Business & Community Relations Specialist

San Diego Workforce Partnership; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 60,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

PTO

PTO sell-back program

Employer-paid benefits

Pension plan and 457 retirement plan

Learning and professional development

Job summary

San Diego Workforce Partnership seeks a Business & Community Relations Specialist to bridge SDWP with employers, community groups, and job seekers. You will lead outreach, recruitment, and enrollment activities while promoting SDWP programs and services.

Reporting to the Business & Community Relations Supervisor, you will build strategic partnerships, coordinate employer orientations, manage CRM data, track KPIs, and help drive high placement outcomes in San Diego County.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in business or related field required.
• 2–4 years of outreach and recruitment experience.
• Experience working with underserved populations.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Provide recruitment and outreach to generate leads and enroll participants.
• Build relationships with community organizations and employers.
• Coordinate employer orientations and manage job placement tools.
• Track metrics and report KPIs to inform decisions.
• Collaborate across departments to align program needs.
• Develop and execute targeted employer outreach strategies.

Skills

Excellent communication skills

Public speaking

Analytical thinking

Relationship building

Data-driven decision making

Education

Bachelor’s degree in business development or related field

Master’s degree in business development or related field

Tools

CRM platform

Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint)

Job description

The San Diego Workforce Partnership is the leader for innovative workforce solutions in San Diego County. We fund and deliver job training programs that enable all job seekers to develop the skills and knowledge needed for in-demand careers. Our vision is that every business in our region has access to a skilled workforce, and every job seeker has access to meaningful employment. We seek to earn trust and inspire growth in every action we take.

Position Summary

Reporting to the Business & Community Relations Supervisor, the Business & Community Relations Specialist will play a critical role in bridging SDWP with the local community and business sectors, ensuring effective communication and collaboration. The Business & Community Specialist will be responsible for maintaining in-depth knowledge of all SDWP programs, developing strategic relationships with community organizations and local businesses, and executing targeted outreach and recruitment strategies to enhance program participation and effectiveness, aligning with SDWP’s quality placement goals and strategic relationships.

Essential Functions

1. Serve as a subject matter expert in SDWP’s employer-support workforce development solutions, including but not limited to workforce recruitment assistance, new hire and incumbent worker training services, and layoff aversion or support services
2. Support business/employer with information and registration to SDWP WIOA employer led training services and other SDWP employer services.
3. Provide accurate information about program eligibility, services offered and answer related inquiries.
4. Build and sustain relationships with community organizations and businesses to expand program reach.
5. Support organizational performance measures and placement goals through strategic partnerships.
6. Collaborate with internal departments to stay informed about program developments and recruitment needs.
7. Design and implement comprehensive outreach and recruitment strategies from initial lead generation to final enrollment.
8. Ensure strategies align with communication goals, grant requirements, and program objectives.
9. Coordinate orientations for employers and manage job placement technologies.
10. Develop and execute specific employer-focused initiatives and provide exceptional service to business clients to boost job placements and client satisfaction.
11. Utilize CRM tools to manage contacts, track project progress, and report on key performance indicators (KPIs) to inform strategic decisions and showcase the success of recruitment efforts.
12. Support training providers to ensure programs meet industry standards and facilitate connections to employment opportunities following WIOA training guidelines.
13. Engage in ongoing learning and cross-training to provide versatile support across various business programs and services, adjusting to fluctuating demands.
14. Provide accurate and timely reporting information, activity summaries and data in accordance with contractual and programmatic requirements.
15. Prepare timely reports to evaluate employer services, needs and performance metrics.
16. Perform other related duties as assigned.

Fundamental Job Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in business development, business administration or related field.
• Two to four (2-4) years’ experience conducting outreach and recruitment to generate leads and acquire customers and/or youth development and education work.
• Experience working with underserved populations.
• Excellent communication (written, verbal, public speaking etc.) skills.
• A positive, personable, outgoing and enthusiastic attitude which allows you to connect with potential participants and other community members.
• Ability to set benchmarks, reporting metrics and using data to strategically drive activities.
• Passionate about the organization’s mission and able to communicate the philosophy, mission and values to external and internal audiences.
• Ability to think analytically, sustain relationships, balance multiple priorities and meet deadlines.
• Attention to detail with strong organizational skills and ability to manage data and communications across platforms.
• Proven ability to identify new methods, better approaches and integration of ideas, proactive, resourceful and self-motivated.
• Ability to identify issues from multiple perspectives (job seekers, employers, elected officials, community members, service providers, etc.).
• Ability to interface with job seekers, businesses, cross departments, leadership team, board members and partners at a high level of professionalism.

Desired Requirements

• Master’s degree in business development or related field.
• Three to five (3-5) years’ experience in workforce business development.
• Experience developing and maintaining data and dashboards through a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platform.
• Computer proficiency, particularly with the Microsoft Office suite, including Outlook, Word, Excel and PowerPoint.

Our Values

Compassion. Collaboration. Opportunity.

We Love to Take Care of Our Workforce Associates–

We offer a great work environment, a culture that values individuality and inclusion, collaborative and innovative teams, and a competitive pay and benefits package. Our benefits include: PTO, PTO sell-back program, generous employer-paid benefits (platinum plans), company-paid learning and professionaldevelopment program, pension plan and 457 retirement plan additional employee wellness.Compensation for this position ranges from $31.36-$43.98.

In the spirit of pay transparency, we are excited to share the base salary range for this position. If you are hired at San Diego Workforce Partnership, your final base salary (within the pay range), will be determined based on factors such as education, knowledge, skills, and experience. In addition to those factors, we believe in the importance of pay equity and consider the internal equity of our current team members when determining any final offer. Please keep in mind that the range mentioned above is the full base salary range for the role. Hiring at the maximum of the range would not be typical in order to allow for future and continued salary growth. We also offer generous benefits and retirement plans.

At the Workforce Partnership, we don’t just accept difference — we celebrate it, we support it, and we thrive on it for the benefit of our employees, and the work that we do in the communities we serve. We are proud to be an equal opportunity workplace for all. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law. Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities.

San Diego Workforce Partnership is committed to a policy of Equal Employment Opportunity and will not discriminate against an applicant or employee on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, national origin, ancestry, sex, gender, age, physical or mental disability, veteran or military status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

Onsite: Monday - Friday 8am - 5pm