Business Director Visa Sponsorship Jobs in Iowa
Business director roles in Iowa draw sponsorship activity from employers in financial services, insurance, healthcare, and manufacturing, with Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, and Davenport hosting the most active hiring companies. Principal Financial Group, Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield, and Collins Aerospace are among Iowa's prominent employers known to sponsor senior operations and leadership positions.
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Get Access To All JobsPosition Summary
The Director of Business Development is responsible for driving strategic growth across Mueller Yurgae Associates by identifying, evaluating, and securing new client partnerships while expanding opportunities within MYA’s existing client portfolio.
This position serves as the central point of coordination and gatekeeper for prospective new clients, ensuring opportunities are thoroughly vetted for strategic fit, white space, potential conflicts, financial value, and alignment with MYA’s capabilities. The Director will work closely with Executive Leadership, divisional leaders, Finance, and other internal teams to ensure new clients are appropriately evaluated, contracted, onboarded, and transitioned into the organization.
The role will have a strong emphasis on growth within the Grocery channel while maintaining a companywide perspective across MYA’s divisions, channels, and service capabilities.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
The essential functions include, but are not limited to, the following:
Business Development & Strategic Growth
- Lead the identification, qualification, development, and pursuit of new client opportunities across MYA.
- Develop and maintain a strategic pipeline of prospective manufacturers and brands aligned with MYA’s capabilities, retailer relationships, geographic footprint, and growth strategy.
- Serve as the primary gatekeeper for prospective new clients and coordinate the internal review and approval process.
- Evaluate prospective opportunities for strategic fit, revenue potential, category and client white space, competitive conflicts, operational requirements, and overall value to MYA.
- Lead capabilities presentations, proposals, RFPs, negotiations, and other activities associated with securing new business.
- Partner with Executive and divisional leadership to prioritize opportunities with the greatest strategic and financial potential.
Existing Client Growth
- Evaluate MYA’s existing client portfolio to identify opportunities for expansion into additional divisions, customers, channels, geographies, and services.
- Identify white-space opportunities where MYA can broaden its relationships and provide additional value to existing clients.
- Coordinate cross-divisional growth opportunities to ensure a unified MYA approach and clear ownership.
- Develop and strengthen senior-level relationships with strategic clients to support retention and long-term growth.
- Identify potential client risks or service gaps and partner with appropriate leadership to strengthen at-risk relationships and protect existing business.
New Client Contracting & Onboarding
- Own the transition of approved prospects from business development through formal client onboarding.
- Partner closely with Finance to ensure contracts, commission structures, fees, financial terms, and other business requirements are thoroughly reviewed and approved prior to onboarding.
- Ensure commitments made during the business-development process are clearly documented and effectively transitioned to the teams responsible for execution.
- Coordinate with Finance, divisional leadership, Sales, Analytics, Marketing, Operations, Distribution, and other applicable teams to ensure a thorough and organized onboarding process.
- Establish clear ownership, timelines, expectations, and communication for each new client.
- Remain engaged through the initial onboarding and transition period to help ensure a successful launch and client experience.
Strategic Leadership
- Monitor CPG, grocery, retail, manufacturer, and competitive trends to identify emerging opportunities and potential business risks.
- Provide Executive Leadership with visibility into the new-business pipeline, client expansion opportunities, competitive threats, and significant client risks.
- Represent MYA with prospective clients, existing strategic partners, manufacturers, retailers, industry organizations, and other key stakeholders.
- Promote a company-wide approach to business development that balances growth with profitability, operational capabilities, existing client relationships, and MYA’s long-term strategic objectives.
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
- Bachelor’s degree in business, Marketing, Sales, Management, or a related field preferred.
- Significant experience in business development, sales leadership, client management, or strategic account management within the CPG, food brokerage, grocery, retail, or related industries.
- Strong knowledge of the Grocery class of trade and relationships among manufacturers, brokers, wholesalers, distributors, and retailers.
- Demonstrated success identifying, developing, negotiating, and securing new business.
- Strong business and financial acumen with the ability to evaluate the strategic and financial value of prospective opportunities.
- Ability to evaluate category white space, client conflicts, market opportunities, and organizational capabilities.
- Strong executive presence with excellent communication, presentation, negotiation, and relationship-building skills.
- Ability to collaborate across divisions and functions and influence outcomes without relying solely on direct authority.
- Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple opportunities and priorities simultaneously.
- Willingness to travel as needed for client meetings, presentations, industry events, and internal meetings.
Core Competencies
- Strategic Thinking — Identifies and evaluates growth opportunities with a company-wide perspective, balancing revenue potential, white space, client fit, risk, and MYA’s long-term strategy.
- Relationship Leadership — Builds trusted relationships with prospective and existing clients while effectively representing MYA with senior-level decision-makers.
- Business Acumen — Understands the financial and business implications of new opportunities and evaluates potential clients based on profitability, strategic value, conflicts, and operational requirements.
- Collaboration & Influence — Works effectively across Executive Leadership, Finance, divisional teams, and other functions to gain alignment and move opportunities from prospects through successful onboarding.
- Accountability & Execution — Takes ownership of opportunities from initial identification and vetting through contract review, onboarding, transition, and execution, ensuring commitments are followed through.
Physical Demands and Work Environment
The physical demands described here are representative of those required to successfully perform the essential functions of this role. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these functions.
- Regularly required to talk, hear, and use hands to handle or operate office equipment.
- Occasionally required to stand, walk, sit, and reach with hands and arms.
- May occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds.
- Specific vision abilities include close vision, distance vision, and the ability to adjust focus.
- Work environment noise level is typically low to moderate.
Note
This job description does not imply that these are the only duties to be performed. Employees will be expected to follow any job-related instructions and perform additional duties as requested by authorized personnel. Responsibilities may be modified to accommodate individuals with disabilities. This document does not create an employment contract and employment remains “at will.”
Position Summary
The Director of Business Development is responsible for driving strategic growth across Mueller Yurgae Associates by identifying, evaluating, and securing new client partnerships while expanding opportunities within MYA’s existing client portfolio.
This position serves as the central point of coordination and gatekeeper for prospective new clients, ensuring opportunities are thoroughly vetted for strategic fit, white space, potential conflicts, financial value, and alignment with MYA’s capabilities. The Director will work closely with Executive Leadership, divisional leaders, Finance, and other internal teams to ensure new clients are appropriately evaluated, contracted, onboarded, and transitioned into the organization.
The role will have a strong emphasis on growth within the Grocery channel while maintaining a companywide perspective across MYA’s divisions, channels, and service capabilities.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
The essential functions include, but are not limited to, the following:
Business Development & Strategic Growth
- Lead the identification, qualification, development, and pursuit of new client opportunities across MYA.
- Develop and maintain a strategic pipeline of prospective manufacturers and brands aligned with MYA’s capabilities, retailer relationships, geographic footprint, and growth strategy.
- Serve as the primary gatekeeper for prospective new clients and coordinate the internal review and approval process.
- Evaluate prospective opportunities for strategic fit, revenue potential, category and client white space, competitive conflicts, operational requirements, and overall value to MYA.
- Lead capabilities presentations, proposals, RFPs, negotiations, and other activities associated with securing new business.
- Partner with Executive and divisional leadership to prioritize opportunities with the greatest strategic and financial potential.
Existing Client Growth
- Evaluate MYA’s existing client portfolio to identify opportunities for expansion into additional divisions, customers, channels, geographies, and services.
- Identify white-space opportunities where MYA can broaden its relationships and provide additional value to existing clients.
- Coordinate cross-divisional growth opportunities to ensure a unified MYA approach and clear ownership.
- Develop and strengthen senior-level relationships with strategic clients to support retention and long-term growth.
- Identify potential client risks or service gaps and partner with appropriate leadership to strengthen at-risk relationships and protect existing business.
New Client Contracting & Onboarding
- Own the transition of approved prospects from business development through formal client onboarding.
- Partner closely with Finance to ensure contracts, commission structures, fees, financial terms, and other business requirements are thoroughly reviewed and approved prior to onboarding.
- Ensure commitments made during the business-development process are clearly documented and effectively transitioned to the teams responsible for execution.
- Coordinate with Finance, divisional leadership, Sales, Analytics, Marketing, Operations, Distribution, and other applicable teams to ensure a thorough and organized onboarding process.
- Establish clear ownership, timelines, expectations, and communication for each new client.
- Remain engaged through the initial onboarding and transition period to help ensure a successful launch and client experience.
Strategic Leadership
- Monitor CPG, grocery, retail, manufacturer, and competitive trends to identify emerging opportunities and potential business risks.
- Provide Executive Leadership with visibility into the new-business pipeline, client expansion opportunities, competitive threats, and significant client risks.
- Represent MYA with prospective clients, existing strategic partners, manufacturers, retailers, industry organizations, and other key stakeholders.
- Promote a company-wide approach to business development that balances growth with profitability, operational capabilities, existing client relationships, and MYA’s long-term strategic objectives.
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
- Bachelor’s degree in business, Marketing, Sales, Management, or a related field preferred.
- Significant experience in business development, sales leadership, client management, or strategic account management within the CPG, food brokerage, grocery, retail, or related industries.
- Strong knowledge of the Grocery class of trade and relationships among manufacturers, brokers, wholesalers, distributors, and retailers.
- Demonstrated success identifying, developing, negotiating, and securing new business.
- Strong business and financial acumen with the ability to evaluate the strategic and financial value of prospective opportunities.
- Ability to evaluate category white space, client conflicts, market opportunities, and organizational capabilities.
- Strong executive presence with excellent communication, presentation, negotiation, and relationship-building skills.
- Ability to collaborate across divisions and functions and influence outcomes without relying solely on direct authority.
- Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple opportunities and priorities simultaneously.
- Willingness to travel as needed for client meetings, presentations, industry events, and internal meetings.
Core Competencies
- Strategic Thinking — Identifies and evaluates growth opportunities with a company-wide perspective, balancing revenue potential, white space, client fit, risk, and MYA’s long-term strategy.
- Relationship Leadership — Builds trusted relationships with prospective and existing clients while effectively representing MYA with senior-level decision-makers.
- Business Acumen — Understands the financial and business implications of new opportunities and evaluates potential clients based on profitability, strategic value, conflicts, and operational requirements.
- Collaboration & Influence — Works effectively across Executive Leadership, Finance, divisional teams, and other functions to gain alignment and move opportunities from prospects through successful onboarding.
- Accountability & Execution — Takes ownership of opportunities from initial identification and vetting through contract review, onboarding, transition, and execution, ensuring commitments are followed through.
Physical Demands and Work Environment
The physical demands described here are representative of those required to successfully perform the essential functions of this role. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these functions.
- Regularly required to talk, hear, and use hands to handle or operate office equipment.
- Occasionally required to stand, walk, sit, and reach with hands and arms.
- May occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds.
- Specific vision abilities include close vision, distance vision, and the ability to adjust focus.
- Work environment noise level is typically low to moderate.
Note
This job description does not imply that these are the only duties to be performed. Employees will be expected to follow any job-related instructions and perform additional duties as requested by authorized personnel. Responsibilities may be modified to accommodate individuals with disabilities. This document does not create an employment contract and employment remains “at will.”
Business Director Job Roles in Iowa
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Search Business Director Jobs in IowaBusiness Director Jobs in Iowa: Frequently Asked Questions
Which visa types realistically fit business director roles in Iowa?
Business director roles in Iowa typically qualify for the H-1B visa, which covers specialty occupations requiring at least a bachelor's degree in a directly related field such as business administration, management, or a related discipline. The E-3 visa is available to Australian nationals in equivalent specialty occupations. H-1B1 visas serve Chilean and Singaporean nationals in the same category. For permanent residence, EB-2 and EB-3 employment-based green cards are common pathways for senior business roles.
Which companies sponsor visas for business directors in Iowa?
Iowa's largest visa-sponsoring employers for business and operations leadership include Principal Financial Group, Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield, Hy-Vee, Collins Aerospace, and Deere and Company facilities in the state. Insurance and financial services firms in Des Moines have historically filed Labor Condition Applications for senior business roles. Manufacturing companies in Cedar Rapids and the Quad Cities also sponsor business directors, particularly those overseeing operational or supply chain functions.
Which cities in Iowa have the most business director sponsorship jobs?
Des Moines concentrates the highest volume of business director sponsorship opportunities in Iowa, driven by its dense cluster of insurance, financial services, and healthcare headquarters. Cedar Rapids is the second-largest market, with strengths in manufacturing, agribusiness, and technology services. The Quad Cities metro, spanning Davenport and Bettendorf, supports sponsorship activity tied to manufacturing and logistics. Iowa City and Coralville see activity linked to University of Iowa Health Care and affiliated organizations.
How to find business director visa sponsorship jobs in Iowa?
Migrate Mate lists Iowa employers with verified sponsorship history for business director and senior operations roles, letting you search by city and filter to companies that have actively filed for comparable positions. This saves time compared to manually screening employers whose sponsorship status is unclear. Des Moines and Cedar Rapids produce the most results, though manufacturing-heavy corridors like the Quad Cities and Waterloo also surface active sponsors for business leadership roles.
Are there Iowa-specific factors that affect visa sponsorship for business directors?
Iowa's economy is heavily weighted toward insurance, financial services, agribusiness, and advanced manufacturing, meaning sponsorship for business directors tends to cluster in those sectors rather than technology. Des Moines has emerged as a significant insurance and financial services hub, creating steady demand for senior business leaders. The University of Iowa and Iowa State University generate pipelines of international talent, and some graduates transition into business director roles through OPT or STEM OPT before employer-sponsored visa petitions follow.
What is the prevailing wage for sponsored business director jobs in Iowa?
U.S. employers sponsoring a visa must pay at least the prevailing wage, which is what workers in the same role, area, and experience level typically earn. The Department of Labor sets this rate to make sure companies aren't hiring foreign workers simply because they'd accept lower pay than a U.S. worker. It varies by job title, location, and experience. You can look up current prevailing wage rates for any occupation and location using the OFLC Wage Search page.