Director, Business Development, Platform Partnerships

About Opportunity@Work

Opportunity@Work’s mission is to rewire the labor market so that STARs–workers who are skilled through alternative routes instead of a bachelor’s degree– can work, learn, and earn to their full potential. By 2030, Opportunity@Work aims to enable at least 1 million working adults in America to get hired into middle- and high-waged jobs to generate a $20 billion boost in annual earnings.

We are driven by a firm belief that “if you can do the job, you can get the job.” STARs earn valuable skills through pathways like military service, community college, talent development programs, partial college completion, or on-the-job experience, instead of through a bachelor’s degree. STARs are half of the U.S. workforce, yet over the last few decades, they’ve been blocked from accessing millions of good-paying jobs – and have actually seen their wages decline.

Opportunity@Work’s research capabilities inform the nation’s understanding of STARs and uncover insights that show how to make positive change within regions and industries. Our national awareness campaign, “Tear the Paper Ceiling,” communicates a new, positive narrative about STARs and elevates contributions to the skills-first movement. We’ve developed accessible STAR-centric tools powered by our data and generative AI, to help organizations make more informed decisions on inclusive workforce strategies and hiring.

By adding this role, we seek to expand our base of organizations that are interested in receiving more structured support from Opportunity@Work as the companies continue their journey towards increased mobility and wage gains for STARs.

About the role

The Director of Business Development, Platform Partnerships will drive growth and impact by expanding Opportunity@Work’s strategic, revenue-generating partnerships with platform partners — including Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS), Human Resource Information Systems (HRIS), and other job technology companies.

This newly created role builds on O@W’s early momentum with leading HR tech firms involved with O@W's Tear the Paper Ceiling Coalition. As Director, Business Development, you will hone and lead a consultative sales strategy that 1) helps ATS, HRIS and Job Tech leaders to understand the market opportunity of gaining access to new users (+70 Million STARs, or workers Skilled Through Alternative Routes), 2) tap into new customer segments (STAR-seeking employers), and 3) design and deliver more inclusive products.

Your work will have incredible impact, allowing employers to have broader access to qualified workers, while simultaneously unlocking additional earning opportunities for STARS.

Reporting to the Vice President, Platform Partnerships, this U.S.-based remote role requires travel approximately once per quarter to our Washington, D.C. office.

What you'll do

In this newly created role, you will wear many hats - strategist, educator, influencer, and consultative salesperson to create strategic partnerships with ATS, HRIS, and Job Tech companies to help O@W achieve its annual new business development and impact metrics. In your first 6 months, you will be focused on expanding ATS/HRIS partnerships and launching pilots to demonstrate the proof points of a STAR-inclusive and skills-inclusive model. You will also support renewals and upsells.

You're an ideal candidate for this role if you have a track record of winning strategic partnerships across complex partner ecosystems like the HR or talent tech ecosystem — especially with ATS, HRIS, or HCM platforms. You understand the priorities of product leaders, heads of talent, and social impact decision-makers. You’ve sold not just solutions, but created shared value — helping partners see both business opportunity and social impact. You may have worked at a B2B SaaS company, an HR tech firm, or a nonprofit building inclusive hiring initiatives. You’re at your best when you’re opening new doors, telling a compelling story with data and mission, and guiding partners from pilot to long-term value.

In this role, you will have the opportunity to:

Hone and Lead Business Development Strategy

• Refine and execute a go-to-market strategy aligned with O@W’s STAR-centric mission and theory of change and HR and Job Tech segment's partners' business goals.
• Build partnerships that lead to the launch and scale of pilot programs with ATS/HRIS platforms to validate STAR-inclusive models.
• Develop iterative feedback loops, gathering insights from prospects and partners to improve O@W's value proposition, offerings, pricing, and approach.

Lead Consultative Sales for Platform Partnerships

• Define and lead an end-to-end sales process: prospecting, pitching, negotiating, and closing strategic deals with HR and Job Tech companies that lead to shared value creation and impact that the O@W approach can have for employers and STARs.
• Champion and clearly articulate O@W’s mission, theory of change, and business value of O@W and the Paper Ceiling.
• Develop and maintain a Customer Relationships Management (CRM)-driven tracking system for lead generation, pipeline management, deal closure, and renewal forecasting.
• Build and track Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) across the business development funnel to inform strategy.

Leverage Internal and External Networks

• Partner with senior leadership and teams across O@W to identify leads—potential HR and Job Tech companies, key sponsors, decision-makers, and supporters.
• Work with corporate partners to gather referrals and tell the story of STAR impact.
• Partner with the Account Management team to ensure seamless partner onboarding and long-term success.

Qualifications

Skills, Knowledge, & Expertise

This role is open to individuals skilled through alternative routes.

• 5+ years of experience working at or selling into ATS, HRIS, HCM, or talent marketplace companies (e.g., Workday, ADP, Indeed, Greenhouse, iCIMS, Lever, SmartRecruiters, etc.).
• Has experience navigating buying cycles in B2B SaaS environments, especially HR technology or workforce solutions.
• Led consultative sales or business development for a product or service that required: multi-stakeholder alignment (e.g. product, DEI, or talent acquisition, C-suite).
• Selling strategic or values-aligned partnerships vs. volume-based transactions, ideally within a mission-driven organization, for some of that time.
• Built and closed strategic partnerships that combined commercial and impact goals.
• Experience managing new business pipelines through Salesforce (or similar CRM).

Personal Characteristics

• You thrive in a fast-paced, mission-driven, and entrepreneurial environment.
• You are a self-starter who takes initiative to drive relationships and deals forward.
• You embody our core values of: better together, intentionally inclusive, always learning, seeking clarity to inform action, and championing empowerment.
• You are passionate about STARs and economic mobility.

TO APPLY:

Please submit your resume via Opportunity@Work’s careers page directly (even if you have submitted interest or applied elsewhere as well).

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY AT O@W:

Opportunity@Work is an equal opportunity and skills-first employer dedicated to uplifting STARs - workers who are Skilled Through Alternate Routes. In alignment with our mission, we are committed to building a diverse, inclusive, and equitable workplace, and we strive to provide equal opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment. We welcome and value applicants of all backgrounds, including but not limited to race, ethnicity, religion, national origin, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, disability status, socioeconomic background, and veteran status.

WHAT WE OFFER:

At Opportunity@Work we are driven by a vision where everyone has the opportunity for economic advancement. Our team works hard to see this vision come to life, and in return, we provide a collaborative and inclusive work environment, competitive salaries, and a comprehensive benefits program that includes ample flexibility and choice to meet our employees’ needs. We offer responsible paid time off, several medical plans to choose from, a 403(b) with profit sharing and a match up to 4%, and a generous holiday schedule.

The pay range for this role is 116,000 - 140,000 USD per year

(Remote (United States))