J-1 Visa Development Director Jobs
Development Director roles in the United States are accessible to international professionals through the J-1 visa under the Specialist or Trainee program category, depending on your experience level. Finding a host organization that will coordinate sponsorship through a State Department-designated sponsor is the critical first step.
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Get Access To All JobsINTRODUCTION
Hajoca Corporation is the nation’s largest privately held wholesale distributor of plumbing, heating, air-conditioning, industrial pipe-valve-fitting, and pool supplies. Founded in 1858, Hajoca operates more than 450 locations nationwide. What sets Hajoca apart is its decentralized business model, where each location, known as a Profit Center, is led by a manager who runs the business with an entrepreneurial mindset; managing strategy, financial performance, customer relationships, and local growth. With more than 165 years of success, Hajoca combines the strength of a national organization with the agility and customer focus of a locally operated business.
ABOUT THE ROLE
The Management Trainee position is a rotational four-year training program built for sales driven, entrepreneurial-minded individuals who want to run their own business, without the risk of starting one from scratch. Over four years, you'll rotate through progressively greater levels of responsibility, warehouse, counter, sales, customer ownership, and business leadership, building the skills to become a Profit Center Manager: Hajoca's version of a business owner.
This is not a desk job and not a generic corporate training track. From day one, you'll be immersed in the operational and commercial heartbeat of a Profit Center: quoting jobs, growing accounts, and negotiating with contractors. Trainees who complete the program are positioned to lead their own Profit Center, managing a multi-million-dollar business and sharing directly in its financial success.
The Four-Year Rotation
Phase 1 (1 year) Warehouse and Counter
Start by learning the business from the ground up. You'll gain hands-on experience across our operations, from warehouse logistics to customer service, giving you a firsthand understanding of how our business runs. Along the way, you'll build product knowledge, work directly with customers, and spend time in the field learning about the wholesale distribution industry and developing the foundation for a successful career in sales and leadership.
Phase 2 (9 months) Inside Sales
Develop customer relationships and problem-solving skills. You'll work directly with customers, understand their needs, provide solutions, and build lasting relationships through exceptional service.
Phase 3 (2 years) Outside Sales
Move into the field as an outside sales representative focused on prospecting contractors, bidding jobs, and winning new accounts. This rotation is where the entrepreneurial mindset takes hold; you're building your own book of business and learning to think like an owner about where growth comes from.
Phase 4 (3 months) Leadership & Operations
Step into a leadership rotation focused on the full operating picture of a Profit Center: P&L management, inventory and margin strategy, staffing and team leadership, and vendor negotiations. You'll work directly with a Profit Center Manager as a business partner, preparing to lead a location and its sales team on your own.
WHAT YOU'LL GAIN
- Entrepreneurial runway. Graduates are positioned to run a Profit Center with real P&L ownership and financial upside tied to performance.
- Sales-focused development. Roughly three of four years are spent in sales; prospecting, bidding, negotiating, and managing accounts.
- Dedicated coaching. Every trainee is paired with an experienced manager-coach throughout the program.
- Network exposure. Rotate through Profit Centers and markets to see different business models, leaders, and customer bases.
- Clear path to ownership. A defined path from trainee to Profit Center Manager, with many graduates leading a location in four years.
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
- A bachelor's degree
- A competitive, self-starting mindset; you want to create something meaningful and be measured by the results you achieve, not simply by showing up.
- Genuine interest in relationship-building, sales, and the mechanics of running a business.
- Willingness to relocate during and after the program, based on business need and career opportunity.
- Strong communication skills and comfort working in the field with contractors, tradespeople, and customers.
- Demonstrated leadership in professional, educational, and/or social experiences
- No industry experience required, we'll teach you the business.
PAY AND APPLICATION DEADLINE
The pay for this position is $70,000 per year, plus benefits, with increases after each phase and eligibility for profit sharing. The application deadline is August 30, 2026.
Hajoca Corporation is an Equal Opportunity Employer (Equal Opportunity Employer/Veterans/Disabled).
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, national origin, age, veteran status, disability, or any other protected category pursuant to federal, state or local laws and will not be discriminated against on the basis of any such categories/status. Hajoca values diversity, equity and inclusion and this policy applies to all employment practices at Hajoca. Hajoca is committed to providing reasonable accommodation for qualified individuals with disabilities including, but not limited to, during the application process. Please let us know if you need assistance or accommodation due to a disability.
We are a drug-free workplace. Employment is contingent upon pre-employment drug screening, and successful completion of a criminal background investigation subject to any federal, state and local laws.
INTRODUCTION
Hajoca Corporation is the nation’s largest privately held wholesale distributor of plumbing, heating, air-conditioning, industrial pipe-valve-fitting, and pool supplies. Founded in 1858, Hajoca operates more than 450 locations nationwide. What sets Hajoca apart is its decentralized business model, where each location, known as a Profit Center, is led by a manager who runs the business with an entrepreneurial mindset; managing strategy, financial performance, customer relationships, and local growth. With more than 165 years of success, Hajoca combines the strength of a national organization with the agility and customer focus of a locally operated business.
ABOUT THE ROLE
The Management Trainee position is a rotational four-year training program built for sales driven, entrepreneurial-minded individuals who want to run their own business, without the risk of starting one from scratch. Over four years, you'll rotate through progressively greater levels of responsibility, warehouse, counter, sales, customer ownership, and business leadership, building the skills to become a Profit Center Manager: Hajoca's version of a business owner.
This is not a desk job and not a generic corporate training track. From day one, you'll be immersed in the operational and commercial heartbeat of a Profit Center: quoting jobs, growing accounts, and negotiating with contractors. Trainees who complete the program are positioned to lead their own Profit Center, managing a multi-million-dollar business and sharing directly in its financial success.
The Four-Year Rotation
Phase 1 (1 year) Warehouse and Counter
Start by learning the business from the ground up. You'll gain hands-on experience across our operations, from warehouse logistics to customer service, giving you a firsthand understanding of how our business runs. Along the way, you'll build product knowledge, work directly with customers, and spend time in the field learning about the wholesale distribution industry and developing the foundation for a successful career in sales and leadership.
Phase 2 (9 months) Inside Sales
Develop customer relationships and problem-solving skills. You'll work directly with customers, understand their needs, provide solutions, and build lasting relationships through exceptional service.
Phase 3 (2 years) Outside Sales
Move into the field as an outside sales representative focused on prospecting contractors, bidding jobs, and winning new accounts. This rotation is where the entrepreneurial mindset takes hold; you're building your own book of business and learning to think like an owner about where growth comes from.
Phase 4 (3 months) Leadership & Operations
Step into a leadership rotation focused on the full operating picture of a Profit Center: P&L management, inventory and margin strategy, staffing and team leadership, and vendor negotiations. You'll work directly with a Profit Center Manager as a business partner, preparing to lead a location and its sales team on your own.
WHAT YOU'LL GAIN
- Entrepreneurial runway. Graduates are positioned to run a Profit Center with real P&L ownership and financial upside tied to performance.
- Sales-focused development. Roughly three of four years are spent in sales; prospecting, bidding, negotiating, and managing accounts.
- Dedicated coaching. Every trainee is paired with an experienced manager-coach throughout the program.
- Network exposure. Rotate through Profit Centers and markets to see different business models, leaders, and customer bases.
- Clear path to ownership. A defined path from trainee to Profit Center Manager, with many graduates leading a location in four years.
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
- A bachelor's degree
- A competitive, self-starting mindset; you want to create something meaningful and be measured by the results you achieve, not simply by showing up.
- Genuine interest in relationship-building, sales, and the mechanics of running a business.
- Willingness to relocate during and after the program, based on business need and career opportunity.
- Strong communication skills and comfort working in the field with contractors, tradespeople, and customers.
- Demonstrated leadership in professional, educational, and/or social experiences
- No industry experience required, we'll teach you the business.
PAY AND APPLICATION DEADLINE
The pay for this position is $70,000 per year, plus benefits, with increases after each phase and eligibility for profit sharing. The application deadline is August 30, 2026.
Hajoca Corporation is an Equal Opportunity Employer (Equal Opportunity Employer/Veterans/Disabled).
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, national origin, age, veteran status, disability, or any other protected category pursuant to federal, state or local laws and will not be discriminated against on the basis of any such categories/status. Hajoca values diversity, equity and inclusion and this policy applies to all employment practices at Hajoca. Hajoca is committed to providing reasonable accommodation for qualified individuals with disabilities including, but not limited to, during the application process. Please let us know if you need assistance or accommodation due to a disability.
We are a drug-free workplace. Employment is contingent upon pre-employment drug screening, and successful completion of a criminal background investigation subject to any federal, state and local laws.
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Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding J-1 Visa Sponsorship in Development Director
Align your credentials with Specialist eligibility
The J-1 visa Specialist category requires recognized expertise in your field. Gather documentation of your fundraising track record, board experience, and campaign outcomes before outreach. Designated sponsors will assess your credentials when evaluating your DS-2019 eligibility.
Target nonprofits with international exchange history
Organizations that have hosted J-1 exchange visitors before understand the DS-2019 process and are far less likely to withdraw an offer due to compliance concerns. Focus your search on host employers in arts, education, and public health sectors.
Use Migrate Mate to filter roles by sponsorship readiness
Development Director openings vary widely in employer familiarity with J-1 hosting requirements. Migrate Mate lets you surface roles at organizations already aligned with international hiring, saving time spent on employers who will not engage with the process.
Clarify host versus sponsor roles before accepting an offer
Your hiring employer is the host organization, not your visa sponsor. A State Department-designated sponsor such as Cultural Vistas or IIE issues your DS-2019. Confirm the host has already engaged a designated sponsor, or negotiate that step into your offer terms.
Check whether your home country triggers the two-year rule
The J-1 two-year home residency requirement applies to exchange visitors funded by their home government or whose home country lists their skill on the Exchange Visitor Skills List. Determine your status early, since it affects your ability to change to H-1B visa or immigrant status later.
Prepare a detailed training plan before the DS-2019 is issued
Designated sponsors require a structured training plan outlining your learning objectives, supervision arrangements, and program goals. Development Directors should document specific skill-transfer areas, such as major gifts strategy or board development, not just general leadership responsibilities.
Development Director J-1 Visa: Frequently Asked Questions
Which J-1 program category applies to Development Director roles?
Most Development Directors qualify under the J-1 Specialist category, which covers professionals with recognized expertise in a specialized field. If you're earlier in your career and the role includes structured learning objectives, the Trainee category may apply instead. The designated sponsor, not the host employer, makes the final determination based on your qualifications and the training plan.
Does the host employer sponsor my J-1 visa directly?
No. The J-1 visa is not employer-sponsored the way an H-1B is. Your host employer, the organization where you'll work as Development Director, enters into an agreement with a U.S. Department of State-designated sponsor such as Cultural Vistas or IIE. That designated sponsor issues your DS-2019 form and remains responsible for your program compliance throughout your exchange.
How do I find Development Director host employers open to J-1 exchange visitors?
Many nonprofits and cultural institutions are unfamiliar with J-1 hosting obligations, so targeting organizations with prior international hiring experience is practical. Migrate Mate is specifically designed to surface roles at employers aligned with international visa categories, including J-1, so you can focus outreach on hosts already familiar with the DS-2019 and training plan requirements.
Can the two-year home residency requirement affect a Development Director's long-term U.S. plans?
Yes. If the two-year requirement applies to you, you cannot change to H-1B status or apply for a green card until you fulfill it or obtain a waiver. Development Directors who plan to stay in the U.S. long-term should determine their two-year rule status before accepting a J-1 placement, since the waiver process can take one to two years depending on the basis for the request.
What documents should I prepare before a host employer engages a designated sponsor?
You'll typically need proof of your professional credentials, a resume documenting relevant fundraising and leadership experience, and a draft training plan that outlines your program objectives. Designated sponsors review these materials to confirm your eligibility and to complete the DS-2019 application. Having a clearly structured training plan specific to Development Director responsibilities, such as major gifts or endowment strategy, speeds up the sponsor's review considerably.