Details
Posted: 14-Apr-22
Location: Fairfax, Virginia
Salary: Open
Department: Continuing and Professional Education
Web Announcement:
Business Development Specialist
The George Mason University, Executive and Professional Education (EPE) invites applications for a Business Development Specialist (BDS). George Mason University has a strong institutional commitment to the achievement of excellence and diversity among its faculty and staff, and strongly encourages candidates to apply who will enrich Mason's academic and culturally inclusive environment.
About the Position:
The Business Development Specialist is responsible for providing ongoing client relationship and sales outreach to the Continuing Professional Education marketplace. Reporting to the Director of Business Development, the BDS will work closely with various departments (Mason Colleges, Marketing, Finance, Admissions, Purchasing, Legal) to align education solutions and generate revenue and increased enrollment from client partner organizations. Must have a full understanding of our range of third-party partnerships and work effectively with those partners in developing collaborative go-to-market strategies and tactics.
Responsibilities:
Responsible for sourcing, closing and contracting for group sales that support the overall revenue targets for the department, in partnership with both CPE vendors and Mason colleges.
- Build a pipeline of clients interested in custom learning and specialized training solutions using CRM tools to document sales activities that include lead qualification, needs analysis, sales presentation, budget management, pricing plans and Request for Proposal (RFP) management;
- Serve as point of contact leading long sales cycle to include proposal development, administering client agreements, coordinating key stakeholders within GMU and external third-party vendors to determine if existing portfolio can fulfill client objectives;
- Conduct research on local market trends and competitive activities; develop proposals, contracts and pricing with an aim of 40% revenue share or greater;
- Manage inquiries, setup email campaigns to generate leads, and design sales material;
- Attend webinars, industry events, seminars and conferences, etc.;
- Identify, prospect and pursue business relationships with established and new clients in various industries (targets corporations, nonprofit, federal and local government organizations) to promote GMU professional development programs and services;
- Cultivate and sign profitable contracts for our training products and services;
- Oversee consultants and vendors who may support CPE business development; and
- Coordination with the Partnership Manager team, provide PMs information about upcoming partnerships, contract details, initial calendar plans and monthly check-ins for the first 6 months of a new partnership, as well as post-course student experience surveys.
Responsible for sourcing, closing and contracting bundled sales for existing and new OE programs. In partnership with Partnership Managers, find opportunities for the purchase of seats in previously scheduled programs.
- Market to and engage with employers and L&D functions seeking to purchase training services at group rates;
- Develop contracts and discounts that support our margin and revenue targets;
- Communicate clearly with Partnership Manager before deals are completed, and during the hand-off process to ensure successful customer experience; and
- Coordination with the Partnership Manager team, provide PMs information about upcoming partnerships, contract details, initial calendar plans and monthly check-ins for the first 6 months of a new partnership as well as post-course student experience surveys.
Support CPE in engaging Colleges, Partners and other entities interested in developing new offerings in cooperation with CPE.
- Ideate both proactively and reactively with vendors and providers of training and professional development services;
- Coordinate internal support services to effectively manage client business goals; establish contracts and revenue sharing and other profit-sharing approaches to support CPE commercial goals;
- Work effectively with finance marketing and operational functions in CPE to add new programs to the unit;
- Work effectively with university colleges and vendors to ensure the new ideas fit with existing university level offerings;
- Oversee the execution of new employer partnerships and maintenance of existing partnerships through project planning and implementation;
- Facilitate, coordinate and ensure effective communication cross-departmentally, between teams and with key vendor partners to ensure broad based understanding of prospective clients' business objectives. Work with the Program Management team to assist with supportive material, coordinating implementation, transferring project responsibilities, ensuring smooth handoff and on-time deliverables after securing agreements; and
- Communicate regularly and directly with clients to evaluate satisfaction and value delivery.
Required Qualifications:
- Ability to sell educational program offerings including senior client presentations, sales material development, opportunity/pipeline management, pricing, and contracting;
- Ability to manage multiple priorities, complex collaborations, and client requirements on an ongoing basis;
- Working knowledge of private and public sector clients and L&D departments, to drive recruitment and partnership opportunities;
- Ability to take insight from clients and translate them to clear business objectives and deliverables; listen for needs, pain points and desired outcomes aligned to CPE offerings and capabilities (consultative sales); and
- Ability to prepare and negotiate contracts.
Preferred Qualifications:
- BS/BA preferred;
- Knowledge of training and education for adult and professional learners from work experience or formal education;
- Demonstrated experience in promoting and executing professional development programs in a university environment, national training organizations or similar experience;
- Demonstrated experience in identifying and delivering sizable revenue contracts;
- Demonstrated experience with preparing all elements of a proposal, including responses to RFPs, RFIs, price quotes, etc.; and
- Demonstrated experience with a Customer Relationship Management system and managing an effective prospect recruitment pipeline.
Salary: Commensurate with education and experience
Location: Arlington, VA
Mason Ad Statement:
Great Careers Begin at Mason!
George Mason University is an innovative, entrepreneurial institution with national distinction in both academics and research. Mason holds a top
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About George Mason University
George Mason University is a public, comprehensive, research university established by the Commonwealth of Virginia located in Northern Virginia, outside of Washington, D.C. Mason was initially founded as a branch of the University of Virginia in 1949, and became an independent institution in 1972. George Mason University is an innovative and inclusive academic community committed to creating a more just, free, and prosperous world.
George Mason University has 37,000 students from all 50 states and 130 countries and a residential population of more than 6,000 students. Mason is a vibrant and dynamic community of scholars. 80% of our students are employed within six months of graduation. Nearly two-thirds of the 140,000 Mason alumni live and work in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area.
Mason is a young university that, in just a short time, has made impressive strides in size, stature and influence. Today, as Virginia’s largest public research university, we are setting the benchmark for a bold, progressive education that serves the needs of our students and communities. To that end, we have 10 schools and colleges devoted to a variety of study.
Mission.
We prepa
...re Mason students for the demands of work, social responsibility, and life in an ever-changing global society. University Life's mission statement is core to our work. We support every student at Mason, from orientation through graduation.
George Mason: Patriotism Personified.
George Mason, for whom our university is named, was one of the greatest of the founding fathers of the United States. Mason drafted the Virginia Declaration of Rights, which became a model for the first 10 amendments to the U.S. Constitution, known as the Bill of Rights.
We Are in Virginia. But We Serve the World.
Mason is committed to creating a more just, free and prosperous world. Located in one of the most important political, economic and intellectual hubs in the world, we accept our responsibility to serve others: to help our students succeed, enrich the life of our community, and contribute to solving some of the most complex global problems of our time.
Washington, D.C.: Land of Opportunity.
Mason’s main campus is in Fairfax, Virginia, just 15 miles outside of Washington, D.C. The nation’s capital is easily accessible by car or public transportation.
At Mason, you can enjoy the best of both worlds: a beautiful wooded residential campus and outstanding college experience, as well as numerous internship and recreational opportunities that only a world-class urban setting like D.C. can offer.
You can intern with National Geographic or the Justice Department, visit the numerous museums with your Art History classmates, take a selfie in front of Lincoln Memorial, catch a Nationals baseball game, kayak along the Potomac, or check out the many neighborhoods where you’ll discover lots of great shopping, places to eat, art galleries, music venues, and much more. You can attend events and hear nationally recognized speakers. You’ll run out of time before you run out of things to do.
There’s more to explore. Students participate in a field trip to the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., organized by the Office of International Programs and Services.
In just a short drive, you can be hiking in the Shenandoah Mountains or walking the boardwalk in either Ocean City, Maryland, or Virginia Beach, Virginia.
Our closest airports are Dulles International Airport and Ronald Reagan National Airport, and Mason is easily accessible by public transportation. Free shuttle buses help you get to the nearest Metro station in Vienna, Virginia, just a short distance from our Fairfax Campus. The Arlington Campus is within walking distance of the Virginia Square-GMU stop on the Orange Line.
Enriching Work Environment.
We will invest in recruiting, retaining, and developing talented and diverse faculty and academic and professional staff. We will create a vibrant campus life in which all members can grow and thrive.
Diversity.
Diversity is one of our core values; everyone is welcome here. Mason was recently named the most diverse university in Virginia by U.S. News & World Report.
We bring together a multitude of people and ideas in everything that we do. Our culture of inclusion, our multidisciplinary approach, and our global perspective makes us more effective educators and scholars.
While at Mason, you’ll be making your own decisions and forming your own view of the world. Engaging with diverse groups of individuals, including students, faculty, and staff, will enrich this experience. You will learn from them, and they will learn from you.
We have a variety of communities here, and you're sure to find a group of people who are like you. The great thing is you'll also be embraced by communities of people who are not like you. At Mason, you'll be in a place where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
Interacting with people from a variety of backgrounds will:
•Widen your outlook of the world,
•Show you how to work and collaborate with people of differing views,
•Expose you to new perspectives from people with disparate life experiences, and
•Give you the social skills to interact with all kinds of people.
Diversity also enhances learning and creative thinking by prompting the study of new material and the awareness of fresh viewpoints. The power of many perspectives will boost your capacity to explore original ideas and solutions. Seeing issues in a new way heightens your creativity and problem-solving abilities.
Another benefit: As our nation becomes more diverse, students who learn in a diverse environment will be more competitive in an increasingly global economy. You’ll enhance your critical thinking skills and improve your ability to develop nuanced solutions to real-world problems.
Campus-Wide Accessibility.
Accessibility @ mason provide information regarding the physical access of all campuses and online accessibility of programs and services. Information for disability related services and resources available to all employee, students, and visitors the entire university include physical access to buildings, parking policies, and emergency evacuation procedures.
Accessible.
We are an open and welcoming community. We partner with public and private organizations in our region and around the world. We proactively engage with our community. We define our success by how many talented students with potential we serve, not how many we leave out.
Social and Cultural Venues.
Our venues bring world-class performances to the community through vibrant concerts and events. Community members are invited to take part in many artistic and cultural offerings at Mason. Spaces are also available to rent for your next event.
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