Partnership and Business Development Manager

The Vision Council brings the power of sight to all through education, government relations, research, and technical standards. A leading advocate for the optical industry, the association positions its members to deliver the eyewear and eye care that people need to look and feel their best. Vital to health, independence and safety, better vision leads to better lives.

Role Summary

The Vision Council's Partnership and Development Manager will play a key role in shaping and executing the organization's fundraising strategy. This individual will be responsible for building and maintaining strong relationships with donors, partners, and stakeholders to secure financial support for our mission and member-driven programs and initiatives.

The successful candidate will be responsible for identifying, cultivating, and securing partnerships and sponsorships across various initiatives, including custom research, scholarship programs, educational campaigns, events, and more. This role requires strategic thinking in shaping our offerings, prospecting, and targeting potential markets among both members and non-members.

As a genuine strategic partner, the Partnership and Development Manager will understand member strategies and goals, aligning them with TVC services, data, research, services, and other offerings, and will play a pivotal role in strengthening existing member relationships while actively pursuing new leads and clients to expand our portfolio.

This is a remote work-at-home position with up to 20% company-paid travel. Experience in or understanding of optical industry dynamics and trade associations are a plus.

Responsibilities

  • Build and Nurture Relationships: Foster strong relationships with current members and prospects, gaining a deep understanding of their strategic goals.
  • Brand Ambassadorship: Represent The Vision Council as a dedicated ambassador, effectively communicating its mission, strategy, and services.
  • Team Collaboration: Cultivate robust relationships within the The Vision Council team to align member/prospect opportunities with the organization's talent and services effectively.
  • Lead Identification: Utilize market research and networking to identify potential leads and clients for business development.
  • Strategic Planning: Develop and implement a strategic plan for client acquisition and project generation, offering tailored solutions to meet client needs.
  • Cross-Functional Collaboration: Collaborate with Marketing, Membership, Events, and Research teams to devise impactful outreach strategies.
  • Proactive Development: Actively pursue new development projects and opportunities in alignment with TVC's objectives.
  • Proposal Development: Create quotes and compelling proposals for prospective clients, demonstrating a clear understanding of their requirements.
  • Presentation Skills: Effectively present TVC's offerings to potential clients, promoting and proposing sponsored research, customer research, scholarships, telehealth products, communications campaigns, events, and more.
  • Sponsorship Promotion: Actively promote, offer, and propose sponsorships for TVC's communications activities.
  • Opportunity Identification: Identify additional TVC offerings that may be attractive to sponsors, strategically leveraging events such as the Executive Summit.
  • Contract Negotiation: Negotiate sponsorship agreements and contracts, ensuring mutually beneficial terms for both the association and sponsors.
  • Performance Tracking: Establish and maintain key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the success of partnership, sponsorship, and business development initiatives.
  • Goal Setting: Establish clear goals and develop comprehensive plans for achieving business and revenue growth.

Requirements

  • Superior oral and written communication and proposal writing skills.
  • Ability to align fundraising efforts with TVC’s mission and values.
  • Self-motivated and disciplined to set and achieve work goals regularly.
  • Good management skills, including negotiating skills and ability to influence as needed.
  • Sound and accurate judgment with an ability to support and explain reasoning for decisions. Includes appropriate people in the decision-making process and ensures timely decisions are made.
  • Proven experience in business development, sponsorship acquisition, or related roles.
  • Adept at identifying and converting business opportunities.
  • Results-driven, meeting growth goals and customer expectations.
  • Proven leadership, facilitation, and consensus-building skills, fostering an inclusive work environment.
  • Coalition-building skills, developing networks and alliances with partners.
  • Expertise in research for identifying and qualifying opportunities for current TVC offerings.
  • Proven track record of meeting revenue targets.
  • Ability to work independently in a fast-paced, collaborative virtual team.
  • Effective time management and prioritization between regular duties, ad hoc requests, and corporate priorities/initiatives.
  • Self-starter, producing responses to various requests with minimal support and continuous follow-up.
  • Committed to a team approach and a congenial collegial atmosphere of mutual respect.
  • Must be eager and comfortable engaging personally with the public as well as one-on-one with donors and prospects.
  • Professional interpersonal skills with the ability to handle confidential information with discretion and work with potential donors, board members, and staff.
  • Must be a strategic thinker and strategist.
  • And…must be able to lift up to 11 ¾ lbs. occasionally.

Classification

  • Exempt

Reports to

  • VP of Marketing

Compensation

  • Competitive base salary with quarterly incentives. Eligible for annual bonus based on organizational and individual performance.
  • Pay: $75,000.00 - $86,000.00 per year

Job Type

  • Full-time

Benefits

  • 401(k)
  • 401(k) matching
  • Dental insurance
  • Flexible schedule
  • Flexible spending account
  • Health insurance
  • Life insurance
  • Paid time off
  • Parental leave
  • Professional development assistance
  • Retirement plan
  • Tuition reimbursement
  • Vision insurance

Schedule

  • 8 hour shift
  • Monday to Friday

Supplemental pay types

  • Bonus opportunities
  • Commission pay

Work Location

  • Remote

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