Position: Associate Director, Business Development
Location: Chicago
Employment Type: Full-time | Salaried | Exempt
Reports to: Director, Business Development

About Genesys Works
Genesys Works is a national social enterprise sparking sustainable futures for high school students in under-resourced communities. By providing rising seniors with skills training, meaningful work experiences, and connections to professional networks, we are helping young adults onto a path to economic self-sufficiency and a lifetime of career success.

Role Description
Genesys Works Chicago is seeking a highly motivated and goal-oriented Business Development Associate to drive the expansion of our corporate partner base. This role is focused on generating and qualifying new business opportunities that result in internship placements for our young professionals. The ideal candidate is energized by prospecting, building relationships, and making a mission-driven case for workforce development.

Responsibilities
• Identify, research, and secure substantive meetings with corporate partners who align with Genesys Works’ mission and talent model.
• Build and manage a qualified pipeline of new business opportunities, maintaining key metrics in Salesforce CRM
• Schedule and support discovery meetings for the Director of Business Development and Executive Director
• Collaborate with the Sr. Manager of Corporate Partnerships to ensure a smooth hand-off and effective account management when partners convert
• Create and deliver compelling outreach messages tailored to industry segments
• Track market trends to identify high-opportunity industries and companies
• Support proposal development, pitch materials, and early-stage partnership planning
• Represent Genesys Works at networking events and industry roundtables when needed

Qualifications
We seek candidates who believe deeply in our organization’s mission, who thrive in an entrepreneurial and dynamic work environment, who have a passion for collaboration and teamwork, and who demonstrate a record of achievement in previous activities.

Qualified candidates will possess:

• 5+ years prior experience in sales or business development, with a services firm (staffing, recruiting, or partnerships (preferably in the nonprofit or workforce development space) consulting, workforce development, or other “solution” sales)
• • Experience selling to senior level executives and decision makers.
• • Experience with prospecting and lead generation, as well as closing new business.
• • Strong communication and interpersonal skills, especially via email and phone
• • Comfortable using CRM tools (Salesforce preferred) to track and analyze activity
• • Mission-driven, self-starter with the ability to hit goals independently
• • Ability to manage multiple opportunities and prioritize effectively in a fast-paced environment
• • Passion for education, training, and creating career pathways for young professionals

Breakdown of Responsibilities

Prospecting, Meetings, and Follow Up (~60%)

Relationship Management (~20%)

Strategy and Planning (~15%)

Other (~5%)

Core Competencies
By fulfilling these core competencies, the Program Coordinator serves as a role model for students and staff.

Mission-Driven
Believes in the mission of Genesys Works and uses that as the driver of their actions, performance, engagement, and advocacy with all stakeholders.

Managing Diversity
Manages all people equitably; has a commitment to creating and maintaining an anti-racist environment for staff and students.

Presentation Skills
Effectively presents information in a variety of settings (1:1, small and large groups with peers, direct reports, or supervisors); commands attention and can manage group processes during the presentation.

Problem-Solving
Uses rigorous logic and methods to solve difficult problems with effective solutions; probes all fruitful sources for answers; is excellent at analysis

Time Management
Uses their time effectively and efficiently; values time of self and others; concentrates their efforts based on priorities and meets deadline expectations

Physical Requirements
Including, but not limited to:

• Standing and sitting for long periods of time;
• Speaking loudly and clearly;
• Ability to travel to corporate sites and off-site events, when needed
• Requests for reasonable accommodations should be sent to National Human Resources.

Compensation
In our quest to be a nonprofit employer of choice, we offer:

• •Competitive compensation commensurate with experience and qualifications
• •Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• •Company-paid life and disability insurance
• •Generous paid time off policy, (10) company paid holidays, and “Soft Close” between Christmas and New Year’s.
• •403(b) retirement savings plan with company match
• •Communications allowance
• •Hybrid work schedule
• •Focus Fridays and Flexible work arrangements

Genesys Works Organizational Values

Our Young People First
We believe young people and communities have the ability to shape their economic futures and build choice-filled lives. We leverage compassion in our advocacy to correct long-standing social injustices.

Collaboration
We believe in the power of working together in respectful partnership to create opportunities and meaningful change. By listening and evolving together, we create lasting and measurable impact.

Sustainability
We prioritize building resilience to withstand challenges, while also fostering continuous improvement in an ever-changing world. We responsibly allocate resources and ensure that every decision we make is guided by integrity and commitment to mission fidelity.

Equity
We commit to advancing economic opportunity to guide our obligations and interactions. We acknowledge systemic barriers and advocate for equal access to resources and opportunities that promote upward mobility.

Respect
We foster a culture of inclusivity, where everyone is valued and treated with dignity, in order to build stronger communities and create meaningful change. We act with kindness, seek to understand, and remain open to learning.

Commitment to Diversity
Genesys Works is an equal opportunity employer that celebrates diversity and is committed to creating an equitable and inclusive environment for all employees. Genesys Works will not tolerate discrimination or harassment of any kind. We believe that diversity, equity, and inclusion among our staff and corporate partners are essential to successfully executing our organizational mission. As such, we seek to recruit, support, develop, and retain high caliber talent from a diverse candidate pool that both complements and reflects the students we proudly serve.

Commitment to Inclusivity
Genesys Works remains committed to fostering a more equitable, inclusive and united society. We stand in solidarity with members of the BIPOC and LGBTQ+ communities and seek partnerships that help dismantle the systems that lead to inequity in pursuit of a more just community.

The fabric of our country is made up of its people. The rich diversity of ideas, cultures and norms are what make this country unique, and it is what makes it resilient. For these reasons, there is no other country in the world that ensures the wide range of opportunities and freedoms for its citizens. It is the place people dare to make the impossible, possible in hope for a better future, not only for themselves, but for the generations that follow.

How to Apply

Submit your application, including resume and cover letter detailing your interest in Genesys Works and how your background aligns with the job requirements.