Director, Business Development & Marketing

Director, Business Development & Marketing

Application Deadline :

21 February 2025

Department : Business Development

Employment Type : Full Time

Location : New York | Fidi

Compensation :

110,000 - $155,000 / year

Description

The Director, Marketing and Business Development works at the heart of the firm.

This role is directly charged with helping to find the problems we are uniquely positioned to solve and turning those into projects for our team, allowing us to deliver on our mission while touching all of our content areas in the process. This role works alongside our entire team, from junior staff to our CEO, to build the firm's visibility and secure the relationships and ultimately projects that allow us to achieve significant impact. The Director will directly drive business strategy and growth, while building and managing a robust marketing and business development infrastructure to implement that strategy. The Director will be entering Karp Strategies at an exciting moment of growth, and be working to pull two sides of the house together so that each supports the other as our team stays focused on meeting our objectives.

The Director will be directly supporting the CEO and the Executive Leadership team (Principals) on building and executing our BD and Marketing strategy. You will be responsible for identifying and cultivating relationships with external partners, conducting research and market intelligence to position the organization for growth, and nurturing long leads, and ensuring we have the people, processes, and tools to meet our goals. This will include overseeing the creation and refinement of a proposal development function, one that differentiates us from our competition while demonstrating our unique capabilities that creates significant growth for the firm. The Director will collaborate directly with firm Principals and Leadership to meet revenue goals and will be tasked with owning revenue goals tied to the firm's objectives and strategy.

Equally as important, the Director will oversee all branding and marketing, telling the story of who we are, what we do, and why we do what we do. More specifically, the Director will oversee the creation and refinement of our portfolio of materials, including, but not limited to proposals, capability packets, website content, social media feeds, and media pitches. As we celebrate our 10-year anniversary in 2025, the Director will work alongside our Executive team and external consultants to celebrate this milestone with updated branding, website redesign, and thought leadership events to position the firm for the next ten years of growth. The Director will also play a key role bridging the information flow between internal and client service delivery teams and ensure that we have a robust suite of materials that cut across and intersect with business development and marketing (e.g : resumes, project sheets, firm profiles, speeches / talks, pitch decks). Karp Strategies has many assets and strong processes developed internally; as we grow into Karp Strategies 2.0, there is great opportunity for creativity, program / project management, and new ideas to build upon our successes and position the firm for new opportunities and further growth.

Reporting to the Managing Principal, Strategy and Operations, and working with the CEO, the Director, Marketing and Business Development will manage a growing team, which currently includes three direct reports. The team and your responsibilities will expand as we continue to grow, and the Marketing and Business Development teams are resourced to support that growth. The Director will also manage external vendor(s) and will indirectly manage additional team members (junior, peers, Leadership Team, CEO) throughout the proposal creation process.

This role will require some travel throughout the Northeast and Nationally.

Key Responsibilities

Business DevelopmentCreate and manage a function that enables us to win a growing share of high-impact work that enables KS to meet its mission of building strong and thriving communities, while positioning it for continued growth.Responsibility for winning projects against defined revenue goals, driving growth, and aligning projects against firm values.Development & ownership of key relationships with external partners including our Clients, Prime Partners, Peer firms, and champions. Nurture relationships through B2Bs, Leadership & Professional Organizations, Conferences, and other touch points.Working with the LT, lead the conceptualization, design, and implementation of a business development system infrastructure, including a suite of reports, dashboards, and tools that meet the data needs of both leaders and staff, including ongoing tracking of the sales pipeline and associated staffing.Lead development of Thought Leadership & Marketing Strategies aligned with BD goals; ensuring that our efforts are aligned and in support of our firm wide goals.Lead analyses related to market trends, conference participation, new service offeringsIn collaboration with the Executive team, define & execute firmwide relationship management strategy, provide input into tracking and managing information in our CRM, and provide thought partnership to principals related to client cultivation and stewardship, build and manage relationships.Determine opportunities for efficiency and process improvement throughout the pitch and bid process, developing new systems, and refining existing ones (e.g. : CRM), to more comprehensively and cultivate new leads and seamlessly track opportunities and lead the change management associated with implementing these improvementsIn partnership with the BD Senior Associate and Principals / CEO, set and direct pricing strategy, considering potential demand, competitors, and internal profitability targetsDevelop and implement standardized approach to lead and bid tracking, as well as proposal development, creating a knowledge management system that enables excellent client-facing materials, while also ensuring proposals reflect internal policies and guidelines, and can be created efficiently.Collaborate on Proposal Strategy, budgets, and execution within BD Team and assigned Proposal Teams.Work closely with the Managing Principal, Strategy and Operations to ensure staffing strategy and staffing decisions support business objectives, achievement of utilization targets and key utilization KPIs, and ongoing professional development, and to ensure we assign the best possible team members to new opportunitiesMarketing

Working closely with CEO , LT, and key staff, build upon and revamp existing marketing plans to develop a comprehensive approach to branding, external voice, campaigns, and outreach that positions KS for growth, while retaining its unique market position, including its deep commitment to equity and building stronger communities, economies, and cities.Lead 10-year Anniversary efforts, including rebrand activities, cultivating thought leadership opportunities, media placements, and events to position the firm for greater visibility.Oversee the implementation of all market-facing activities, including newsletter, social media feeds, and media relations, working closely with both internal team members and external vendors to ensure that all materials reflect the unique work of the firmSupport all conference related activities, including the selection of relevant conferences to sponsor, present to, and attend; ensure all conference participants are prepared and equipped with speeches, relevant information and talking points, as neededManage the website, leading periodic redesign efforts, and ensuring that it compellingly and accurately reflects our workManagement & Leadership

Collaborate across teams to inform and drive strategy and vision at the highest level, partnering with CEO Leadership Team (LT) on our voice, brand, and narrative as we scale, while also designing and implementing systems and strategies that enable our growthEnsure all external facing materials reflect our cultural competency, service offerings, vertical disciplines, and speak effectively to the broad range of audiences touched by our workServe as a model and culture carrier, designing and operationalizing inclusive ways of leading and meeting the revenue goalsWork with CEO LT on setting and implementing firm sales strategy ; and lead analysis and project support of new practice and service areasBuild, lead, and manage a strong business development and marketing team, providing ongoing feedback and mentorship to the team, enabling them to grow professionally while supporting the organization's growth.Serve as a mentor and model of excellence in staff management; promote and model a culture of high performance and continuous learning that values equity, analysis, a learning orientation, and impact.Coach team towards client-orientation, business leadership, entrepreneurial mindset, and outcomes, with an orientation on growth, profitability, and values alignment.Serve on the Leadership Team (LT) and act as a thought partner and key advisor to CEO LT on market positioning, branding, voice, client cultivation, and business development activitiesCreate and deliver staff trainings that include project interview practice sessions, helping the team improve pitch delivery and win new work; provide feedback to staff on proposals and other marketing collateralDefine clear key performance indicators and metrics for return on investment, enabling us to continuously refine and improve our approach to marketing and business developmentSkills, Knowledge and Expertise

Minimum of eight years professional experience, with experience managing both the marketing and business development functions operations of a growing, entrepreneurial professional services organization, including creating and closing new sales opportunities, ability to meet and exceed revenue targets. Bring excitement and enthusiasm towards identifying new pathways and relationships to grow the firm's portfolio and client base. Strong preference for candidates who have experience in urban planning, economic development, and / or related disciplines.Strong commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, with a track record of contributing to a high-performing, diverse, and inclusive culture.Excellent track record of building and growing relationships across diverse stakeholders and coaching team members on relationship management best practices. Strong preference for candidates who can demonstrate relationship cultivation and management across the public and private sectors.Successful track record of leading proposals and pitches yielding six and seven figure opportunities across diverse stakeholders.Demonstrated success building Marketing Plans & Strategy, including defining and leading branding efforts and marketing campaigns that are tied to Business Development Goals.Strong ability to leverage data towards achieving goals; demonstrated ownership of KPIs and results.Creative approach to achieving goals with a track record developing new and innovative ways of driving growth and addressing challenges.Excellent communication skills (written and verbal), with the ability to effectively write for and present to both senior-level stakeholders and early career staffExceptional interpersonal skills, with the ability to develop and manage strong relationships across a diverse spectrum of internal and external stakeholders and a track record of effective communicating with and influencing executive leadersDemonstrated success building and managing systems and processes that streamline work and enable revenue growth; exceptional project management skills, with the ability to manage across multiple, complex projects with a variety of senior stakeholdersAbility to manage teams towards outcomes, with a passion for coaching. Strong preference for candidates who have successfully coached / managed employees into senior roles.A strong commitment to DEIB work across projects, leadership, and relationship development.Ability to travel in support of firm needs up to 20% of timeAbility to thrive in a goal-oriented, fast-paced, and entrepreneurial environment, with the ability to be flexible in project executionCustomer-service orientation, with a commitment to meeting the needs of team members at all levels.Benefits

Karp Strategies offers a comprehensive benefits package that prioritizes the health and wellness of the team and investment in each team member's professional growth.

Professional Development : Employees are encouraged to meet their professional goals by participating in membership organizations, attending conferences, and pursuing skills and management training. We offer and support regular training for team members - investing in the team is a central value in our firm..Wellness : Employees have access to remote and in-person wellness services that are offered by Primary.Health : We offer medical, vision, and dental benefits and membership to One Medical. Medical costs are shared by Karp Strategies.Rest : Directors receive 25 days of PTO; in addition, staff receive 7 sick / safe days, 9 holidays and support team members to choose flexible hours and remote work.Savings : We offer 401k retirement plan match, and access to HSA, FSA, and commuter benefits programs.

To apply : Please send your resume, cover letter, work sample, and confirmation of non-compete or other contractual commitments that may impact your employment with Karp Strategies.

Salary : $110,000 - $155,000