Director of Business Development in Branchburg, New Jersey at The Training Center

Director of Business Development & Partnerships

Who We Are

The Training Center is a New Jersey-based trade school and leader in career development programs for the skilled trades. We provide top-rated training programs across HVAC, Electrical, Plumbing, Welding, Boiler Operation, and more. Our training supports state licensing, national certification, and career development. For over 40 years, we have helped thousands of industry professionals start a successful career in the trades. Learn more at www.thetrainingcenter.com.

JOB DESCRIPTION

The Training Center is seeking a high-energy Director of Business Development & Partnerships to drive our expansion through active community outreach. Your mission is to forge strong, strategic partnerships that drive student enrollment, workforce training opportunities, and long-term organizational growth. A key priority will be building and strengthening relationships with New Jersey high schools, workforce development organizations, employers, and local communities to expand access to our skilled trades training programs.
This is a hands-on business development role. The ideal candidate thrives in building relationships from the ground up, creating opportunities through direct outreach, and personally managing partnerships from first introduction through long-term growth. This is not a role focused on managing a large team; success comes from the ability to build trust, make strong impressions, and turn relationships into meaningful business growth.
This position is based out of our Branchburg, NJ headquarters but is primarily a field-based role focused on developing relationships throughout New Jersey and surrounding markets.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

* New Jersey High Schools: Expand our footprint within New Jersey high schools and career education programs building meaningful relationships that increase awareness of skilled trades career pathways and Training Center programs.

Workforce Training Expansion: Identify and develop relationships with employers that utilize skilled trades professionals, positioning The Training Center as their preferred training and certification partner. Work closely with organizations to understand workforce development needs and expand the use of our programs for employee training, upskilling, certification, and career advancement.

Strategic Partnerships: Develop relationships with school districts, workforce development organizations, non-profits, and employers to identify workforce training funding opportunities and position The Training Center as the preferred provider for workforce development, career education, employer-sponsored training, scholarships, and grant-funded training initiatives.

Industry Events & Community Engagement: Represent The Training Center at industry events, workforce development initiatives, school functions, career fairs, conferences, and community events, turning introductions into long-term partnerships.

QUALIFICATIONS & SKILLS REQUIRED

* 7+ Years of Business Development & Partnership Experience: A proven track record of building new territories or partnerships from the ground up, driving growth in B2B sales, strategic partnerships, or workforce development.

*The “Magnet” Personality: You are a dynamic networker with a highly charismatic presence. You make a positive first impression, build trust quickly, and have the ability to truly own the room. Whether you are at a tradeshow or pitching to a CEO, you captivate your audience and turn initial introductions into memorable, long-term relationships.

*Strategic Prospecting: Ability to navigate complex sales cycles within the education and corporate sectors, such as NJ school districts, skilled trade contractors, or large-scale facilities management groups. You are persistent and assertive, with the aggressive drive needed to break through the noise, bypass gatekeepers, and get directly in front of key decision-makers.

*Relationship Farming & Account Management: Experience in not just “closing” a sale, but continuously nurturing and expanding the lifetime value (LTV) of accounts through trust-building, strategic upselling, and bundled training solutions.

Sales Tech Stack & Data Systems: You are experienced in utilizing sales pipeline and CRM tools. You must be comfortable operating in a lean, ground-floor environment, maneuvering effectively without a strong data infrastructure today. You will be the driving force that establishes, implements, and scales our future sales tech stack.

(Preferred) Established Industry Networks: While we value the right skill set and personality over a specific background, bringing an existing network and experience within New Jersey’s education, workforce development, or skilled trades sectors is a plus.