Business Development Specialist - uAspire

POSITION SUMMARY:

uAspire seeks a Business Development Specialist to advance uAspire’s drive toward mission fulfillment by maintaining and honing the systems that facilitate earned revenue partnerships across partnerships and impact models. Reporting to the VP of Business Development, the Business Development Specialist will engage with internal and external stakeholders to hone business development systems, documents, and practices that ensure strong partnerships, proliferating uAspire’s expertise to our target beneficiaries.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

The Business Development Specialist will primarily be responsible for implementing and improving uAspire business development practices to ensure partnership success and smooth internal collaboration, including document preparation, data entry, and project management.  This individual will also have a small portfolio of accounts and partnerships they will steward. 

This position requires exceptional attention to detail, meticulous responsiveness to internal and external stakeholders, and accountability for individual contributions. The successful candidate will also have strong listening skills underpinning their ability to connect with current and prospective partners, to offer uAspire solutions that meet their needs.

This remote work position is open to candidates from across the country, with special interest in those based in the western United States.

Business Development Systems

• Accurate, timely preparation of business-critical documents for the national and regional portfolio of new and existing partnerships: proposals and service agreements
• Implement and maintain the workflows, meetings, and documents that support business development work internally and externally (internal workflow documents, cross-team meetings, and sales document templates).
• Execute accurate, consistent, and timely data entry and record management in Salesforce to ensure smooth internal communication, as well as precise and on-time invoicing for partners.
• Perform quarterly data clean-up projects to ensure accurate and complete business development data in Salesforce and maximize the utility of the CRM.
• Collaborate with internal data and operations teams to identify and complete projects that improve overall data management, reporting, document preparation, and business operations.

Account management

• Oversee and steward a small (with potential to grow) portfolio of accounts to ensure successful partnerships, impact for students, and growth of uAspire’s reputation as an expert in the field.
• Ensure that all portfolio accounts receive timely communication and follow up on all requests and sales cycle activities (proposal delivery, contract preparation, vendor paperwork, etc.).
• Customize communication cadence and content to be relevant for partner needs and preferences.
• Collaborate with service delivery teams to ensure partners have a satisfying experience with their uAspire service.  Engage in troubleshooting, problem-solving, and iterating service plans as needed.
• Initiate partner feedback and renewal touch points to minimize interruptions in service and connect partner feedback to implementation team learning agendas.

New Partnership Cultivation

• Identify and qualify new leads from relevant state and regional markets.
• Actively leverage existing partners to generate new leads.
• Represent uAspire at external events and convening, as appropriate  + as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE:

We understand that people gain skills through a variety of professional, personal, educational, and volunteer experiences. We encourage candidates to review the key responsibilities and qualifications below. If you believe you have the transferable skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of this role, we encourage you to apply.

Education, Experience & Skills:

• Minimum 5 years of prior professional or lived experience required, preferably in the non-profit sector
• Strong computer skills including knowledge of GSuite, Excel, and database management; Salesforce CRM experience strongly preferred
• Excellent attention to detail and demonstrated ability to maintain confidentiality around sensitive and private data
• Exceptional organizational and communications skills 
• Track record of solving complex problems
• Experiences with building and strengthening systems, relationships, and learning cycles
• Able to provide clear communication of progress, deliverables, and adjustments to all partners involved; strong mindset of completing tasks and following through on commitments
• Strategic thinker that sees improvements and willing to adjust to changing needs of the organization
• Track record of building strong relationships with various types of people
• Willingness to help and work collaboratively with colleagues meet ambitious goals

Core Competencies:

• Equity and Inclusion
  • Equity Mindset - Identify and examine personal biases, stereotypes, prejudices and cultural norms in ways that consider their impact on persons with marginalized identities.
  • Awareness of Inequity -  Recognize the social effects of race, ethnicity, class, gender and other identities and the systems of oppression which perpetuate these inequities.
  • Advance Diversity and Inclusion - Proactively seek out diverse perspectives and relationships within the workplace and the broader community served.

• uAspire’s Core Competencies
  • Excellence - Steps up and follows through to consistently deliver high-quality work.
  • Equity & Inclusion - Champion the values of diversity and the creation of inclusive spaces.
  • Growth Mindset - Embrace challenges and setbacks as the fuel for learning and development.
  • Teamwork - Contribute actively and collaboratively with colleagues to actively share goals.

• Attention to Detail - Consistently submits work that is free of errors or omissions
  • Regularly demonstrates a thorough approach to accuracy of deliverables
  • Rarely requires re-work to meet acceptable standards
  • Corrects imperfections in work without requiring prompting
  • Exhibits pride in quality and detail of work

• Follow Up / Responsiveness - Is respectful of commitments made with others on mutually agreed-upon action items, as well as prompt return of phone calls and emails
  • Consistently delivers on items committed to other individuals.
  • Promptly returns phone calls.
  • Promptly returns emails.

• Communication Skills - Expresses self using clear, effective, and efficient language.  Listens patiently and attentively.  Adapts to the purpose of the communication with appropriate style, substance, detail, and confidence
  • Is able to clearly and effectively communicate points and maintain a high level of interest in both audible and visual forms of communication.
  • Absorbs and considers the meaning of communications from others before responding.
  • Presents ideas effectively in both group and individual settings.
  • Attentive to "indirect" communications, such as eye contact, body language, tone, and delivery, in self as well as others.

• Functional Technical Skills -- Skillfully analyzes, assesses, and deconstructs information in a self-directed and self-disciplined manner, not automatically accepting the validity of information or assumptions
  • Thinks independently and in organized, unbiased, fashion when attempting to size up complicated situations.
  • Avoids quick reactions or conclusions when assessing complicated situations; relies on fact-based decisions.
  • Pays adequate attention to key details, assumptions, and alternative viewpoints when assessing complicated situations.

ANTICIPATED START DATE: February 20, 2024

COMPENSATION: The salary for this position is $63,000-$66,775. Salary commensurate with experience and education.  

GRADE: Coordinator 2

STATUS: Non-exempt, full time

LOCATION AND WORK ARRANGEMENT: Remote; Western US preferred (Mountain or Pacific Time Zone)

REPORTS TO: Vice President of Business Development

APPLICATIONS: Applicants should apply through uAspire’s website 
 

 ABOUT UASPIRE

Organization Vision: uAspire envisions a society where structural obstacles are removed from postsecondary pathways for systematically oppressed students so they can experience an improved quality of life for themselves and future generation

Organization Summary:  Our mission is to improve the economic mobility of underrepresented communities by creating financial solutions to diverse educational pathways.

Student Advising: We guide students, families, and communities to navigate complex financial aid systems in pursuit of equitable access to affordable postsecondary pathways through in-person and virtual advising. 

Scholarship & Emergency Aid: We commit to placing money into the hands of students allowing them to use these funds to cover tuition bills and other unexpected expenses.

Training & Technical Assistance: We equip partners with the knowledge and confidence to navigate the financial aid process with their students by curating engaging trainings and student-centered resources.

Policy: We advocate for institutional, state, and federal policy change to transform financial aid and higher education systems, based on our students' lived experiences.

Consulting: We collaborate with partners to assess their needs and offer uniquely designed solutions in the areas of content development, program improvement and systems change, by leveraging our financial aid expertise, student-advising experience, and student-centered research.

uAspire is an equal opportunity employer, fully committed to achieving a diverse and inclusive workplace that embraces and encourages applicants of every background.  The company’s policy regarding equal employment opportunity means that all decisions regarding recruitment, hiring, benefits, wage and salary administration, scheduling, disciplinary action and termination will be made without unlawful discrimination on the basis of sex, gender, race, color, age, national origin, religion, disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, citizenship status, pregnancy or maternity, veteran status, or any other status protected by applicable federal, state or local law. If you require reasonable accommodation in completing an application, interviewing, or otherwise participating in the employee selection process, please direct your inquiries to hr@uaspire.org.