Senior Director, Business Development

Northwestern University; Evanston (IL); On-site; USD 155,000 - 165,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, dental, and vision insurance

Flexible work arrangements

Tuition benefits

Job summary

Northwestern University is seeking a Senior Director for Business Development within Kellogg Executive Education. This role focuses on cultivating high-level corporate relationships, overseeing complex sales processes, and driving substantial revenue growth within educational program areas.

The ideal candidate will have extensive experience in business development, robust communication skills, and the capability to work effectively with senior stakeholders. A competitive compensation package will be offered based on qualifications.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in sales, business development, or professional services.
• Demonstrated success in leading enterprise-level revenue growth initiatives.
• Experience in negotiating complex agreements.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain corporate/client relationships.
• Lead business development lifecycle from prospect targeting to contract negotiation.
• Cultivate relationships with C-suite executives.

Skills

Sales expertise

Business development

Client relationship management

Strategic planning

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor's degree

MBA

Job description

Department

Kellogg Executive Education

Salary/Grade

EXS/14

Job Summary

The Kellogg School of Management is one of the top‑ranked graduate schools for management education, with a renowned, research‑based faculty and a variety of MBA, Executive MBA and Executive Education (non‑degree) programs. Our home is on the Northwestern University campus in Evanston, Illinois, just north of Chicago, with other campuses in downtown Chicago, Miami, as well as our global partner schools. Our alumni populate all points in the world and are a vibrant community that engages with our faculty and students long after they graduate.

Designed to serve working professionals, Kellogg Executive Education is known for being the first executive education offering in the world and provides clients with access to cutting‑edge business education as they seek to grow their own businesses or accelerate their individual growth. Following successive years of growing demand for executive education programming, we are embarking on the construction of a state‑of‑the‑art educational center that will propel our capacity to reach a global population and support our continued expansion. Kellogg Executive Education offers a wide range of programs which include in‑person Custom and Open Enrollment Programs as well as asynchronous Online Programs. Custom programs are tailored to the unique requirements of an organization and provide multi‑day experiences for middle and senior leaders in a private setting; our portfolio of publicly available Open Enrollment Programs serve a broader population of executives, delivering high‑impact learning through programs on leadership, finance, marketing, AI and other topics. Our clients represent an array of corporate industries, healthcare, professional and legal services, government agencies, and other educational partners internationally.

The Senior Director, Business Development, is responsible for the development and maintenance of key corporate/client relationships with Kellogg Executive Education. Worth an estimated $3-5 million in annual revenues, the relationships overseen by the Senior Director involve prospecting and/or developing educational programs for senior‑level client employees.

Kellogg Executive Education is currently hiring for multiple Senior Directors to focus on business development across the following educational program areas:

• Custom Programs
• C‑Suite Level Programs, with a focus on the Advanced Management Program
• Group Enrollment

Interested candidates should apply to this job requisition to be considered for the available opportunities across these program areas.

Specific Responsibilities

Strategic Growth & Market Leadership

• Establish and execute a multi‑year growth strategy for executive education, with full accountability for revenue targets, targeting prospective sectors and clients, and market positioning for assigned portfolio (Custom, Open Enrollment and/or Online programming).
• Lead market intelligence efforts to identify emerging workforce trends, competitive dynamics, and new sector opportunities to position Kellogg as a preferred provider of executive education solutions.
• Serve as an advisor to Executive Education leadership on market opportunities, client engagement strategy, and long‑term portfolio expansion.
• Champion a client‑centric culture that integrates academic excellence with business rigor.

Relationship & Stakeholder Management

• Cultivate and steward C‑suite and senior‑level relationships within corporations to secure high‑value, multi‑year engagements.
• Position executive education offerings as strategic solutions aligned to client organizational objectives and workforce priorities.
• Drive consultative sales engagements that translate institutional capabilities such as faculty expertise, research, and academic innovation into learning solutions.
• Partner closely with academic leadership, faculty, and Executive Education program teams to align market demand with program design and delivery excellence.
• Provide market insight to inform curriculum innovation, program development, and portfolio optimization.
• Negotiate complex agreements and multi‑year contracts, ensuring alignment with university policies, procurement requirements, and compliance standards for custom programming.
• Represent the institution at industry forums, conferences, and strategic convenings to strengthen brand visibility and partnership pipelines.
• Ensure seamless collaboration across curriculum design, marketing, and operations teams to deliver exceptional client experiences.

New Business Development & Revenue Expansion

• Lead end‑to‑end business development lifecycle including market analysis, prospect targeting, pipeline development, proposal strategy, pricing, contract negotiation, and post‑award expansion.
• Cultivate a diversified portfolio of clients to ensure sustainable and profitable revenue growth.
• Oversee proposal strategy and development, ensuring compelling value propositions and differentiation within competitive higher education landscapes.
• Establish and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) tied to revenue targets, client retention, market penetration, and partnership growth.
• Drive cross‑selling and upselling strategies across the Exec Ed offerings and work collaboratively across the entire school to support the values and objectives of Kellogg.

Administration

• Oversee pipeline management, forecasting, and reporting to senior leadership.
• Implement operational systems that enable sustainable, scalable growth.

Miscellaneous

Performed other duties.

Minimum Qualifications

• Successful completion of a full 4‑year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor's or higher degree; or appropriate combination of education and experience.
• 10+ years of progressive experience in sales, business development, executive education, consulting, or professional services.
• Demonstrated success leading enterprise‑level revenue growth initiatives.
• Proven experience in prospect development and long‑cycle institutional sales.
• Experience negotiating complex, multi‑stakeholder agreements.
• Proven ability to operate effectively within matrixed, mission‑driven environments.
• Knowledge of enterprise revenue strategy & portfolio management.
• Skilled executive relationship development and communication skills.
• Ability to direct strategic market expansion.
• Proven ability for cross‑functional executive leadership.
• Data‑driven decision making.

Preferred Qualifications

• 15+ years of experience in business development, consultative selling, and contract negotiations in business‑to‑business markets.
• MBA highly preferred.
• Experience in organization development, executive training, consulting, and/or development.
• Strong skill set in understanding and communicating business issues, objectives and solutions.

Target hiring range for this position will be $155,000 -$165,000 per year. Offered salary will be determined by the applicant's education, experience, knowledge, skills and abilities, as well as internal equity and alignment with market data.

Benefits

At Northwestern, we are proud to provide meaningful and competitive benefits. The available benefits package for this position will include health, dental, vision, disability, and life insurance; paid vacation and holidays; paid medical/sick and parental leave; tuition benefits for the employee and dependents; pre‑tax and flex spending accounts for commuting and dependent care; generous retirement savings options; and wellness programs. For a comprehensive overview of available benefits, including eligibility details, visit us at https://www.northwestern.edu/hr/benefits/index.html to learn more.

Work‑Life and Wellness

Northwestern offers comprehensive programs and services to help you and your family navigate life’s challenges and opportunities and adopt and maintain healthy lifestyles. We support flexible work arrangements where possible and programs to help you locate and pay for quality, affordable childcare and senior/adult care. Visit us at https://www.northwestern.edu/hr/benefits/work-life/index.html to learn more.

Professional Growth & Development

Northwestern supports employee career development in all circumstances whether your workspace is on campus or at home. If you’re interested in developing your professional potential or continuing your formal education, we offer a variety of tools and resources. Visit us at https://www.northwestern.edu/hr/learning/index.html to learn more.

Northwestern University is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of protected characteristics, including disability and veteran status. View Northwestern's non‑discrimination statement. Job applicants who wish to request an accommodation in the application or hiring process should contact the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX Compliance. View additional information on the accommodations process.