EMPLOYER ENGAGEMENT LEAD

POSITION SUMMARY

Are you passionate about forging partnerships that help to unlock access to economic opportunity for historically marginalized communities? Do you take pride in setting clear, strategic goals and taking ownership for meeting them? Do you thrive in situations where you have to “build the plane while you’re flying it”? If so, we want to talk to you! 

Just A Start’s Adult Career Training (ACT) team is seeking a full-time Employer Engagement Lead to support our program expansion and join our growing team. We’re looking for candidates who are connectors, creative problem solvers, and can manage moving pieces through their impeccable project management skills!

PROGRAM BACKGROUND

Just A Start’s mission is to promote equity by creating access to stable housing and building pathways to economic opportunity. The Biotechnology and Information Technology (IT) Careers Programs train adults for family-sustaining life sciences or information technology careers with a pipeline to local, high-demand employment opportunities. These programs provide education and training on workforce skills that are crucial to employers and support services that address barriers to education, employment, and career advancement. 

Our program participants are a diverse group of adults, mostly ages 19-60, who are seeking a new, stable career with economic mobility for themselves and their families. The Adult Career Training department provides tuition-free 9-month training programs to help these adults enter the biotechnology or IT fields.

This program is a part of the Education and Training department at Just A Start. Just A Start’s other programs include affordable housing and comprehensive support services, spanning Cambridge and beyond. Just A Start believes that access to stable housing and sustainable careers are the essential building blocks of equitable communities. 

WORK REQUIREMENTS

This is a 37.5-hour per week hybrid remote/in-the-office position. Up to 30% of time could be spent off-site at local networking events and employer engagement-related activities. 

Applicants will need to have access to reliable transportation. A car would be beneficial but isn’t required. 

JOB DETAILS

• Location: Hybrid remote/in the office. Weekly in-person team days are Monday and Wednesday (These may shift depending on the program schedule and need) .
• Work Hours: Typically Monday-Friday, 9:00 am - 5:00 pm, with an average of 2-3 days in the office with occasional modifications to accommodate evening and weekend events.
• Compensation: $65,000-$75,000

WHAT YOU’LL DO

Managed by our Adult Career Training Associate Director of Operations and Growth, the Employer Engagement Lead will drive employer partnerships. The position is results-oriented, interpersonal, and people-facing. It primarily consists of (1) relationship management, cultivating prospective employer partnerships and maintaining relationships with current employers, (2) leading business development and financial support from employers to ensure our department meets its revenue goals, (3) arranging in-kind and volunteer employer engagement, including hiring our alumni, volunteering in our programs, being on our advisory board, etc. 

The role will likely evolve over time, but at minimum, you will:

1. Own Partnership and Client Management

• Represent the Adult Career Training program externally at both large events and in one-on-one meetings.
• Generate new employer partnerships, reconnect and reinvigorate lapsed relationships, maintain existing relationships.
• Present, promote, and educate existing and prospective employer partners, including meeting with Human Resources at large companies detailing why they should hire our alumni, present to the head of marketing at biotech company why they should sponsor our program, and recruit employees at large companies to volunteer to share skills and knowledge with our trainees.

2. Advisory Board Management

• Build, grow and manage both the IT and Bio advisory boards, including recruitment of members and coordinating board activity.

3. Business Development

• Develop and articulate sales cycle in partnership with leadership.
• Cultivate employer partners to provide funding support for IT and Bio training programs.
• Identify and grow alternative revenue streams outside of traditional philanthropic funding sources.
• Provide insights on how shifts in the political landscape affect workforce development opportunities in Bio and IT.

4. Internal Systems Creation and Data Management 

• Create internal systems to connect employer partners to Just A Start staff.
• Maintain records in Salesforce.

WHO YOU ARE AND KEYS TO SUCCESS

To be successful in this role, you will be someone who thrives in an environment of connecting, excited about expanding our network of employer partners and creating systems to better optimize the way we engage with employers.

To be successful in this job, you will excel in six areas:

A commitment to and an understanding of our population: You believe that individuals from any background have the right to achieve their economic stability goals. You have a commitment to the needs of an immigrant population, people of color, and individuals with low to moderate income. You recognize systemic barriers to accessing well-paying careers that relate to race, class, gender, income, age, immigration status, and other identities while advocating on behalf of individuals and groups. 

Relationship builder: You are energized by meeting new people and speaking in front of an audience. You are motivated by the idea of walking into a biotech conference where you know no one and leaving with a bunch of business cards and new connections to follow up with the next day. You anticipate that some people may be harder to connect with and think of creative ways to increase your chances of engaging with them. You are excited to share enthusiastically about ACT Programs, serving as our champion and advocate to employer partners. You know that relationships are give and take, which means you’re not always making requests of your contacts. You’re the type of person to send someone a resource you think they’d benefit from or connect two people who you think should meet. You do these acts in service of creating value for the individual(s). 

Excellent communication skills: You are exceptionally skilled at persuasive communication and understanding what the other party wants so that you can arrive at mutually beneficial solutions. You understand the importance of prompt and proactive communication. You don’t keep a potential partner waiting! 

Highly organized and detail-oriented:  You have or can create, a system for keeping tasks from slipping through the cracks. You are open to trying new systems, processes, software and tools to create the most efficient and effective workflow. You use data to make informed decisions and feedback loops to improve your processes. You can juggle competing demands and prioritize without sacrificing quality. You have experience planning backward to meet deadlines. You come to meetings prepared, having done research ahead of time. You are able to summarize, follow up and project manage initiatives. 

Entrepreneurial and creative: You have experience with leading or being a part of a team that initiated a new project or product. You’re okay with uncertainty and you’re able to find your footing even in times when there may not be a clear direction. You come up with creative solutions to problems and are able to pivot when things don’t go as you expect them to. You can plan ahead and find alternative paths, when needed, to get to the finish line. You hold yourself to high standards even when things are hectic. You’re not afraid to ask for help or clarity and/or direction. You are proactive about suggesting solutions and approaches but are very open to directions and guidance. 

Revenue generation: Your expertise does not come from a certain number of years in the field or type of degree, it comes from experience bringing in revenue for your  organization either through sales, marketing, finance, business development, or in resource development or another applicable industry. If that doesn’t describe your exact experience, you do have previous experience cultivating client relationships that involve revenue generation. You bounce back from setbacks and rejections and you don’t get derailed by a closed door. You know that a no might mean “not right now.” You can keep the lines of communication open for possibility.

If you were here right now, you would be:

• Reaching out to a Biotech company to explain the variety of ways we engage employers;
• Supporting our Alumni Programming Manager to find employer partner volunteers to participate in mock interviews during our Career Week;
• Convening an advisory board meeting with both existing and new partnerships that you’ve formed;
• Attending an evening networking event and establishing new relationships with potential employer partners;
• Partnering with the Career Exploration & Readiness Instructor to identify companies that could provide our students tours of their workspace;
• Working with our Program Director to develop and deliver a pitch to an existing employer partner from whom we’re seeking funding support; 
• Documenting conversations and employer touchpoints in Salesforce and overseeing that other team members have done the same.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. However, we encourage interested candidates to apply by October 10, 2025.

INTERVIEW PROCESS

Step 1: Please upload your resume and, in lieu of a cover letter*, complete the following application requirements. A maximum of 45 minutes is anticipated to complete this requirement. 

Please respond to both questions:

1. Share a story about a time you generated revenue for your organization or company. Describe the situation, your specific role, the actions that you took and the results. 

2. You have a call with a new potential employer partner, a contact you made at a recent networking event. Provide us with a sample of the types of questions you are going to ask in the discovery call and why. Please include at least five questions and explain your reasoning behind the questions you selected.  

Step 2: 60 min Zoom interview with the hiring manager

• We’ll ask you questions about your interest in the role and the organization and questions based on the six key competencies of the role.

Step 3: a 75-minute in-person interview with Adult Career Training staff ** 

• We’ll ask you questions about our company values and experience related to the role and provide time for you to ask questions as well.
• You will give a 10-15 minute sales pitch on anything you are passionate about. The goal is for you to capture our interest, making us excited to learn more. The presentation can be completely unrelated to work and could be something you’re passionate about, like convincing the audience to start composting. You will be provided a rubric in advance.

Step 4: Reference checks and verification of previous employment

Step 5: Background check via Chekr

*If you do submit a cover letter, please know that we won’t be using it as a primary source to make decisions. 

**We may reach out to candidates after the interviews if there are any clarifying questions before proceeding with the reference check. 

ADULT CAREER TRAINING PROGRAM VALUES

1. Trainee-Centered - We center and inform our work with a holistic approach to our students.

1. Quality-focused - We develop and continuously adapt our programming, policies and practices using stakeholder input to align with industry needs and standards.

1. Relationship-builders - We are committed to fostering meaningful impactful and reciprocal relationships with students, partners and each other.

1. Learning Community - We view continuous improvement as an essential component of our program model and success.

SALARY AND BENEFITS

This is a 37.5-hour per week hybrid remote/in-the-office position with a salary range of $65,000-$75,000.  In addition to a competitive salary, Just A Start offers a comprehensive benefits package, including medical insurance, dental insurance, early release at 2:00 pm every Friday, short-term disability insurance, long term disability insurance, life insurance, transportation benefits, 20 PTO days in the first year, 13 paid holidays, volunteer time off, employee assistance program and a 401k savings plan with a 3% employer contribution. 

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Must possess mobility to work in a standard office setting and to use standard office equipment, including a computer; vision to read printed materials and a computer screen; and hearing and speech to communicate in person and over the telephone. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 10 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. The noise level in the work environment is quiet to moderate.

ABOUT JUST A START

Just A Start is an Equal Opportunity Employer.  Our staff represents a wide range of ages, races, interests, and backgrounds coming together in pursuit of common goals. Together, we strive to provide an environment that values diversity and promotes an inclusive culture.  Applications from women and candidates of color are strongly encouraged. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, gender identity, sexual orientation, pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions or any other characteristic protected by law.