Business Development Training Manager

A leading technical and vocational training institution is seeking a Training & Business Development Manager to lead the growth and development of its training business. This is a key leadership role reporting directly to the Executive Director.The successful candidate will identify market and industry needs, develop new training opportunities and solutions, build strong partnerships with employers and key stakeholders, and expand the institution's portfolio of market-relevant and commercially sustainable training services.The role works cross-functionally with training, technical, quality, finance, and other functions to translate employer and industry requirements into viable training programs, partnerships, and business opportunities that strengthen the institution's industry relevance, impact, and long-term sustainability.Key ResponsibilitiesTraining & Business DevelopmentIdentify, assess, and develop new training business opportunities within relevant industrial and technical sectors.Understand employer and industry workforce requirements and translate them into relevant training opportunities and solutions.Develop opportunities for long-term training programs, customized corporate training, short courses, and other workforce development services.Build and manage a qualified pipeline of prospective clients, partners, programs, and business opportunities.Coordinate the development and launch of new training programs and services in collaboration with relevant internal functions.Identify opportunities to expand the training portfolio into new specializations, sectors, customer segments, and geographical markets.Industry Partnerships & Client DevelopmentBuild and maintain strong relationships with employers, corporate clients, government entities, industry organizations, and other relevant stakeholders.Develop partnerships that support training growth, employment outcomes, workforce development, technical capability, and knowledge transfer.Lead client engagement to understand business and training requirements and coordinate the development of appropriate solutions.Prepare and present proposals, partnership concepts, and training solutions to prospective clients and partners.Support commercial and partnership negotiations and coordinate the development of agreements with relevant internal functions.Represent the organization in relevant industry meetings, forums, events, and business development engagements.Training Solutions & Program DevelopmentWork with training and technical teams to convert identified market needs into practical, market-driven training solutions.Coordinate the development of customized training solutions for corporate and institutional clients.Support the development of new training products, short courses, professional development offerings, and workforce development programs.Ensure proposed solutions clearly define the target audience, required competencies, delivery model, expected outcomes, resources, and business requirements.Coordinate with Quality Assurance and relevant functions to ensure proposed programs meet applicable quality, compliance, and accreditation requirements.Ensure effective handover of approved programs and initiatives to the relevant operational and training teams for delivery.Market & Industry IntelligenceMonitor workforce trends, skills gaps, industry developments, and emerging training requirements within target sectors.Conduct market, customer, and competitor analysis to identify areas of potential growth and differentiation.Develop insights into current and future industry skills requirements and their implications for the training portfolio.Identify emerging opportunities and provide management with evidence-based recommendations for business and training development.Business Cases & Commercial DevelopmentDevelop business cases and feasibility assessments for new training programs, partnerships, expansion opportunities, and business initiatives.Evaluate market demand, expected trainee volumes, resource requirements, costs, potential revenue or funding, risks, and expected value.Work closely with Finance and relevant functions to validate financial assumptions and assess commercial viability.Support the development of appropriate pricing, funding, and commercial models for training services.Monitor the business performance of newly launched programs and initiatives and recommend corrective or improvement actions where required.Projects & Cross-Functional CoordinationLead assigned training and business development projects from opportunity identification through implementation.Coordinate cross-functional teams involved in developing new programs, partnerships, expansion initiatives, and business opportunities.Establish clear project objectives, responsibilities, milestones, risks, and expected outcomes.Identify implementation barriers, facilitate resolution, and escalate significant issues when required.Represent the organization in selected business development, partnership, and institutional initiatives as assigned.Business Performance & ReportingEstablish and monitor business development targets, KPIs, and pipeline performance.Track client engagement, proposals, partnerships, opportunity conversion, new program development, and commercial outcomes.Prepare periodic management reports, business analysis, and recommendations.Monitor the performance and impact of new training initiatives against approved assumptions and objectives.Drive continuous improvement in business development processes, client engagement, and training solution development.Team / Functional ScopeThe role may lead and coordinate functions related to:Business Development & PartnershipsTraining DevelopmentBusiness Operations & ComplianceBusiness / Training MarketingNote: The role does not own day-to-day training delivery, trainee administration, technical content ownership, quality assurance, or financial control. These responsibilities remain with the respective internal functions, with the Training & Business Development Manager providing cross-functional coordination for new opportunities and initiatives.Key Working RelationshipsInternal: Executive Director | Training Affairs | Technical & Specialization Functions | Foundation | Quality Assurance | Finance | Human Resources | IT | PR & Corporate Communication | Other relevant functionsExternal: Corporate clients and sponsoring companies | Industrial and commercial organizations | Government entities and sector organizations | Training, education, technical, and knowledge partners | Employers and workforce development stakeholdersQualificationsBachelor's degree in Business Administration, Management, Engineering, Education, Training, Industrial Management, or a related discipline.Master's degree or MBA is preferred.Experience – EssentialMinimum 8 years of relevant professional experience, including direct experience in the training, education, technical and vocational training (TVET), or workforce development sector.Minimum 3 years in a management or senior supervisory role within a training or education-related environment.Proven experience in training business development, including identifying training opportunities, understanding client and industry needs, and developing training solutions.Demonstrated experience in developing new training programs, customized corporate training solutions, short courses, or workforce development initiatives.Proven experience in corporate client management, partnership development, and business development within the training sector.Experience preparing training proposals, business cases, feasibility assessments, and commercial or funding models.Demonstrated experience working with employers, corporate clients, government entities, or industry partners.Experience coordinating with training, technical, quality, finance, and operational teams in the development and implementation of training initiatives.Preferred ExperienceExperience within industrial, manufacturing, technical, or related sectors.Experience within technical and vocational education and training (TVET).Exposure to employer-sponsored training, workforce localization, or industry-led training models.Core CompetenciesTraining Business Development | Business & Commercial Acumen | Training Needs & Market Analysis | Client & Stakeholder Management | Partnership Development | Business Case & Feasibility Development | Negotiation & Influencing | Cross-Functional Leadership | Project Management | Financial Awareness | Analytical Thinking & Business Judgment | Communication & Presentation | Results Orientation | Problem Solving | Accountability & OwnershipKey Success MeasuresQuality and value of the training business pipeline.Acquisition and development of corporate and institutional clients.Conversion of qualified opportunities into training programs, contracts, or partnerships.Growth in training revenue and/or sponsored training opportunities.Development of sustainable industry partnerships.Successful development and launch of new training programs and solutions.Quality and commercial viability of business cases and proposals.Successful delivery of assigned business development and cross-functional projects.Contribution to the institution's industry relevance, growth, and long-term sustainability.This is a confidential search. The organization's identity will be disclosed at the appropriate stage of the recruitment process to shortlisted candidates.