VP, Workforce Development & Partnerships

Q Academy is entering a deliberate growth phase in the Canadian workforce development and corporate training market. This VP is being created to:

• Consolidate all revenue streams - employer, government, and program-based - under a single accountable leader
• Build a qualified pipeline before committing to significant operational or staffing investment
• Establish Q Academy as the workforce partner of choice for BC employers and government workforce bodies
• Create a repeatable, CRM-driven commercial process that the CEO can track weekly, not quarterly
• Position Q Academy's brand clearly in the corporate training market - not as an academic institution, but as a delivery partner for employer and workforce outcomes

Key Result Areas (KRAs)

1. Revenue - Consolidated Target Ownership

• Own and be accountable for the total Q Academy revenue target: employer partnerships, government/funding partnerships, and workforce program fees combined
• Build a revenue plan with monthly milestones and pipeline-to-close assumptions approved by the CEO
• Ensure revenue is diversified across employer, government, and direct program channels - no single source should exceed 50% of total revenue in Year 2+
• Report on revenue performance versus target weekly - not monthly, not quarterly

2. Pipeline - Qualified Opportunity Management

• Establish and maintain a qualified pipeline at minimum 3x the quarterly revenue target
• Define pipeline qualification criteria: minimum employer size, contract value threshold, programme fit, and decision-maker access
• Own the CRM as the single source of pipeline truth - no shadow spreadsheets, no verbal updates without CRM backing
• Deliver a weekly pipeline dashboard to the CEO covering: new opportunities, stage progression, at-risk deals, and closed revenue

3. Employer Accounts - Corporate Partnership Development

• Identify, target, and close employer accounts in BC's priority workforce sectors: technology, healthcare, skilled trades, financial services, and logistics
• Structure multi-year employer training partnership agreements with volume commitments and renewal incentives
• Build an employer account management function: onboarding, training delivery coordination, satisfaction review, and renewal
• Develop an employer advisory council to deepen institutional relationships and generate market intelligence for program development

4. Government & Funding Partnerships

• Map and pursue government workforce funding available to Q Academy as a training provider: provincial (WorkBC, SWIS, COJG equivalents), federal (ESDC, Sectoral Workforce Solutions), and municipal programs
• Build relationships with WorkBC contract holders, Employment Service Providers (ESPs), and sectoral workforce bodies
• Develop a grant and funding strategy that supplements commercial revenue - not replaces it - with clear concentration limits
• Ensure all funded program delivery meets contractual reporting, outcome, and compliance requirements

5. Team Hiring - Revenue-First Staffing Cadence

• Build the Q Academy commercial team in alignment with revenue milestones - not in anticipation of them
• Sequence hires to maximize revenue return: business development before operations, account management before program coordination
• Establish hiring profiles, onboarding plans, and individual revenue targets for each commercial team member
• Present a headcount plan to the CEO linked to pipeline stage and revenue trajectory - never headcount without revenue justification

6. Brand-Delivery Handoff - Q Academy Commercial-to-Operations Interface

• Own the handoff between commercial commitments made to employers and government bodies and Q Academy's program delivery team
• Ensure no contract is signed without a delivery-confirmed programme and timeline - no overpromising to close deals
• Build a standard handoff protocol: contract summary, employer expectations, delivery timeline, and escalation path
• Serve as the escalation point for delivery issues that risk employer or government partner satisfaction

7. Weekly Dashboard - CEO Commercial Accountability

• Deliver a structured weekly commercial dashboard to the CEO covering: pipeline value by stage, revenue closed this week/month/quarter, employer accounts active vs. target, government funding pipeline, team hiring status, and key risks
• The dashboard is non-negotiable - format agreed with CEO in Month 1, delivered every week without exception
• Flag risks proactively - pipeline gaps, delayed closures, employer account issues - before they become misses

Required Qualifications Education

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Commerce, Public Policy, Education, or a related field (required)
• Graduate degree or professional designation (MBA, CPHR, economic development certification) is an asset
• Formal training in government funding programs, workforce development, or adult education is a strong asset

Experience

• 8–12 years in workforce development, corporate training, economic development, or related commercial roles in Canada
• Minimum 3 years in a VP, Director, or equivalent revenue ownership role - not program management
• Demonstrated track record closing employer partnership agreements in BC or comparable Canadian market
• Direct experience navigating government workforce funding programs in BC (WorkBC, SWIS) or nationally (ESDC) - not advisory, hands-on application and management
• Experience building and managing a CRM-driven commercial pipeline with weekly CEO or Board-level reporting
• Experience hiring and managing a commercial team - including setting individual targets and managing underperformance