About the role
We’re looking for an Employer Partnerships Lead to help shape the next chapter of our apprenticeship program by forging meaningful relationships with companies that are eager to hire emerging technical talent. This role is ideal for someone who loves opening doors, building trust with hiring managers and technical leaders, and matching high-potential apprentices with high-impact opportunities.
You will be stepping into a fast-moving environment with a high degree of autonomy. The ideal candidate has experience developing employer pipelines for employees, internships/apprenticeships, workforce development programs, staffing/recruiting firms, or coding bootcamps—and thrives in a company where priorities shift quickly and creativity is encouraged.
This is a high-visibility, high-impact role: you’ll directly influence apprentice hiring outcomes, employer experience, and the long-term growth of our program. This role requires networking and working with our partners in Washington DC in person 1-2 days/week.
What you'll do
- Build and expand an employer network of companies (with a geographical focus in Charlotte, NC) excited to hire software engineering apprentices—from startups to established tech teams.
- Develop a scalable outbound strategy to identify, prospect, and engage hiring managers, talent partners, and engineering leaders across a range of industries.
- Own the full employer partnership cycle: initial outreach, relationship building, needs discovery, role scoping, and ongoing account management.
- Match apprentices to employer needs, partnering closely with internal instructional and People teams to understand skills, readiness, and career goals.
- Create compelling pitch materials, including but not limited to hiring guides, apprentice profiles, and success stories.
- Host employer engagement activities such as info sessions, virtual events, and hiring showcases.
- Maintain accurate CRM data, ensuring partnership activity is tracked, organized, and reportable.
- Gather feedback from employers to continuously improve the apprenticeship program and inform curriculum and job-readiness initiatives.
- Run a consultative sales process wherein you learn what a potential partner is looking for in a candidate hire.
- Be agile and iterative in your approach to our employer partners, identifying within and across teams how to make our apprentices most successful.
Qualifications
Requirements:
- 3+ years experience in employer partnerships, business development, recruiting, talent placement, or a related field—preferably within technical education (College of CS or bootcamp), apprenticeship program, workforce development, or staffing agency.
- Demonstrated success cultivating relationships with hiring managers and decision-makers.
- Proven ability to work independently, manage a pipeline, and hit outreach or placement targets without heavy oversight.
- Strong understanding of software engineering roles and the tech hiring landscape (you don’t need to code, but you should understand what engineers do).
- Exceptional communication skills, both written and verbal.
- Comfort working in a fast-paced, quickly evolving environment where priorities may shift week-to-week.
- Able to work in-person 1-2 days/week.
Preferred Skills:
- Previous experience placing early-career or non-traditional technical talent.
- Background working with apprenticeships, internship programs, or workforce development initiatives.
- Ability to craft pitch decks, one-pagers, and outreach sequences that convert.