Director, Business Development, Outreach and Engagement

Description

Summary:
Provide leadership, guidance, and support to direct reports, while, as a team, raising awareness of the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans (herein, “the Foundation”) and its educational programs through relationship management and engagement of employers, benefit funds, providers, universities and other industry stakeholders. Serve as a source of knowledge and guidance for membership and educational program leads, exhibit and sponsorship leads, industry insight, educational content and program and/or service development.

Responsible for planning, organizing, directing, and coordinating outreach and member engagement activities along with the exhibits, sponsorship and advertising sales function. Drive sales and outreach initiatives to shape the success of our events and meet and exceed established revenue targets.

The base salary for this exempt-level position starts at $90,000/year, based on experience.

See more information about our awesome benefits / total rewards at the end of this job description!

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
This Position Description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

• Supervise, mentor and manage direct reports within the Outreach & Member Engagement and the Business Development & Industry Engagement “exhibit, sponsorship, and advertising sales” functions, including staffing, training and performance management to ensure accountability and continuous improvement.
• Lead and scale the sales team to achieve and exceed revenue targets and drive revenue growth through new client acquisition, retention, and engagement/expansion of existing accounts. Collaborate with leadership to align sales strategies with overall business priorities.
• 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.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

This position has supervisory/management responsibilities for the staff working in the Outreach & Member Engagement and the Business Development & Industry Engagement “exhibit, sponsorship, and advertising sales” functions.

The position also has dotted-line oversight of Canadian and Wellness Alliance staff with outreach and sales responsibilities to help ensure successful execution of sales and outreach plans.

Requirements

Required Education/ Experience:
The International Foundation will always consider candidates with an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.

• 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.
• Preferred experience working with nonprofit board and committees, presenting sales and outreach plans and engaging board/committee members in advancing coordinated outreach initiatives.
• 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.

Minimum Qualifications/Skills:

• 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.

Travel Requirements:
The individual will be required to travel both domestically and internationally 20-30% of the time based on annual calendars. Generally, this will be 6-7 trips per year, each lasting approximately 4-10 consecutive days. For longer trips, the incumbent regularly works on each of the consecutive days, including during nights and weekends. Up to fifteen (15) additional paid days off work are offered per year for travel-related work conducted on weekend days.

Hybrid Work Environment:
This position is expected to work from our corporate headquarters office in Brookfield, WI. This is an environment with typical office conditions, including lighting, noise, seating and equipment. New hires are expected to be fully onsite during the training period. Then, once fully trained, the Foundation operates on a 60/40 Hybrid schedule; with 60% being onsite at our headquarters in Brookfield (Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays); and up-to 40% being optionally remote (Mondays and Fridays) and as business needs allow.

Physical Demands:
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties and responsibilities of this position, the employee is required to sit or stand for extended periods of time. The employee will occasionally be required to walk, climb, stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl, reach above shoulders, and move from place to place. While attending offsite events, the individual will need to be able to work for longer-than-normal periods of time (upwards of 10-12 hours per day) over consecutive days, which may result in up-to 12 consecutive work days of varying length. The incumbent will regularly stand and walk for long distances and/or extended periods of time. The incumbent is regularly required to talk and listen and frequently required to sit and use hands for tasks requiring dexterity and/or grasping and holding. Specific vision requirements for this position include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision and the ability to adjust focus.

Additionally, when preparing for business trips, events and meetings, the incumbent will be required to unpack and assemble materials and equipment. Individual must be able to lift and maneuver crates and suitcases weighing 30-50 lbs.; and occasionally up-to 100lbs in a team-lift capacity. When attending trips, events and meetings, the incumbent will be expected to walk long distances and may be expected to stand for extended periods of time.

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 cribbage club to name a few!

ABOUT US:

The International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans is North America’s largest membership organization for those who work with employee benefit plans. The Foundation’s employees make a HUGE impact on the livelihoods of millions of workers across the U.S. and Canada because of the work we do in providing education and research to the benefits community. Employees enjoy an outstanding benefits package, unique employee perks, creative and caring co-workers—all within a family-friendly workplace. Speaking of workplaces, the Foundation is tucked into a 15-acre wooded slice of nature in the heart of Brookfield. We’re small enough for you to have ongoing, meaningful impact on the organization but big enough to make international news. Visit us at www.ifebp.org or connect with us on the socials.

PRE-EMPLOYMENT CONTINGENCIES

All at-will offers of employment issued by the International Foundation are contingent upon a successful completion of: background check, employment history verification, education verification (as applicable by position), credit check (as applicable by position), motor vehicle records (MVR) check (as applicable by position), 3-5 professional references, and completion of the Federal I-9 and E-Verify process to demonstrate eligibility to work for the IFEBP.

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