Director Of Business Development & Engagement

Cara Collective seeks to fuel a courageous national movement to eradicate relational and financial poverty. Through our three entities – Cara, Cleanslate, and Cara Plus – we engage job seekers, employers, and other organizations across the country to break the cycle of poverty through the power and purpose of employment.

At present, we produce 1,000 jobs each year; however, our results don’t just end with employment. Today, we take the insights gained over the past 30+ years to equip other organizations and employers with practices to help build a more inclusive economy. Learn more acollective.org.

The External Affairs Department aims to advance Cara Collective’s mission by amplifying our brand, building strategic partnerships, attracting resources and investments, and driving public awareness and practice change. Through coordinated efforts across communications, development, and external engagement, the team ensures our message resonates with stakeholders and strengthens our impact. With a commitment to storytelling, relationship-building, and thought leadership, External Affairs connects Cara Collective to the broader community, fueling growth and deepening our influence in the workforce development field.

The Director of Business Development & Engagement manages, stewards, and builds relationships with both new and existing corporate partners in order to help Cara Collective achieve its strategic and organizational goals.

The Director of Business Development & Engagement will oversee all aspects of our corporate partnerships, including leveraging opportunities for philanthropic support, identification, acquisition, and acquisition of employment opportunities for our Cara job seekers, and general engagement/volunteer opportunities. They will be responsible for maximizing relationships and creating a seamless experience for our corporate partners across our five points of engagement (e.g., philanthropy, hiring, volunteerism, leadership, and practice change).

They will have both revenue generating responsibility, along with business development responsibility – expanding and deepening our hiring partnerships.

The ideal candidate for this position combines business development expertise with operational and partnership management skills. They are highly organized, solutions-oriented, and capable of balancing short- and long-term priorities while supporting team development and partner engagement.

• Minimum 5–7 years of experience in corporate partnerships, business development, or a related field.
• Proven track record of developing, managing, and growing corporate relationships, including revenue-generating partnerships.
• Strong experience in strategic planning, goal-setting, and performance tracking.
• Exceptional relationship-building and stakeholder management skills with internal teams, corporate partners, donors, board members, and volunteers.
• Highly detail-oriented with excellent record-keeping and organizational skills.
• Skilled in both high-level strategy and hands-on execution of partnership initiatives.
• Experience managing, coaching, and developing team members to achieve goals and enhance professional growth.
• Strong critical-thinking and problem-solving abilities, with the capacity to balance competing priorities effectively.
• Public speaking and presentation skills, with a polished professional presence.
• Proficiency in Salesforce (or comparable CRM), Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint.
• Ability to work some evenings or weekends as needed for corporate events or partner engagements.
• Commitment to the mission of Cara Collective…