Engagement Manager

Reports To:

Director of Communications & Engagement
Work Mode:
Hybrid
Type:
Full‑Time

Founded in 2020, Tech Buffalo is a nonprofit talent‑driven economic development organization. We are building a sustainable, inclusive, and accessible tech ecosystem by creating the talent density needed for companies to thrive in Western New York.

Tech Buffalo is seeking a results‑oriented Employer Engagement Manager to drive the adoption of our holistic talent ecosystem. In this role, you will diagnose the hiring and retention challenges of WNY employers and prescribe our programs (Pathways / Power Up Tech  / Networking Events) and our Talent Platform as the solution.

You are the architect of the bridge between the Boardroom and the Classroom. You will show employers how to recruit and retain talent through our platform and facilitate high‑impact connections between industry leaders and educational institutions to strengthen alignment.

• Identify Needs: Meet with employers to pinpoint exactly where they are struggling to find or keep talent – from entry‑level pipelines to mid‑level management.
• Drive Commitment: secure signed agreements (MOUs) that commit employers to using our platform and participating in our programs.
• Curriculum Strategy: Act as a broker between business and education. You will connect industry experts with training providers to drive strong alignment to exact skills local employers need.

• Empower Leaders: You do not run mentoring or peer‑to‑peer groups; you find the people who do. Your goal is to identify "Community Champions" within partner companies or regional universities and give them the tools to launch and lead their own on our platform.
• Network Integration: Find existing professional groups in Buffalo (e.g., college clubs, meetups, alumni groups) and convince them to move their operations to the Tech Buffalo platform for better visibility and management.
• Sell Efficiency: Show employer and university leaders how the platform’s self‑managed features reduce their administrative workload while keeping their per‑career talent or employees engaged.

• Secure Funding: Identify and close corporate sponsor ships for Tech Buffalo programs. Build packages that deliver real value to the employer’s brand and community goals.
• Manage the Pipeline: Build a robust list of potential sponsors, pitch creative partnership opportunities, and secure financial commitments.
• Ensure ROI: Make sure all sponsors get what they paid for, including brand visibility and access to top talent.

• Data Integrity: Maintain flawless records in our shared Hub Spot CRM. You must log every interaction to ensure seamless coordination with our partners at the 43
  
  North Foundation.
• Market Insights: Gather and report real‑time data on the local labor market – who is hiring, who is freezing, and where the skills gaps are – to guide our strategy.
• Track Success: Report monthly on key metrics: agreements signed, sponsorship dollars raised, active platform users, and actual hires made.

• Experience: 3+ years in B2B sales, business development, or account management. Experience in selling into Higher Education is a strong advantage.
• Closing
  
  Experience:
  
  A proven history of closing deals (contracts, partnerships, or sponsor ships) and meeting targets.
• Cross‑Sector Communication: The ability to speak the language of Business (ROI, Speed) and Education (Curriculum, Learning) and align them toward a common goal.
• Digital Proficiency: Comfortable using and selling software. You must be able to demonstrate a digital product to non‑technical leaders.
• CRM Expertise: Proficiency in Hub Spot (or Salesforce) is required.
  
  Education:
  
  Bachelor’s degree in business, sales, or a related field (or equivalent experience).

• You are a Catalyst: You connect the unconnected. You instinctively see how an employer’s problem can be solved by the solutions we offer or connections we can create and you are the spark that brings them together.
• You are a Challenger: You push leaders out…