Position Description The Business Development Partnerships Manager for Biola LEARN will drive revenue growth and expand market reach by developing mission-aligned partnerships across organizations, institutions, churches, corporations, associations, and strategic education networks for Biola’s portfolio of online and custom learning offerings. This role owns the full partnership lifecycle—from pipeline development and prospecting to consultative discovery, proposal creation, CRM management, and advancement through close. The manager will combine strong business development discipline with a consultative, relationship-driven approach, translating Biola LEARN’s academic strengths and mission into clear, measurable outcomes for partners and learners. As a key contributor to Biola LEARN’s expansion strategy, this individual will integrate strategic thinking, entrepreneurial initiative, and effective communication to build sustainable partnerships that connect Biola’s value with the evolving needs of external constituencies while driving both impact and revenue growth. Alignment with Theological Positions The person who fills this position must be someone who personally agrees with Biola’s Articles of Faith and Statement of Biblical Principles and who is supportive of the positions taken by Biola as contained in its Eschatology Teaching Position. As such, this person may not speak against or act in a manner inconsistent with these positions during the course of their employment at Biola. Department Enrollment Management Supervisor This position reports to the Associate Vice President of Enrollment Marketing Educational Requirements Bachelor’s degree and at least five years of relevant experience in business development, partnership development, consultative sales, enrollment growth, corporate learning, edtech, nonprofit partnerships, ministry partnerships, or a related field; or an equivalent combination of education and professional experience. Work Requirements This is a full-time, hybrid position requiring some days onsite, with travel as needed for partner meetings, conferences, and industry events. Key Responsibilities Business Development Revenue Growth Develop, manage, and advance a qualified pipeline of new business development and partnership opportunities for Biola LEARN. Prospect, qualify, and close organizational partnership opportunities across target markets, including churches, schools, companies, nonprofits, professional associations, peer institutions, and international partners. Own assigned revenue, pipeline, and partnership development goals in alignment with Biola LEARN’s growth strategy. Conduct consultative discovery with prospective partners to understand organizational goals, learner needs, budget, decision process, timeline, and success metrics. Identify opportunities for custom programs, continuing education, discipleship training, professional development, and other online learning solutions. Support individual learner enrollment growth through partnership-driven demand generation, referral channels, and strategic outreach. Accountable for generating measurable new revenue through institutional and corporate partnerships, custom program agreements, and licensing arrangements. This role carries defined annual targets that reflect both a ramp period in the first year and full productivity expectations thereafter. Partnership Strategy Relationship Management Build and manage strategic relationships with external partners to expand Biola LEARN’s reach, visibility, and revenue opportunities. Cultivate partnerships with peer institutions, schools, churches, ministry organizations, companies, associations, and e-learning units. Serve as a professional representative of Biola LEARN in external meetings, conferences, industry events, and strategic partner conversations. Navigate multi-stakeholder decision processes with professionalism, persistence, cultural sensitivity, and sound judgment. Maintain long-term partner relationships to support retention, expansion, referrals, and future program opportunities. Proposal, Pitch Solution Development Build customized proposals, pitch decks, presentations, and business cases that translate Biola LEARN offerings into clear partner-specific outcomes. Partner with academic, product, marketing, finance, and operational teams to scope feasible, high-value learning solutions. Translate academic program value into practical outcomes for prospective partners, including workforce development, ministry training, leadership development, continuing education, and learner growth. Support pricing, packaging, and positioning recommendations based on market needs and institutional priorities. Market Research Go-to-Market Strategy Conduct market research and competitive analysis to identify emerging opportunities, target verticals, pricing benchmarks, and program positioning insights. Monitor trends in online education, continuing education, faith-based learning, professional development, and organizational training. Identify priority markets and outreach strategies by audience, geography, vertical, and learner segment. Design and execute outreach strategies for domestic and international markets using culturally sensitive and mission-aligned communication approaches. Leverage multilingual capabilities where applicable, especially in markets where Spanish proficiency may support relationship development and outreach. CRM, Forecasting Reporting Maintain accurate, up-to-date records of leads, opportunities, deal stages, activities, next steps, and close dates in the CRM. Manage pipeline hygiene and provide timely updates to support forecasting, leadership visibility, and accountability. In partnership with the Associate Vice President, deliver regular reports to senior leadership on pipeline health, conversion rates, revenue forecasts, partnership activity, and strategic outcomes. Track key performance indicators, including qualified opportunities, proposals submitted, closed partnerships, revenue generated, event leads, and partnership-driven enrollment outcomes. Cross-Functional Collaboration Partner closely with the Associate Vice President and cross-functional stakeholders across marketing, enrollment, academic programs, finance, operations, and institutional leadership to align business development efforts with product timelines, academic program development, enrollment goals, and broader institutional priorities. Collaborate with marketing to support lead-generation campaigns, event strategy, partner-facing materials, and thought leadership opportunities. Work with academic and operational stakeholders to ensure proposed solutions are feasible, mission-aligned, and positioned for successful delivery. Provide market feedback to help inform future program development, pricing, messaging, and go-to-market strategy. Events, Conferences External Representation Attend industry events, conferences, partner meetings, and trade shows to generate qualified leads and position Biola LEARN as a thought leader in online Christian higher education. Prepare for events with clear goals, target accounts, messaging, follow-up plans, and measurable outcomes. Represent Biola LEARN with professionalism, warmth, credibility, and alignment to Biola’s mission and values. Other Other duties as assigned by supervisor. Required Qualifications Demonstrated ability to prospect, qualify, manage, and close revenue-generating opportunities. Experience managing a sales pipeline using a CRM, including deal stages, activity tracking, forecasting, and reporting. Strong proposal, pitch, and presentation skills, with the ability to translate academic or learning offerings into partner-specific value. Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to engage diverse internal and external audiences, client groups, senior leaders, and cross-functional stakeholders. Strong interpersonal, negotiation, and relationship-management skills. Ability to conduct timely, constructive negotiations with professionalism, tact, and sound judgment. Excellent organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple priorities, opportunities, deadlines, and stakeholder needs simultaneously. Rigorous attention to detail and the ability to work independently while proactively seeking guidance when needed. Strong service orientation and demonstrated ability to perform effectively in a fast-paced, action-oriented, mission-driven environment. Commitment to Biola’s mission and the ability to represent Christian higher education with professionalism and cultural sensitivity. Preferred Qualifications Experience in higher education, online learning, continuing education, workforce development, professional learning, ministry training, or corporate education. Experience selling to or partnering with churches, schools, nonprofits, companies, associations, or international organizations. Familiarity with custom program development, certificate programs, non-credit learning, or continuing education models. Experience with HubSpot, Salesforce, Slate, or another CRM platform. Experience developing pitch decks, proposals, pricing recommendations, or partner-facing business cases. Professional or conversational proficiency in Spanish. Experience with international outreach, multicultural communication, or global partnership development.