Manager, Business Development & Community Engagement

Position Title:    Manager, Business Development & Community Engagement    

Reports to:        Director of Recruitment, Admissions & Partnerships

Job Type:            Full-time, Permanent

Expected Salary Range: $70,000.00 base annually + commission eligible 

Location:             Ottawa, ON

Position Summary

The Manager, Business Development & Community Engagement is responsible for building and maintaining strategic relationships with high schools, settlement agencies, Indigenous Bands, and other community organizations to support the Student Recruitment Team’s objective of expanding access to post-secondary education. Reporting to the Director of Recruitment, Admissions & Partnerships, the role focuses on domestic partnership development and engagement. The ideal candidate brings exceptional business development skills with experience in education, community outreach, or recruitment, and thrives in a relationship-driven, goal-oriented environment.

Key Responsibilities:

Business Development & Outreach

• Identify, cultivate, and formalize strategic partnerships with high schools, settlement centres, Indigenous Bands, and community-based organizations to generate student recruitment pipelines.
• Develop and execute customized outreach strategies to engage key stakeholders and align partnership goals with university objectives.
• Represent the university at education fairs, community events, and stakeholder meetings to enhance brand awareness and identify new student pathways opportunities.

Relationship Management

• Serve as the primary liaison for educational and community partners, providing consistent, high-quality engagement and support through proactive communication and outreach.
• Maintain and strengthen existing partnerships through regular touchpoints, collaborative planning, and mutual goal setting.
• Recommend partnership opportunities, and for those approved, collaborate with internal stakeholders to formalize MOUs and contracts.

Strategic, Research & Reporting

• Research and monitor trends in education, community engagement, and student recruitment to inform ongoing, evidenced-based, strategy and outreach efforts.
• Collaborate with internal teams to align partnership strategies with enrollment targets and institutional priorities.
• Monitor and evaluate partnership performance, maintaining a detailed database of engagement activities and outcomes. Provide regular reports on metrics such as lead conversion, student retention, diversity outcomes, and overall impact to inform strategic decisions.
• Contribute insights to refine recruitment strategies based on market trends and community feedback.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work closely with marketing, admissions, and student services to ensure consistent messaging and seamless prospective student experiences.
• Support the development of culturally responsive engagement strategies, especially when working with Indigenous and newcomer communities, ensuring sensitivity to language, context, and lived experiences.

Project & Operational Management

• Manage multiple projects and initiatives simultaneously while meeting deadlines in a fast-paced environment, prioritizing tasked based on strategic impact and partner needs.
• Ensure high standards of execution across all initiatives, from initial outreach to long-term relationship stewardship.

Other related duties as assigned.

The successful candidate will have the following essential qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Education, Business, Communications, or a related field; Master’s degree is considered an asset.
• Minimum 5 years of progressive experience in business development, community outreach, student recruitment, or partnership development, ideally within the education sector.
• Demonstrated success in cultivating and sustaining strategic partnerships with diverse communities and educational stakeholders.
• Strong public speaking and presentation skills, with the ability to engage a wide range of audiences both in-person and virtually.
• Proven commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion principles in education and community-based work.
• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to manage sensitive or confidential information with discretion.
• Proficient with CRM platforms (e.g., Salesforce) and experience with data management and reporting tools.
• Excellent organizational and project management abilities, capable of handling multiple initiatives and deadlines effectively.
• Knowledge of Canadian educational systems, settlement services, and Indigenous communities is a strong asset.
• Energetic, resourceful, and results-driven, with a track record of achieving business development goals.
• Willingness and ability to travel locally and domestically for outreach and partnership-building activities.
• Strong collaboration skills and the ability to build productive relationships across internal teams and external partners.

Application Process

To formally express your interest in this opportunity, please submit your resume and a brief cover letter via Greenhouse. In your cover letter, please highlight your qualifications for the role and share what inspires you about the prospect of contributing to a rapidly scaling, purpose-driven organization. This position is for a backfill, and the posting remains open until the position is filled. The position is subject to budgetary approval. Any questions may be sent to [email protected]. 
We look forward to reviewing your application. See our website www.ibu.ca for further information about this new and exciting opportunity.

Note: Application materials should be submitted as a single combined PDF file, with a file name that identifies the applicant.