Strategic Workforce Development, Inc. (SWD) | Kansas City, MO 1099 Independent Contractor | Commission-Based with Transition to Salary | Hybrid / Field

Strategic Workforce Development, Inc. is a Kansas City–based 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Since 2018 we have partnered with more than 500 employers and helped place over 5,000 people into work. We run Build It KC (construction trades), CDL and CTE pathways, and the AI Futures Lab — our ethical AI workforce initiative launched July 2026 in partnership with KC Digital Drive at the LAMP Building.

We are now taking our AI workforce training to the corporate market, and we're hiring the person who will open that market.

This is a ground-floor commission role with a clear path to salary. SWD has the product, the credential pathway, the partners, and the proof — what we need is someone who can get in front of employers and close.

You will sell into construction firms, contractors, logistics and manufacturing companies, healthcare systems, staffing agencies, banks, insurers, municipalities, and mid-market employers across the Kansas City metro and statewide.

1. Two-Day Corporate AI Literacy Intensive (available now) An employer-paid, hands-on intensive that teaches working professionals how to actually use Claude, Gemini, and Copilot — how the tools differ, and how they connect to the software teams already run on (Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook). Built for estimators, dispatchers, office managers, project coordinators, and admin teams.

2. AI Lab Cohort Seats & Employer Sponsorships (cohorts begin September 14, 2026) Three-to-four-week hands-on cohorts ending in a real assessment. Employers can buy seats for their own staff or sponsor scholarship seats for job seekers — a direct, reportable community-impact story tied to a real workforce outcome.

3. Custom On-Site Training Engagements Scoped AI literacy and workflow training delivered at the employer's site or ours, priced by cohort size and length.

4. The SWD Algorithm — XR + AI Trades Training Platform (in development) Our five-step blueprint-reading and trades method — READ IT, PLAN IT, WATCH IT, CHECK IT, PROVE IT — running across phone, VR headset, and smart glasses, writing to a single learner record. This platform is in active development. Your role here is early pilot conversations and letters of intent, not delivery commitments or ship dates. Nothing gets promised until it's built.

• Build and work a pipeline of employer prospects across the KC metro and Missouri
• Cold outreach, warm referrals, in-person meetings, and follow-up until close
• Deliver the SWD pitch confidently to owners, HR directors, safety directors, and L&D leads
• Write and send proposals, quotes, and scopes of work using SWD templates
• Track every contact, meeting, and deal in the SWD CRM — accurate records are non-negotiable
• Attend chamber events, trade association meetings, and industry mixers as an SWD representative
• Hand off closed contracts cleanly to the program team and stay involved through delivery
• Report weekly on pipeline, activity, and revenue closed

Phase 1 — Commission Only (Months 1–6 or until threshold)

• [15]% of collected revenue on every new employer training contract you close, paid on the first 12 months of that contract
• [20]% on your first three closed contracts as a ramp incentive
• [10]% on renewals and expansions in year two
• Commissions paid within 15 days of SWD receiving payment from the client

Phase 2 — Base + Commission Once you have generated $[75,000] in collected earned revenue within a rolling 12-month period, SWD converts the role to a base salary of $[__] plus [8]% commission, with benefits eligibility reviewed at that time.

Also included from day one:

• SWD email address, business cards, branded collateral, and CRM access
• Full product training and ride-along support from SWD leadership
• Warm introductions from SWD's existing employer, chamber, and state-level network
• Mileage reimbursement at the current IRS rate for approved travel

What this role is not: commissions are paid on earned revenue only — corporate training contracts, cohort seats, and program fees. Grants, foundation awards, donations, and charitable sponsorships are excluded from commission and handled by SWD's development staff.

Required

• 2+ years of B2B sales, business development, staffing, or fundraising-adjacent sales experience
• Comfortable with cold outreach and a long sales cycle — you have closed deals nobody handed you
• Able to explain technology to non-technical buyers in plain language
• Reliable transportation, valid driver's license, and the ability to work independently
• Comfortable operating on commission while the revenue ramps

Preferred

• Existing relationships with Kansas City–area employers, contractors, or trade associations
• Background in workforce development, construction, staffing, or corporate training
• Working familiarity with AI tools (Claude, Gemini, Copilot) — or the appetite to get there fast
• CRM fluency

What matters most: you believe in the mission. Every corporate dollar you bring in subsidizes free seats for job seekers who can't pay. This is revenue with a purpose.

• Status: 1099 independent contractor; you control your own schedule and methods
• Location: Kansas City metro, hybrid — field, remote, and SWD's office at 402 E. Bannister Rd., Suite C & D, Kansas City, MO 64131
• Hours: Flexible. SWD office hours are 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM, Monday–Friday
• Start: Immediate

Send a resume and a short note — three paragraphs is plenty — telling us who you would call first and why to:

York Wilson, Director ywilson@strategicwfd.com www.strategicwfd.com

Strategic Workforce Development, Inc. is an equal opportunity organization. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic.