Director, Business Development, Outreach and Engagement

About the role

This position serves as a leader in the Outreach & Member Engagement and Business Development & Industry Engagement functions, driving sales and outreach initiatives to shape the success of the Foundation's events and meet and exceed revenue targets.

Responsibilities

• Supervise, mentor, and manage direct reports within the Outreach & Member Engagement and Business Development & Industry Engagement functions.
• Lead and scale the sales team to achieve and exceed revenue targets and drive revenue growth through new client acquisition, retention, and expansion of existing accounts.
• In partnership with management and the sales team, establish exhibits, sponsorship, and advertising opportunities, benefits packages, pricing, budgets, and annual sales targets.
• Collaborate with meeting managers and the exhibits, sponsorships and advertising operations and educational program teams to ensure exhibit, sponsorship, and advertising opportunities are designed within event parameters and clear processes are established for the successful processing, fulfillment, and execution of agreements.
• Drive continuous improvement of sales and outreach processes by evaluating effectiveness and efficiency and collaborating with cross-functional teams to implement refinements.
• Establish, grow, and/or maintain high value relationships while promoting greater industry awareness of the Foundation. Act as a point of escalation for customer issues, working closely with team members to resolve conflicts and maintain positive relationships.
• Lead the development and oversight of comprehensive outreach plans for all educational opportunities, establishing annual goals, priorities, performance metrics, and resource allocations while balancing proactive growth initiatives with responsive outreach needs.
• Lead the implementation and reporting of outreach initiatives, responding to opportunities and changing needs among members, students, key stakeholders, and other target audiences.
• Collaborate with the Membership Experience team to engage new, large, and high-value member groups through targeted outreach. Support renewal and retention efforts by assisting the membership/customer service team with renewal calls and follow-up.
• Oversee CEBS corporate account relationships, serving as a primary point of contact for inquiry follow-up, articulating the value of CEBS, supporting group enrollments, and maintaining ongoing communication on program updates.
• Lead university outreach and relationship development to expand awareness of the CEBS designation and career opportunities in the employee benefits industry, supporting student engagement through scholarship programs.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to employee benefits organizations and professionals by building a working knowledge of their training and education goals to drive participation, retention, increase engagement, and maintain high levels of customer satisfaction.
• Partner with Board and committee members and other key stakeholders to advance industry sales and outreach efforts, providing tools and resources to support effective engagement.
• Lead regular collaboration with other staff who have outreach, sales and program responsibilities for the purposes of lead sharing, coordination of contacts, follow-up, and evaluation of outcomes.
• Manage the lead and sales tracking CRM system. Provide reports and regular updates to the Executive Leadership Team.
• Analyze and assess the effectiveness of sales and outreach efforts using data analytics to determine best practices, explore new strategies, and adapt as necessary.
• Represent the Foundation at industry events and travel throughout the U.S. and Canada to engage with members, solicit new business and gain industry insights to aid the Foundation in membership and educational program participation growth.
• Support the development and management of joint venture strategies, affiliations, partnership arrangements, and potential acquisitions to expand the reach and visibility of the Foundation.
• Maintain a thorough knowledge of the Foundation’s educational programs, services, product lines, industry trends, competitor activities, and market dynamics to inform sales, outreach, and marketing strategies, providing insight and advising staff on industry developments/trends, new market entrants, content, subject matter experts, sales, and member service opportunities.
• Collaborate with marketing and communications to help shape, produce, and evaluate outreach, engagement, and sales collateral and/or marketing materials.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree and 10+ years’ relevant experience in a role that focuses on relationship management, business development, sales, and account management/stewardship where incremental/organic sales are a key performance indicator.
• Professional background in sales, particularly in cold prospecting and relationship building. Strongly prefer candidates with experience in the employee benefits or educational programming industry.
• A Certified Employee Benefit Specialist (CEBS) designation is strongly preferred; but the right candidate will have the opportunity to complete their certification post-hire as a contingency of continued employment.
• Results-driven professional who is a self-starter with a strong work ethic, attention to detail, and has an ability to work and lead projects independently.
• Exceptional verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills; able to represent the Foundation professionally and communicate effectively at all levels within a wide range of diverse stakeholders, including members, students, clients, business partners, and governance.
• Strong networking skills with proven ability to build relationships and drive engagement.
• Demonstrated success in developing new business and generating revenue.
• Proven business acumen and a strategic mindset to contribute to overall company growth. Ability to analyze and capitalize on growth opportunities and use data to achieve long-term sales goals and transform ideas into executable programs to maximize the reach and visibility of the Foundation.
• Proficient in using CRM platforms (Microsoft Dynamics preferred), but willing to train candidates with alternate CRM platform experience.
• Must be proficient in Microsoft Office Suite of programs (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint). SmartSheet experience a plus.

Benefits & Total Rewards

The Foundation offers a generous total rewards package. Our incredible benefits package includes a comprehensive and affordable medical plan (which includes 24/7 Teledoc), vision plan, dental plan, FSA (medical and dependent care), Employee Assistance Program (EAP), long term disability, short term disability, ample PTO (vacation, sick, holidays) and more! Our retirement plan includes a defined benefit (pension) plan AND a non-elective company 401(k) contribution AND a 401(k) matching contribution.

Unique organizational perks include free Milwaukee County Zoo passes, an on-site fitness center with yoga, stretch, and strength training classes, mindfulness sessions, a bocce league, game nights, and even a crib.