Manager, Business Development

The Role

Reporting to the Director, Business Development the Manager, Business Development , provides leadership, supervision and program development to one or more of the department’s functional teams (career services, employer engagement, promotions & events and student volunteer program) including the implementation of strategies and cultivation of external relationships with industry and community partners. This position ensures these strategies are aligned with the College’s Strategic Plan for increased experiential education, work-integrated learning, and career success for students. The Manager identifies, engages, and manages external relationships targeted to deliver a sustained flow of opportunities for students and guides business development operations and/or career services.

The Manager, Business Development oversees the department’s functional teams to ensure the professional delivery of of career services, events, promotions, and employer engagement in support of the Strategic Plan and departmental goals. Responsibilities Under the direction of the Director, Business Development, the Manager, Business Developmentis accountable for the following:

Leadership and Administration Providing leadership and direction to the department’s functional teams staff related to day-to-day operations and departmental priorities and projects; Hiring, training, and mentoring of the department’s functional teams; Assigning and approving schedules, evaluating work quality, performance planning and management, and disciplining while ensuring compliance with collective agreements; Workforce planning – assessing staffing requirements and making recommendations for new positions, modification of existing positions and changes to the staff complement; Ensuring consistency of practice, tracking optimum service levels and reporting performance benchmarks to the Director of Business Development; Contributing to the long-term strategic development of the Business Development department’s direction and sustainability; Building consensus and fostering teamwork among a variety of stakeholders in the business community;  Creating partnerships across the College that connect students with employers & opportunities; Leading events to provide students with market intelligence related to their target careers, business community connections and opportunities for employment; Maintaining productive working relationships with the faculties and all service areas; Demonstrating diplomacy, discretion and tact in all communications and ability to manage difficult or stressful conversations; Overseeing hiring of student assistants and Co-op students as required; Managing and preparing budgets for the department’s functional teams as required; Participating in Business Continuity planning and departmental safety training and fraud prevention awareness; Leading and contributing to departmental and team meetings; Actively modelling the Douglas College Core Competencies. Acting on behalf of the Director in their absence, as required. Business Development and Relationship Management Promoting Douglas College’s students and programs, effectively positioning the College as a provider of rigorous academic programs and a source of top talent; Creating a strategic plan to streamline department’s functional teams outreach activities to drive greater ROI from these initiatives; Representing the College at networking or other business events to increase awareness of Douglas College and the opportunities available to industry and community partners for engagement; Participating in professional career education and business organizations as a representative of the College; Researching and cultivating relationships with key employers whose recruiting needs align with Douglas College’s academic programs; Initiating opportunities for on-campus recruiting, networking, and career development events, and working with internal and external stakeholders to implement these; Leveraging relationships with a range of stakeholders to maximize opportunities for students; Securing opportunities leading to the hiring of Douglas College students into career-relevant Co-op Work Terms, Business Internships, practicums, and applied research or industry projects; Maintaining expertise on BC’s business environment, analysing labour market trends, and identifying emerging opportunities aligned with college programs; Surveying employers to identify market challenges, skill gaps, targeted recruiting profiles and new opportunities. Career Services and Program Management Providing strategic input to planning, development, and implementation of career development training programs at the Career Centre to ensure alignment with industry standards and labour market needs; Strategic planning and consultation with college stakeholders on student employability and experiential education needs; Managing project teams throughout the process of event development or other initiatives; creating project concept, assigning project team duties, and managing functional team member’s execution of duties; Soliciting feedback from participating employers to inform training programs and enhance relevance in career-related skills training;  Reviewing metrics to monitor student program participation and success rates to pro-actively create strategies to enhance Career Centre training programs’ value in preparing students for the job market; Overseeing a direct match approach to employment support to connect students to specific opportunities as these may arise; Performing other duties as required. To Be Successful in this Role You Will Need EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS Established professional credibility as evidenced by a degree from an accredited post-secondary institution in a related area of study, or an equivalent combination of education and experience; A minimum of 8 years’ related experience including experience in:Business Development experience, engaging with medium to large employers in the business communityJob Development, ideally in a post-secondary career centre, WorkBC or employment agency environment Minimum of 3 years’ supervisory experience ideally in a unionized environment; Minimum 3 years’ experience in a career skills training environment such as a post secondary Career Centre, or similar; Proven record of achieving job creation and business development goals; Strong knowledge of best practices in career education as evidenced by active participation in CEWIL (Co-operative Education and Work Integrated Learning), CACEE (Canadian Association of Career Educators and Employers) or other Career Education organizations; Extensive knowledge of and experience with job development strategies, particularly those impacting international and entry-level candidates from post-secondary institutions; Ability to lead initiatives and manage projects involving senior colleagues, local government representatives, and the business community; Experience responding to diverse student needs, including those of international students, Indigenous students, students with disabilities, and students who identify as LGBTQIA2S+; Demonstrated commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion; Demonstrated understanding of the importance of Truth and Reconciliation, Decolonization, and Indigenization within the post-secondary context; Expertise in career skills training programming; Demonstrated success connecting new employers to students for studies-relevant work experience opportunities; Excellent organizational, analytical and leadership skills; Skilled at business analytics to support data-driven decision-making; Excellent written, presentation and oral communication skills; Demonstrated ability to model appropriate professional, ethical and collaborative behaviours consistent with the responsibilities of this position; Ability to manage multiple priorities, complex tasks, and to meet deadlines. Demonstrated abilities that align with the Douglas College Core Competency Framework

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