PEAR Core Solutions is recruiting on behalf of our client, ITAC, the Industrial and Technology Assistance Corporation. ITAC is a nonprofit that works hands-on with small and mid-sized manufacturers across New York City, and as the NYC affiliate of the nationwide Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP), it helps companies improve operations, adopt new technologies, access funding, and strengthen their workforce. We are seeking a Business Development Advisor with hands-on manufacturing experience and a genuine interest in helping small and mid-sized manufacturers solve real business problems. This is a field-based role: you'll spend your time inside manufacturing facilities, earning the trust of owners and operations leaders, spotting opportunities to improve, and connecting companies with practical resources that help them modernize and grow. Business development is the core of the job. Roughly two-thirds is generating new relationships — including re-engaging manufacturers who worked with ITAC in the past and have gone quiet — and the remaining third is serving the clients you bring in. Once a manufacturer becomes a client, you remain their primary trusted advisor throughout the engagement, bringing the right resources in at the right time. You'll own your pipeline, generate your own activity, and carry client engagement goals. This is not high-pressure selling. Manufacturing sales cycles are long and relationship-driven, and owners are rightly skeptical of anyone who sounds like a vendor. Success comes from manufacturing credibility, opening doors, and guiding companies toward paid solutions genuinely worth their time.
Key Responsibilities: Business Development & Relationship Management (primary focus)
- Build relationships with small and mid-sized manufacturers through phone, in-person visits, LinkedIn, referrals, and industry events — proactively engaging new prospects while re-establishing ties with former ITAC clients
- Own a healthy pipeline in Salesforce, tracking activity, opportunities, and outcomes
- Build trust by asking thoughtful questions and understanding each manufacturer's business rather than delivering a pitch
- Develop referral channels with industry associations, economic development organizations, lenders, insurers, equipment dealers, and other partners close to manufacturers
- Write clear, specific proposals and bring engagements to a close in support of ITAC's growth goals Manufacturing Diagnostics & Opportunity Identification
- Visit facilities to assess operational, strategic, and growth opportunities across efficiency, quality systems, workforce, technology adoption, supply chain, and market expansion
- Use your manufacturing knowledge to ask insightful questions and recommend practical next steps
- Frame what you observe in terms owners care about — cost, capacity, quality, risk, and growth — and help clients separate what matters now from what can wait Solution Coordination & Client Success
- Connect manufacturers with ITAC programs and a vetted network of third-party specialists, bringing in the right experts rather than delivering the work yourself
- Work with ITAC leadership and specialists to scope projects, select providers, and oversee successful implementation with measurable outcomes
- Maintain strong client and provider relationships so engagements deepen into repeat and expanded work Manufacturing Industry Engagement
- Stay current on trends, technologies, and challenges affecting NYC manufacturers, and represent ITAC at industry events and networking opportunities Who Will Thrive in This Role
- Enjoys meeting new people and building authentic business relationships
- Is comfortable initiating contact with companies that have never heard of ITAC, and undeterred when outreach goes unanswered
- Is naturally curious about manufacturing operations and credible on a shop floor
- Prefers consultative conversations over high-pressure sales tactics, with the persistence to develop opportunities across long sales cycles
- Is comfortable both on the shop floor and in executive meetings, and wants to be in the field most of the week rather than at a desk
Required Qualifications:- Bachelor's degree in business, manufacturing, engineering, operations, or a related field — or equivalent industry experience
- Significant hands-on manufacturing, operations, plant leadership, or manufacturing consulting experience, with a strong grasp of manufacturing processes, terminology, and operational challenges
- Demonstrated ability to generate new business through a consultative approach — opening relationships, developing opportunities, and closing engagements
- Comfort initiating conversations through networking, LinkedIn, phone outreach, and in-person visits
- Credibility with both ownership and shop-floor teams, and the judgment to shift between them
- Excellent communication, listening, and problem-solving skills
Preferred Qualifications:- Experience working with small or mid-sized manufacturers
- Knowledge of lean manufacturing, ISO standards, continuous improvement, or quality systems
- Experience selling advisory, consulting, or professional services, and with Salesforce or another CRM
- An existing network in the manufacturing community and knowledge of the NYC manufacturing landscape
Location & TravelBased in New York City, with regular in-person engagement across the five boroughs. Candidates must live in NYC or close enough for a reasonable daily commute; a long-distance commute will not work for this role. Travel outside NYC is very limited. ITAC does not provide relocation assistance.
Compensation & Benefits:
Base salary of $125,000–$150,000, commensurate with experience, plus bonus potential tied to business development results. ITAC also offers company-paid benefits.
