Business Development Director

As a Business Development Director at CM, you’re an entrepreneurial self-starter. In addition to strong interpersonal and communication skills, you’ve got solid experience in guiding the development of complex new business strategies for Fortune 1000 clients. When people want to know about the “pulse” of the digital ecosystem, you’re the person who can give it to them, along with insight into the competitive landscape at large. In fact, you’re keen on the idea of working across landscapes, or as it's more commonly known, global pitch opportunities. 

As a senior member of the team, you’re adept at leading New Business RFI and RFP responses, and highly experienced in architecting both the client proposal strategy and the final presentation in conjunction with the wider pitch team. Poise and professionalism—that’s you.  After all, it takes a certain kind of person (and a solid set of interpersonal skills) to motivate team members and guide the development of the solution. Navigating a myriad of decisions in high-pressure situations under tight timelines isn’t easy, but it’s a challenge you love. And have no fear, you’ll be supported by some of the best in the business, from specialized pods to help with developing pitch materials, working closely with junior team members, to the VP, Business Development you’ll report into. You’ll have their back, and they’ll have yours.

You will:

• Successfully close qualified leads within targeted accounts and verticals; 80% of effort will be focused on screening and qualifying in-bound leads, and 20% on securing new opportunities through consultant relations, conference attendance and relationship building, etc.
• Understand and internalize CM’s client criteria and be able to screen business 
• Work closely with our NB coordinators to ladder opportunities for exec review
• Lead the development of RFP / RFI responses and presentations, mobilizing the team in the development of the solution under tight timelines. Must be able to inspire confidence from team members and guide the team through the response process effectively.
• Must be comfortable with working with all members of CM, from junior designers to our C-Suite 
• Experience with integrated holding company pitches is preferred
• Cultivate and maintain relationships with sister agencies, as well as complementary technology and marketing partners, to develop new opportunities, joint business plans, and value propositions
• Represent the company at networking functions and other industry-related events through (e.g., networking, speaking, and/or other business-building activities)
• Able to draw from industry insights, past client work, and client needs to help formulate the strategy and proposed solution in collaboration with the team
• Contribute input and insight to regular reports, ongoing plans (business development and marketing), and pipeline status
• Remain actively available via phone, e-mail, and chat for real-time discussions on opportunities, process, team collaboration, status, etc.
• Maintain a working knowledge of industry trends in order to generate insights, perspectives, and strategic value that differentiate CM during interactions with a prospective client
• Support outbound lead generation efforts at key moments in the year, partnering with our Marketing team to develop and distribute strategic content
• Through research and investigation, grasp the client’s unique business needs and pain points, and develop responses and interactions that connect with the client and demonstrate that CM understands their business
• Must possess strong intellectual curiosity and desire to understand and solve client problems and pain points
• Contribute to our business development and marketing strategies by being a key participant in quarterly, annual and ad hoc planning discussions
• Use your strong critical reasoning skills to provide meaningful, well-reasoned critiques and suggestions on the direction of a variety of initiatives, including the direction of the department, agency, or a particular pitch

You have:

• 8+ years in an interactive agency environment or other related service industry 
• Experience developing relationships with key industry players; able to build relationships with sophisticated Fortune 1000 buyers within the interactive space to close new opportunities for CM
• A track record of meeting or exceeding new business revenue targets
• The ability to cultivate trust and credibility with peers and maintain strong working relationships at all levels of a distributed organization
• Excellent oral and written communication skills (i.e., the ability to formulate, write, and succinctly communicate our value, strategy, and proposed solution on client opportunities)
• A demonstrated ability to work in a highly entrepreneurial setting where ‘many hats’ must be worn and decisions need to be made quickly with minimal management direction
• A strong work ethic and a willingness to be a true team player who is results-oriented, flexible, patient, adaptable, persuasive, and diplomatic
• An ability to maintain at least a working knowledge of what we do at an agency like CM (e.g., digital marketing, digital strategy, consumer insights, brand development, website development, content production, creative automation, search, social, content management, e-commerce, data science, etc).
• Must have experience with pitching industry-leading technology solutions.
• General management experience (especially account management) experience a plus.

The Talent Team at Critical Mass is focused on ensuring we provide the best training, mentorship, and employee experience possible!  CM new hires & employees are the future of our organization, and we want to set you up for long-term success.  In an effort to do so, we expect our team to work from an office a minimum of 4 days a week.  The ask stems from our want to:

• Strengthen opportunity for continuous learning
• Improve collaboration and team relationships.
• Increase employee engagement

We understand that not everyone may feel comfortable with this expectation, so we ask that you please let us know immediately if there are any concerns so we can help navigate accordingly.