The Business Development Manager at the Alliance for Community Empowerment (ACE) serves as a critical bridge between employer partners and the communities ACE is committed to uplifting. In this dynamic, externally-facing role, you will leverage your expertise in relationship-building, workforce development, and strategic outreach to cultivate a robust network of local, regional, and national employers eager to hire and invest in ACE participants. You will champion ACE's mission by designing and executing targeted employer engagement strategies, facilitating meaningful employment pathways, and collaborating across sectors. Success in this role demands a proactive, equity-minded professional who thrives in fast-paced environments, brings deep knowledge of workforce systems and high-growth industries, and understands how to meet both employer needs and the unique strengths of underserved and justice-involved job seekers. If you are driven by measurable impact and believe that meaningful employment is a pathway to lasting empowerment, ACE invites you to bring your vision and expertise to this role.

Duties & Responsibilities:

Employer Relationship Recruitment & Development: Build, recruit, and maintain partnerships with employers to secure employment and internship opportunities for ACE program participants. Develop targeted engagement strategies to match participant skills with employer needs, fostering long-term collaboration. Coordinate feedback loops with employers and participants to evaluate placement success and make continuous improvements. Develop and manage a resource database of recruited employer contacts, job opportunities, and industry connections to support the placement efforts of ACE Participants.
Fair Chance employer outreach, including educating and guiding employers through background check policies, EEOC guidance, and Fair Chance hiring practices.
Advisory Council Engagement: Actively recruit and engage employment leaders to join ACE's Employer Advisory Council, ensuring diverse representation from key industry sectors. Collaborate with Council members to gather insights on industry trends and workforce demands to inform ACE programming.
Workshops and Training Support: Offer work readiness workshops, including resume building, interview techniques, and industry-specific skill development. Coordinate with ACE's program teams to ensure workshops align with participant needs and career pathways.
Employment Exposure Initiatives: Organize and lead participant excursions to job fairs, work expos, and on-site employer tours, facilitating experiential learning and networking opportunities for ACE participants.
Government and CBO Workforce Alignment: Identify and cultivate relationships with potential workforce partners, government or CBO, to support ACE's program participants. Work in conjunction with ACE's program and executive teams to highlight partnership benefits and expand ACE's workforce development network.
Data & Reporting: Track and report employer engagement metrics, placement rates, and retention outcomes.
Availability: Maintain availability to work outside standard business hours, with ACE providing advance notice, to ensure effective leadership and delivery of department and program specific participant programming and programmatic initiatives.
Other duties as assigned.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

Networking & Relationship-Building: Strong ability to establish and maintain collaborative relationships across diverse sectors and community stakeholders; demonstrated existing contacts with employers across high-growth industries.
Communication: Exceptional written and verbal communication skills for clear and effective interactions with participants, colleagues, and partners.
Workforce Development Insight: In-depth understanding of workforce development practices, especially with underserved and justice-involved populations, and familiarity with high-growth industries and emerging labor market trends.
Familiarity with common parole/probation conditions (curfews, travel restrictions, reporting requirements) to accurately match participants with appropriate employer opportunities and manage employer expectations.
Sensitive to community, cultural, and personal dignity of participants; able to successfully engage, assess, and plan services for populations typical of ACE programs.
Recognizes appropriate boundaries and limitations on interactions with participants and families; maintains professional standards and practices.
Project Management: Proven ability to manage multiple initiatives simultaneously with attention to detail and achievement of outcomes.
Familiar with standard approaches to accurate record keeping, including timely charting, notation formats, content limitations, and confidentiality practices.
General proficiency in navigating and using technology.

Physical Requirements:

Prolonged periods standing and walking throughout facilities.
Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
Must be able to lift up to 15 pounds at times.
Must be able to bend, lift, stretch, climb, and crawl to provide services.

Qualifications:

Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration, Public Relations, Marketing or relevant field and 2 years of sales, recruiting, partnership management, workforce development experience; or.
Equivalent combination of training and experience.
Spanish language skills, verbal and written preferred.
Possess a current California Driver's License, clean DMV record & adequate auto insurance on a reliable vehicle available to use for work purposes.
Must submit to a Department of Justice Criminal background check.
Initial TB employment clearance is required.

Benefits:

Health, Vision, and Dental Insurance at no cost to you (starting after 60-90 days, dependent on start date- effective date is the next 1st of the month post 60 days of employment).
Retirement Plan with employer contributions at 2% of your annual salary.
$100,000 life insurance (at no cost to you).
Short and Long-Term Disability insurance (at no cost to you).
Vacation Leave Accrual: Employees accrue vacation based on length of service at ACE.
- First 2 years, employees accrue approximately 10 days (80 hours) annually.
- 2-4 years, accrual increases to approximately 15 days (120 hours) annually.
- At 5+ years, employees accrue approximately 20 days (160 hours) annually.
Up to 6 sick days a year (eligible to use after 60 days).
15 paid holidays (selected by ACE).

The anticipated pay range for candidates who will work in California is $69,805 to $73,935 annually. The offered pay to a successful candidate will be dependent on several factors that may include but are not limited to years of experience within the job, years of experience within the required industry, education, etc.

Alliance for Community Empowerment provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.

Alliance for Community Empowerment

Business Development Manager

About the Job