The Vice President, Business Development (new client growth) leads all external facing new business initiatives and provides expertise in business growth across The KERN Organization (KERN + Javelin + Enterprise Spectrum).
The role partners closely with the CEO, President, ECD, SVP Client Services, SVP Strategic Planning, Chief Analytics Officer and Chief Financial Officer, as well as account teams, creative staff and other subject matter experts within the agency to generate, qualify, nurture and convert new business opportunities.
The Vice President, Business Development will be responsible for establishing and fostering ongoing partnerships within Omnicom and Omnicom Precision Marketing Group agency networks resulting in client referral and pitch opportunities. This individual will conduct introductory presentations and maintain contact with specialty search consultants, as well as propel the reputation of The KERN Organization and associated expertise in precision marketing.
The ideal candidate will be a marketer who is exhilarated by problem solving and client relationship building. They thrive in the pursuit of new clients, learning new industries and winning new business. The Vice President, Business Development must be both be a charismatic networker and a strategic hunter with a track-record to prove it.
RESPONSIBILITIES
ANNUAL GROWTH AND MARKETING PLANNING
- Partner with the CEO and key members of the leadership team to develop the annual new business plan and lead quarterly progress and optimization reviews with leadership.
- Define a tangible roadmap on how to achieve the plan using multiple data sources and relationships within the OPMG and broader OMC network.
- Define agency thought leadership, social and event strategies to build reputation and create opportunities
- Support efforts to engage consultants and cultivate network opportunities with key influencers and strategic partners as required
PIPELINE GROWTH AND MANAGEMENT
- Plan, execute and manage prospecting strategy, in partnership with the CEO.
- Lead Team, define target accounts, develop outreach strategies and on-going contact planning for new logo prospect.
- Work with the CEO to prioritize, consolidate and activate against the plan.
- Be accountable for conversion rates (RFP > pitch, pitch > win) for new growth opportunities
- Maintain current knowledge of market insights, understanding position movement across brands and agencies that become the triggers for a proactive hunt.
- Support vertical strategy driving growth in key industries.
RFI, RFP AND PITCH LEADERSHIP
- Activate and support a Pitch team for all pitch opportunities.
- Lead the development of opportunity “Go/No-Go” assessments in partnership with leadership team through a standard qualification method.
- Conduct in-depth research on new business leads/prospects to develop actionable insights for pitches.
- Lead the completion of RFIs and RFPs partnering with the leadership team.
- Leverage the central content repository and RAPP family network for response and presentation content development.
- Work with office leadership to assign, and potentially act as, the Pitch Lead (responsible for establishing and consistency of the pitch narrative) or Pitch Ops (logistical support throughout the entire process).
- Contribute to strategic content development for RFPs and development of pitch stories with the pitch lead.
NEW BUSINESS OPERATIONS
- Manage the weekly opportunity tracker, local new business meetings, update Salesforce and attend weekly US pipeline meetings.
- Leverage centrally developed services and processes and maintain content hub, developing and posting case studies.
- Establish and socialize the current pipeline and pitch activity with leadership.
- Oversee the new business team, as applicable, and coordinate cross-office support as needed.
CANDIDATE QUALIFICATIONS
- 15+ years of relevant experience in driving growth through service-based selling (agency new business or Senior Client Services experience required).
- Experience identifying prospects, cultivating leads, leading a pitch team and ultimately landing the signed contract.
- Successful track-record of tangible new business wins across global brands.
- Skilled in the art of listening and negotiation, able to navigate high-octane situations as required.
- Proven ability to swiftly establish and nurture strong client relationships with business and thought leaders from the C-suite level.
- Superior interpersonal, communication and collaboration skills with a proven track record in effectively achieving results in a cross functional or matrix environment.
- Working knowledge of Microsoft Office applications, Keynote, Adobe and Salesforce.
- Ability to multi-task in a fast-paced, deadline driven environment.
- An entrepreneurial spirit, both curious and resilient with a will to win.
- A believer and practitioner in kindness, respect and creativity.
Wondering what we're like? At, KERN we are:
KERN as an organization has always focused on our people, our community, and the clients we serve. For more than 20 years, we have been driven by these core values:
- Be Kind: We understand that our clients and our employees all have unique experiences that have shaped them and we are committed to understanding one another. We work every day to create a space in which we recognize each other’s humanity, and which is inclusive and grounded in empathy.
- Be Smart: We know that the best and brightest ideas come from hearing and incorporating a diversity of voice and this is what elevates our work. When our teams come together, we amplify individual strengths to deliver innovative solutions for our clients.
- Be Creative: We think in unexpected and diverse ways. This requires a range of opinions and backgrounds. We believe in pushing boundaries, reimagining the customer experience through insightful work, and measuring success with precision analytics.
The salary range for this position is $150,000 to $200,000. Exactly where a prospective employee will be paid within this range will depend on, among other factors, the actual salary ranges for current and former employees who are either currently filling a similar role or did in the past; the candidate’s depth of experience and qualifications; the level of specialization the role requires; budgetary considerations; the market demand for that role and the local market conditions that exist where the employee will be based.
