expert in our co-operative education model, understanding our programs, students, and process to effectively orient with a focus on new employer development and success.
• Process improvement to improve new employer experience.
• Create meaningful presentations to speak to audience-based presentations backed by the Work Learn Institute research, and co-op data.
• Lead strategy for industry events, conferences, and tradeshows.
• Present at events, webinars, and participate in expert panels on behalf of Co-op and the University.

• Develop and implement an ongoing strategy for outreach and collaboration with industry organizations to strengthen ties with the Waterloo community, faculty, and students.
• Work closely with Employment Relations and the Work Learn Institute to build awareness of Co-operative & Experiential Education (CEE)'s and co-op students' impact in targeted industries, spark use and interest, support partner involvement, and build user engagement.
• Engage with industry human resources and recruiting staff to understand talent development needs of companies.
• Develop and manage sponsorship opportunities with industry partners.
• Engage with industry associations, national & provincial HR organizations to influence scope of Waterloo's presence across industries that have the greatest employment impact.
• Identify areas of synergy and mutual benefit and opportunities for collaboration among industry, faculty, and CEE and actively facilitate the development of new collaborations.
• Coordinate and deliver presentations to partners, influencers, government, and industry.
• Work closely with partner organizations to support companies and provide effective referral to other partner organizations as appropriate.
• Advancing the goals of Co-operative & Experiential Education (CEE).

• Develop strategic plans at the provincial and national levels, incorporating labour market research, communications, employment data, and industry/faculty collaborations.
• Work closely with the Employment Relations, Student and Faculty Relations, Engagement teams, and the Work Learn Institute to understand and shape promotion of work-integrated learning expertise/research across industry partners, employers, and internal campus partners.
• Identify and support the development of specific opportunities for collaborative projects with industry partners and academic partners.
• Lead strategy and act as project manager for self-hosted events to develop opportunities for active employers, prospective employers, campus partners, and industry experts to drive industry-specific job development.
• Create integrated approaches to develop leads leveraging marketing channels and industry partners that can be replicated across regions and industries.
• Develop integrated strategy for job development in areas of greatest need. Consult and incorporate feedback from all stakeholders (students, faculty, industry, employers, and staff).
• Develop marketing messaging and audience personas to align with industry job needs.
• Operate as subject matter experts.
• Record all relevant data about each lead into the lead management system accurately and completely.
• Record all communications, presentations, meetings, and the outcomes of the interactions within the lead management system.
• Address challenges within the business development process with solutions for optimal outcomes.
• Continuously improve business development approaches, process, and technology for greater efficiency, effectiveness, productivity, and results.

• University undergraduate degree in Business or equivalent.
• Additional Certificates in Marketing and Sales and/or Project Management an asset.
• Over 5 years of experience in a business development role is required.
• Over 5 years of sales experience with demonstrated success – preferably in a business-to-business context.
• Proven experience developing strong partnerships with employers, industries, and levels of government.
• Experience working with Marketing and Communications teams to develop marketing materials/strategies for campaigns including webinars, conference presentations, newsletter content, social media posts, and thought leadership pieces.
• Excellent oral, written, and interpersonal communication skills required to build lasting relationships.
• Proven, in-depth understanding of the sales cycle.
• Demonstrated ability to grow a successful sales funnel through self-generated leads and initiatives.
• Industry, labour market, and economic forecasting knowledge across Canada.
• The ability to think strategically and create effective business plans that align with our targets and goals.
• Excellent customer service, relationship management skills, building strong collaborations, and understanding of the customer experience.
• Financial/budget administrative experience to support strategic plans.
• Understanding of provincial and federal funding opportunities an asset.
• Confident presenting and attending events to spotlight our Co-op Program.
• Excellent social media, Digital, and IT fluency.
• Understanding of marketing channels and campaign creation to aid in job development.
• Proven experience developing and deploying large-scale marketing tactics with targeted industry-specific messaging.
• Strong organizational skills are imperative to document, track, and report on interactions and the status of each lead and collaboration within the official system of record.