Partnership Development Specialist

Position Summary:

The Partnership Development Specialist supports Salem University's growth by identifying, developing, and managing strategic partnerships with employers, organizations, and other external partners.

This position is responsible for building and maintaining a qualified partnership pipeline, conducting proactive outreach, developing relationships with key decision-makers, presenting University programs and partnership solutions, and managing prospective partnerships from initial engagement through contract execution and implementation.

The Partnership Development Specialist serves as an external representative of Salem University and works collaboratively with Enrollment, Academic Affairs, Marketing, Workforce Development, and other University departments to ensure partnership opportunities are effectively developed, communicated, and supported.

The successful candidate will be a results-oriented relationship builder with strong communication, organizational, and business development skills and the ability to independently manage multiple partnership opportunities in a growth-focused environment.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

The duties listed below are representative of the responsibilities of this position. Additional duties may be assigned to support institutional priorities.

Partnership Development & Business Growth

• Identify and develop new partnership opportunities with employers, corporations, community organizations, workforce organizations, and other prospective partners. 
• Build and maintain a qualified pipeline of prospective partnership opportunities. 
• Conduct market research, networking, referrals, cold outreach, and other business-development activities to identify potential partners. 
• Develop and execute outreach strategies aligned with University partnership and enrollment goals. 
• Establish relationships with key organizational decision-makers and maintain consistent communication throughout the partnership-development process. 
• Assess prospective partner needs and align appropriate Salem University programs, educational pathways, and partnership solutions with identified opportunities. 
• Meet or exceed established quarterly and annual partnership-development goals. 

Partnership Sales & Relationship Management

• Manage the partnership-development cycle from initial prospecting and discovery through proposal development, agreement execution, implementation, and ongoing relationship support. 
• Conduct discovery meetings to understand prospective partner needs, workforce priorities, educational objectives, and potential enrollment opportunities. 
• Develop and deliver professional presentations and proposals tailored to prospective partner needs. 
• Effectively communicate the value of Salem University's academic programs, workforce solutions, and partnership opportunities. 
• Conduct timely follow-up with prospective partners and maintain momentum throughout the partnership-development process. 
• Support renewal, expansion, and continued development of existing partnership relationships. 
• Represent Salem University professionally during partner meetings, events, conferences, and other external engagements. 

Pipeline Management & Reporting

• Maintain accurate and timely documentation of partnership activity, contacts, meetings, opportunities, and next steps within HubSpot or other University-approved systems. 
• Monitor partnership pipeline activity and progress against established performance expectations. 
• Prepare regular reports regarding prospecting activity, partnership opportunities, contracts, enrollment activity, and other key performance indicators. 
• Analyze pipeline trends, prospective partner feedback, and market information to identify opportunities for improvement or growth. 
• Maintain appropriate documentation related to partnership agreements and implementation activities. 

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Collaborate with Enrollment to support the transition of partnership opportunities into prospective student and enrollment pipelines. 
• Coordinate with Academic Affairs and other University departments to ensure proposed partnership solutions align with available programs and institutional capabilities. 
• Partner with Marketing on outreach materials, presentations, events, and partnership communication strategies. 
• Communicate partnership developments, commitments, implementation requirements, and enrollment opportunities to appropriate internal stakeholders. 
• Facilitate effective handoffs when partnership opportunities move from business development into implementation or ongoing account support. 
• Participate in University meetings, planning sessions, and partnership-related initiatives as assigned. 

Performance & Accountability

• Maintain consistent outbound partnership-development activity. 
• Manage assigned prospects and partnership opportunities through established pipeline stages. 
• Achieve established performance expectations related to qualified leads, outreach, discovery meetings, proposals, contracts, and partnership development. 
• Maintain timely and accurate CRM documentation and reporting. 
• Demonstrate appropriate ownership and follow-through on partnership opportunities and commitments. 
• Perform other duties as assigned. 

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution or equivalent combination of education and relevant professional experience. 
• Minimum of three years of experience in business development, sales, partnership development, account management, recruitment, or a related field. 
• Demonstrated experience developing professional relationships and managing prospective client or partner opportunities. 
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and manage multiple priorities. 
• Strong written, verbal, and presentation communication skills. 
• Ability and willingness to travel approximately 30% as required by the position. 

Preferred Qualifications

• Three to five years of direct business-to-business sales or partnership development experience. 
• Experience in higher education, workforce development, corporate education, employee benefits, training, or related industries. 
• Experience working with HubSpot or another CRM platform. 
• Experience managing business development or sales pipeline. 
• Experience developing proposals, partnership agreements, or corporate education solutions. 
• Demonstrated success meeting established sales, business-development, or partnership goals. 
• Residence in Virginia, Tennessee, Maryland, Ohio, or Georgia preferred based on the University's partnership-development priorities and geographic coverage needs.

Physical Requirements

The physical demands described below are representative of those required to successfully perform the essential functions of this position.

• Prolonged periods of sitting while working at a computer. 
• Frequent use of computers, telephones, and virtual meeting technology. 
• Ability to communicate effectively through written, verbal, telephone, and virtual communication platforms. 
• Ability to travel by automobile and/or air as required. 
• Ability to attend meetings, conferences, networking events, and other partnership-development activities. 

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the position.

Work Environment

This position operates primarily in a remote professional work environment and requires regular use of telephone, email, video conferencing, CRM, and other technology platforms.

The position requires approximately 30% travel for partner meetings, conferences, networking activities, University events, and other business-development opportunities.

Occasional evening or weekend work may be required based on partner availability, travel schedules, conferences, or University events.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Salem University is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all applicants and employees in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws.

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this position.

Job Description Disclaimer

This job description is intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed by individuals assigned to this position. It is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, or qualifications. Salem University reserves the right to modify responsibilities as institutional needs evolve.