Senior Director, Business Development (remote)

Job Summary:

The Senior Director, Business Development and Engagement, is responsible for leading the national expansion of NAF’s Career Academies. This includes working within a high-performing team to spearhead the organization’s business development strategy and executing data-informed initiatives to increase academy adoption across school districts in the U.S. and its territories.

The Senior Director will analyze district, state, and national education data, to contribute to targeted membership engagement strategies, growth forecasting, and monitoring organizational risk related to attrition and retention. This position plays a key role in suitability, expanding NAF’s footprint and student reach by building new partnerships, strengthening existing ones, and ensuring seamless integration of new academies into NAF’s network.

To accomplish this, the person in this role will collaborate internally to establish measurable growth targets aligned with organizational goals. Execution of the expansion strategy involves managing a robust pipeline of prospects, developing data-driven proposals and overseeing the full lifecycle of district partnerships. The Senior Director will regularly track and report on key performance indicators, assess risks such as budget constraints or partner disengagement, and recommend mitigation strategies. The Senior Director will use tools like Salesforce and Asana to ensure collaboration and accuracy in all business development activities, while also representing NAF externally at conferences and convenings. Additionally, this position will lead, coach, and mentor a team of relationship managers and additional staff by setting clear goals, ensuring effective use of systems, and leveraging performance data to guide strategic adjustments and team priorities.

This role is a remote role, requiring travel regionally and nationally – up to 50%.

Preferred Educational/Training:

Certification, Bachelor's or Master’s degree in Business, Public Administration, Educational Leadership or related field, or equivalent experience.

Preferred Experience:

• 7–10 years of experience in business development, education partnerships, or strategic growth—ideally in an educational nonprofit or ed-tech company.
• 5 years of demonstrated leadership experience.
• Demonstrated success in managing a full sales/engagement lifecycle, from lead generation through contract close and implementation.
• Experience analyzing education or market data to drive decision-making and opportunity targeting.
• Background in school district operations or education reform preferred.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Deep understanding of the U.S. K–12 education system, particularly Career and Technical Education (CTE) and career academy models.
• Proven ability to design and implement successful engagement strategies for public school systems and education stakeholders.
• Strong command of data analysis tools and techniques for education trends, student enrollment, risk monitoring, and growth forecasting.
• Excellent interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills, including proposal and presentation development.
• Proficiency in Salesforce (or other CRM platforms), Asana, and Microsoft/Google Suite tools.
• Strong leadership, coaching, and team development abilities.
• Ability to work independently in a fast-paced, mission-driven environment.

Salary:

$141,000.00

To Apply:

Interested applicants may send a resume and cover letter to resumes@naf.org. Please include the position title, your first name and last name in the subject line.

• Medical, Dental, Vision and Flexible Spending Account eligibility as of date of hire
• Employer-paid Life Insurance as of date of hire
• Employer-paid Headspace and HealthiestYou by Teladoc memberships as of hire date
• Generous employer contributions to Retirement Plan
• Twelve Paid Holidays per calendar year
• Five Paid Sick Days per calendar year
• Generous flexible paid time off policy
• Conditional Paid Leave, e.g., Parental Bonding, Bereavement, Jury Duty