Industry Connections Manager

Job Description Summary

The Industry Connections Manager serves as EnterpriseKC's primary connection to regional enterprises, transforming employer relationships into workforce intelligence that shapes the Region's Workforce Operating System. Reporting to the Pillar 2 Leader, this role identifies workforce trends, validates employer demand, builds and expands strategic partnerships, drives employer adoption and use of EnterpriseKC's full digital architecture, advances customized talent supply chains, and captures employer intelligence to support data-driven decisions and talent/workforce development outcomes. The Industry Connections Manager's focus is to translate enterprise demand into customized talent supply chains, connect employers to talent production and performance intelligence, proactively grow engagement, and help the Region anticipate workforce needs and act before gaps become barriers to growth.

Job Description

Ownership:

• Employer adoption and successful use of EnterpriseKC's full digital architecture and customized talent supply chains.
• Employer relationships, business development, and strategic talent partnerships.
• Workforce-demand intelligence and industry trend analysis.
• Employer data, insights, and reporting.
• Employer participation in regional workforce initiatives.

Key Responsibilities:

• Recruit, onboard, and grow employer use of EnterpriseKC's full digital architecture, including TalentSphere, DataSphere, the Heartland Cyber Range, and related tools, to build and activate customized talent supply chains.
• Build, manage, and grow strategic relationships with regional employers through proactive outreach and consultative engagement.
• Capture hiring demand, priority roles, skills requirements, and emerging workforce trends.
• Produce employer intelligence reports and recommendations for EnterpriseKC leadership.
• Maintain accurate employer data and integrate insights, activities, and outcomes into DataSphere.
• Connect employers to Pillar 3 internships, apprenticeships, mentoring, and experiential learning.
• Provide Pillar 8 with reliable employer data, trend analysis, and performance insights.
• Represent the voice of industry across EnterpriseKC strategy and regional initiatives.

General Responsibilities

• Maintain timely employer records, reports, dashboards, and follow-up.
• Analyze employer feedback and identify patterns, gaps, and opportunities for relationship growth.
• Collaborate across EnterpriseKC Pillars and external partners.
• Support strategic initiatives, grants, presentations, and special projects.

Expected Outcomes:

• Employers adopt and consistently use EnterpriseKC's full digital architecture for workforce planning, talent access, and engagement.
• Employer intelligence directly informs regional workforce strategy.
• EnterpriseKC becomes a trusted source of industry insight and workforce demand.
• DataSphere provides timely, accurate employer intelligence and performance visibility.
• Employer relationships produce measurable talent, partnership, placement, and business-development outcomes.
• Customized talent supply chains are activated for priority roles, producing measurable progress from validated demand to talent matches and placements.

Key Metrics:

• Employer adoption and utilization across EnterpriseKC's full digital architecture.
• Active and new strategic employer partnerships, including pipeline growth and conversion.
• Employer intelligence reports and demand trends identified.
• DataSphere data quality, completeness, and reporting accuracy.
• Customized talent supply chains activated, priority roles and specifications defined, and resulting talent matches, interviews, and placements.
• Employer satisfaction, prospect-to-partner conversion, and employer-to-placement conversion.

Attributes:

• Strategic, curious, and naturally analytical.
• Trusted relationship builder, executive and persuasive communicator
• Consultative business developer.
• Data-driven, organized, results oriented, and comfortable with measurable growth goals.
• Collaborative and comfortable working across systems and sectors.
• Passionate about shaping the future workforce of the Region.

Skills and Abilities:

• Ability to build, manage, and grow high-value employer relationships.
• Ability to translate discovery conversations and data into clear workforce insights and partnership opportunities.
• Strong research, analysis, reporting, and presentation skills.
• Proficiency with EnterpriseKC's digital architecture, including DataSphere, TalentSphere, the Heartland Cyber Range, and data-visualization tools.
• Ability to influence strategy, communicate value, and coordinate work across multiple Pillars.
• Clear, persuasive, and concise verbal and written communication skills.