Director of Business Development

About the Role

Key Responsibilities

• Securing new and repeat business by building strong relationships with key customers and stakeholders, growing sales year over year
• Participating in new market development including research, on-site and new sales investigation
• Identifying and owning new and nontraditional business opportunities
• Developing and driving innovative strategies to grow and expand within existing markets and customer segments
• Attending State ECE Council Meetings, Head Start Association meetings
• Completing client visits on a regular, ongoing basis to assess emerging and ongoing needs
• Maintaining strong partnership and ongoing communication with Inside/Outside sales team to drive projects through completion
• Participating in local, state and national associations/conferences to promote the Lakeshore brand
• Maintaining awareness of local, state and national trends as well as funding opportunities
• Pursuing relationships with city, county, tribal, and state government officials, school administrators and community-based organizations to support learning environments for children
• Creating, reviewing, and delivering sales presentations for large opportunities; assessing need for senior leadership participation
• Initiating and implementing marketing campaigns targeting funding and legislative-driven opportunities
• Establishing understanding of Lakeshore's value adds and service proposition; communicating funding and initiatives to capture market share
• Utilizing internal/external partnerships to create revenue-focused pipelines for relationship management and sales strategy
• Coaching cross-functional partners on policy, funding and legislation supporting education at local, state and national levels
• Strategic planning, gap strategy development and resource planning aligned with company goals
• Prospecting in new markets; identifying and investigating new funding opportunities
• Supporting growth in new or existing areas of business by identifying nuances of current/emerging markets

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree
• Minimum 5+ years sales experience in pre-k through 12 education market
• Ability to travel as needed 75% of the time with overnights more than 50% of the time (15-28 days a month away, 2-3 nights per week away from home)
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office suite and Salesforce
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Strong administrative and organizational skills
• Great attention to detail
• Creative problem-solving skills

Nice to Have

• Combination of related education and experience is highly desirable
• Existing relationships with state Departments of Education and related government agencies, early learning systems and school district leadership

Qualifications

• Educational background: Bachelor's degree
• Experience in sales within the pre-k through 12 education market for at least 5 years

Benefits & Perks

• Competitive compensation based on skills and experience
• Uncapped commission structure
• Paid leave for new parents to support work/life balance and family bonding
• Excellent medical/dental and vision coverage - EPO, PPO and HSA
• 401(k) retirement plan with company contribution
• Flexible benefit options
• Generous employee discount on products