DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT & ENGAGEMENT

About Cara Collective

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 at www.caracollective.org.

About the Cara Collective External Affairs Department

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.

About the Role

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.

Qualifications

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.

Requirements:

• 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 and demonstrated passion for inclusive employment and workforce development.

 Key Responsibilities

Business Development Corporate, Engagement & Partnership Growth (60%)

• Partner with the Chief External Affairs Officer, Director of Institutional Giving, and other external facing teams to achieve an annual revenue goal of $1.5M+ from corporate donors.
• Responsible for developing, deploying, and overseeing strategies that build and expand Cara’s employment partners, with a focus on companies that are background friendly, background flexible, and those that demonstrate inclusive hiring practices such as skills-based hiring, non-degree requirements, and apprenticeship programs.
• Plan, develop and maintain strong and effective relationships with partners throughout the corporate/employer journey.
• Research & stay up to date with key trends throughout the Chicagoland area that impact corporate and employer partners, including corporate social responsibility goals, industry shifts, and inclusive hiring practices.
• Establish and maintain strong working relationships with Cara team members and foster a collaborative work environment
• Collaborate with the Cara Plus and Employment Services team to create consistent alignment across all partners.
• Oversee corporate engagement strategy, including service days, pro bono services, lunch & learns, and co- developed pathway opportunities
• Maintain relationships with corporate contacts and strategize ways to build partnerships and ensure adequate distribution of portfolio assignments.
• Prospect for new corporate partners for Cara Collective programming and initiatives (i.e. targeted recruitment) by networking, cold calling, marketing, or other means of generating interest from potential clients.
• Schedule and plan onsite and offsite meetings with referral accounts that need to be re-engaged, as well as prospects.
• Build a keen understanding on the culture, needs, concerns of corporate partners and key points of contact.
• Attend external functions such as sponsored resources or hiring fairs to establish Cara Collective’s brand within specific communities or partners.
• Shows initiative to provide timely follow-up with all stakeholders including Board Members, corporate partners, colleagues and other external stakeholders.
• Represent Cara Collective at external engagement opportunities.

Leadership (20%)

• Serve on the leadership team as an enterprise leader and expert on the Corporate Partnerships domain.
• Plans, manages, and coordinates the activities of department personnel responsible for designing training solutions that bridge skill gaps in work procedures and performance and professional development.
• Meet regularly with team members to identify priorities, discuss strategies,, and review ongoing projects.
• Track progress towards goals and make mid-course adjustments as necessary.
• Provide professional development opportunities and guidance to team members to help strengthen their skill sets and job satisfaction.
• Accomplishes financial objectives by forecasting requirements: preparing and executing an annual budget for the department.
• Liaise with the Executive Team, Board of Directors and auxiliary groups to activate around time, talent, tribute, and treasure goals.

Strategy (20%)

• Works in close collaboration and cooperation with other departments and businesses at Cara Collective e overall goals of the enterprise.
• Keeps abreast of and reviews industry best practices and integrates these findings into instruction content and delivery but also innovates using participants lived realities to inform our own best practice brand of coaching.
• Co-create with Chief External Affairs Officer to conduct long-term strategic planning that align with department goals, vision, and objectives by identifying future opportunities, anticipating challenges, and planning appropriate allocation of resources.
• Coordinate with Marketing/Communications team, to create and update marketing material that reflects the full scope of corporate engagement opportunities.

Reports To

Chief External Affairs Officer

Direct Reports

This position currently supervises three team members: the Corporate Engagement Specialist, Senior Business Development Specialist, and Lead Business Partner Specialist, with plans to add an additional position in the near future.

Workplace Type & Team Culture

Cara Collective has a strong team culture that values collaboration, communication, and camaraderie. We believe in the

power of working together in person, which is why we expect our employees to be onsite at one of our Chicago-based

locations multiple days each week. For this role, that means a minimum of 3 days in the office. This commitment to in-person collaboration fosters a sense of belonging and teamwork among our employees, creating a supportive and dynamic

work environment. Regular travel within the Chicago area to meet with partners and employers is required, along with

occasional out-of-town travel to conferences, thought leadership opportunities, or other convenings related to Inclusive

Employment work.

We consistently measure staff satisfaction through employee surveys and have found that year over year, the vast majority

of staff agree that Cara Collective is a great place to work and grow. This high level of employee satisfaction reflects our

dedication to creating a positive and fulfilling workplace for all members of our team.

Starting Pay Range

We take budget and starting salary very seriously. We market our roles and are using a salary analysis tool called Payscale

and offer competitive, market-based compensation to all employees. This position’s expected starting pay range is $90,000-95,000.

Benefits

Cara Collective is proud to offer a comprehensive, competitive benefit package, with options designed to help you make the best decision for yourself, your family, and your lifestyle. Available benefits are based on eligibility. Our Total Rewards

package includes a variety of medical and dental plans, vision coverage, disability and life insurance, 401(k):

Cara Paid Benefits

• Medical, Dental, Vision Plans
• Basic Life Insurance
• Long Term Disability
• Personal Technology Reimbursement
• Starting with 17 Vacation Days, 8 Sick Days, 14 Paid Holidays

Employee Paid Benefits

• Pre-Tax Medical Flexible Spending Account
• Pre-Tax Dependent Care Account
• Pre-Tax Transit & Parking Options
• Supplemental Life and AD&D Insurance
• Short-Term Disability Insurance
• 401(k) Retirement Plan (employer match up to 4% upon hire & immediately vested)

As of this posting, we annually review our benefit offerings to meet our employees’ needs and be competitive in the market. All listed benefits offerings at the discretion of the employer.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Cara Collective is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive work environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, gender identity, religion, sexual orientation, age, disability, parental status, veteran status, or any other protected status under applicable laws. This commitment applies to all employment practices, including those supported by technology or artificial intelligence tools used in the hiring process.

We encourage individuals of all backgrounds to apply. If you are a qualified candidate with a disability and require reasonable accommodation to complete this application or participate in the interview process, please email us at kboelkens@carachicago.org.