Employer Partnership Lead

Goodwill of Central and Northern Arizona; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Retirement plan

Professional development

Job summary

Goodwill of the San Francisco Bay seeks an Employer Partnership Lead to connect job seekers served by Goodwill with high-quality local opportunities. This role builds strategic employer relationships, develops staffing solutions, and drives program participant placement across the San Francisco Bay Area.

The Lead owns employer engagement, collaborates with Career Services, and delivers monthly in-person hiring events or spotlights with active opportunities.

Qualifications

• Associate degree preferred or equivalent experience.
• 4+ years in business development, employer engagement, workforce development, recruiting, or related field.
• Ability to work independently, manage projects, and make decisions in autonomous roles.
• Experience managing budgets, tracking expenditures, and using data to evaluate results.
• Strong ability to build relationships and communicate with employers and partners.

Responsibilities

• Design, implement and continually improve employer engagement strategies.
• Establish and cultivate a network of employers across industries.
• Consult with employers to understand workforce needs and develop customized solutions.
• Produce at least one in-person hiring event or employer spotlight each month in San Francisco.
• Plan, coordinate and execute employer-focused events and post-event analysis.
• Develop event concepts and marketing in coordination with Marketing and Mission Advancement.
• Recommend budgets and manage approved budgets.

Skills

Employer engagement

Partnership development

Account management

CRM management

Data analysis

Education

Associate degree

Tools

Salesforce

Job description

The Employer Partnership Lead plays a critical role in connecting job seekers served by Goodwill of the San Francisco Bay with high-quality employment opportunities across the region. The Employer Partnership Lead serves as a strategic workforce partnership professional, cultivating long-term employer relationships and positioning Goodwill as a preferred workforce development and talent acquisition partner throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. This role proactively identifies employer hiring needs, develops staffing solution opportunities, and expands employment opportunities for program participants through consultative engagement, partnership development, and sustained relationship management.

This position reports to the Director of Workforce Development and Training and is ideal for a self-starter who thrives working independently, is highly detail-oriented, and excels at building rapport and trust with employers across industries. The Employer Partnership Lead manages the full lifecycle of employer partnerships—from prospecting and outreach to partnership development, hiring commitments, event execution, and ongoing account management—while collaborating closely with cross-functional teams to ensure job seekers are prepared, supported, and successfully placed. The role identifies employer hiring needs, develops customized partnership and recruitment solutions, and manages the full lifecycle of routine employer relationships—from prospecting and outreach through event execution, hiring opportunities, and ongoing account management—within approved organizational strategy and budget.

The Employer Partnership Lead works closely with Career Services to support successful placements. Accountability is shared: the Lead owns employer engagement and hiring opportunities, while Career and Training Services owns participant readiness, referrals, and placement follow-through. The position is responsible for producing at least one in-person hiring event or employer spotlight each month in San Francisco. Each event or spotlight must include active hiring opportunities and may feature one employer or multiple participating employers. San Francisco is the current priority, with potential expansion to other Bay Area sites as future grant funding and organizational needs support it.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Design, implement, and continuously improve employer engagement strategies, independently determining priorities, partnerships, and approaches that respond to employer hiring needs and job seeker career goals.
• Establish and cultivate a network of employers in growing industries, serving as a primary Goodwill representative and continuously assessing whether partnerships provide relevant, equitable, and quality employment opportunities.
• Consult with employers to understand workforce needs, hiring challenges, talent gaps, and recruitment priorities, and develop customized solutions that connect employers with qualified candidates from Goodwill programs.
• Produce at least one in-person hiring event or employer spotlight each month in San Francisco, ensuring active hiring opportunities and alignment with job seeker needs and applicable grant requirements.
• Plan, coordinate, and execute employer-focused events, including employer outreach and vetting, logistics, run-of-show agendas, employer communications, participant coordination, and post-event analysis. An employer spotlight may feature one employer with active hiring opportunities.
• Develop event concepts and marketing approaches and coordinate with Marketing and Mission Advancement on collateral, digital communications, outreach, and event promotion.
• Recommend event budgets and manage approved budgets, tracking expenditures and preparing budget updates.
• Conduct ongoing outreach to hiring managers, human resources professionals, workforce leaders, and industry associations to position Goodwill as a trusted workforce development and talent acquisition partner.
• Independently manage routine employer relationships and event commitments within approved strategy and budget. Obtain Director approval for formal agreements and nonstandard commitments.
• Maintain an employer engagement pipeline that tracks outreach activities, partnership development, hiring commitments, placement opportunities, and ongoing relationship activity.
• Maintain accurate CRM records and dashboards and use data to monitor employer acquisition, employer retention, repeat hiring activity, placement opportunities, employer satisfaction, and event performance.
• Facilitate biweekly standing meetings with the Career Advisor Team to align employer opportunities with participant readiness, coordinate referrals, identify barriers, and support continuous improvement.
• Collaborate with Career Services, Marketing, Mission Advancement, employers, and community partners to streamline processes and maximize job placement outcomes.
• Coordinate the data, documentation, and event information needed to support grant deliverables. The Director or grants team owns formal grant reporting unless otherwise assigned.
• Represent Goodwill at employer, partner, and community events to build relationships and expand employer engagement.
• Perform other related duties as assigned in support of Mission Advancement.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Associate degree preferred, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Four years of related experience in business development, employer engagement, workforce development, recruiting, account management, or a related field preferred; equivalent combinations of education and experience will be considered.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently, manage projects, plan and execute events, and make sound decisions in a highly autonomous individual-contributor role.
• Experience exercising discretion and independent judgment in matters of significance, including partnership strategy, employer selection, event execution, resource planning, and process improvement.
• Experience recommending and managing approved budgets, tracking expenditures, and using data to evaluate results.
• Demonstrated skill in building relationships and communicating effectively with employers, community partners, and cross-functional teams.
• Results-oriented approach with the ability to translate employer relationships into sustainable hiring opportunities and employment outcomes.
• Keen attention to detail and commitment to data accuracy, CRM maintenance, dashboard management, and impact reporting.
• Proficiency with Salesforce or similar CRM and data-tracking tools.
• Understanding of and respect for diverse populations, including justice-impacted individuals, Veterans, and Transitional-Aged Youth, with the ability to adapt engagement strategies as needed.
• Growth mindset, openness to feedback, and willingness to learn.
• Professionalism, discretion, and sound judgment when handling sensitive matters.
• Commitment to Goodwill organizational values of safety, belonging, and learning.

Working at Goodwill is more than a job–it is an opportunity for people needing a second chance in entering or re-entering the workplace to build the foundation of knowledge, skills, and experience to advance in their careers.

Our supportive employment programs provide an opportunity to learn while you earn to advance along technology, retail, warehousing and logistics, e-commerce or our Corporate Services Career Pathways program.

Full-time jobs at Goodwill SF Bay offer medical, dental & vision insurance, a retirement fund, professional development training, commuter benefits, flexible healthcare spending account, and a mental health + wellbeing employee assistance program, in addition to a positive, growth-oriented environment.

Become a valued member of an organization where good work meets community impact. Our mission is: Empowering Individuals, Strengthening Families, and Building Stronger Communities. Goodwill provides no-cost career development, training, and education services to help individuals build a better life for themselves and their families. Our core values are Trust, Collaboration, Engagement, Ownership, and Innovation. Everything we accomplish as a team is centered around these core values. Together, we create an inclusive and welcoming environment for each other. With stores conveniently located near you, you can work for a company where team strength and success are valued and encouraged. Join our team and gain opportunities for job growth at Goodwill and beyond.

Goodwill of the San Francisco Bay is an equal opportunity employer. Qualified individuals seeking employment are considered without regard to race (including traits associated with race, e.g., hairstyles), color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and related conditions, sexual orientation, or gender identity), national origin, disability, military status, age, genetic information, or any other category protected by applicable federal, state and local fair employment practice laws.

Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Individuals with a disability may be entitled to a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act and/or state or local laws. Please contact Goodwill of the San Francisco Bay at 1-833-624-0920 option 6 or [e-mail] if you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act.

For questions about your application or employment with Goodwill of the San Francisco Bay, please contact our Candidate Support Line at 1-833-624-0920, option 5.