VICE PRESIDENT, CLIENT SERVICES & GROWTH

Location: Fully remote; New York City or nearby tri-state area required

Industry: Social Impact Strategy and Communications

POSITION OVERVIEW

Our client, a respected social impact strategy and communications agency, is seeking a Vice President, Client Services & Growth to join its senior leadership team.

The agency works with corporations, foundations, nonprofits, social enterprises, and coalitions to develop and communicate programs that create meaningful social change. Its work extends beyond traditional public relations and includes impact strategy, executive communications, thought leadership, partnerships, coalition-building, content, events, integrated campaigns, and media relations.

This is not a traditional client-services leadership position. Growth will be an immediate priority. The Vice President will be responsible for building relationships, developing a healthy pipeline, converting new opportunities, and helping the agency expand beyond its existing referral network.

The person will also gradually assume executive oversight of a portfolio of significant client relationships, working closely with experienced Account Directors who manage day-to-day delivery.

The ideal candidate is an outward-facing, entrepreneurial agency leader who enjoys meeting people, developing business, advising senior clients, and helping a small firm grow. This person must be equally comfortable setting strategy, leading a pitch, coaching an account leader, reviewing a proposal, attending an industry event, and solving a practical client or staffing problem.

The agency operates fully remotely. However, this person must live in New York City or within practical reach of the city and be able to participate consistently in meetings, events, and relationship-building opportunities throughout the New York market.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Business Development and Growth

• Build and maintain a strong pipeline of inbound and outbound opportunities.

• Generate approximately $250,000–$300,000 in new annual billings during the first year.

• Develop relationships with prospects, referral sources, corporate impact leaders, foundation executives, nonprofit leaders, and other industry connectors.

• Activate and expand an existing professional network while building new relationships on behalf of the agency.

• Lead discovery conversations, pitches, proposals, and opportunity qualification.

• Evaluate prospective business based on strategic fit, financial potential, scope, and staffing requirements.

• Identify opportunities to expand existing client relationships through additional services, projects, or partnerships.

• Research target organizations, build prospect lists, assess RFP opportunities, and coordinate new-business activity.

• Attend at least two relevant events each month and represent the agency actively within the New York social impact and communications community.

• Help create a repeatable, organized business-development process with clear visibility into activity, opportunities, proposals, and conversions.

Executive Client Leadership

• Gradually assume senior oversight of approximately six to seven client relationships, with Account Directors managing day-to-day execution.

• Serve as a trusted advisor to senior corporate, foundation, nonprofit, and communications leaders.

• Counsel clients on complex communications, organizational, reputational, and social impact challenges.

• Lead important client meetings, strategic planning sessions, presentations, and difficult conversations.

• Oversee integrated communications programs that may include messaging, executive visibility, thought leadership, content, media relations, partnerships, coalitions, events, and campaigns.

• Monitor account scope, staffing, budget, profitability, client satisfaction, renewal risk, and opportunities for growth.

• Review major deliverables to ensure strategic quality, sound judgment, and alignment with client objectives.

Agency and Team Leadership

• Serve as an active member of the agency’s leadership team.

• Partner with the CEO and fellow senior leaders on firm strategy, growth, staffing, profitability, systems, and service development.

• Coach and develop Account Directors and multidisciplinary client teams.

• Establish clear expectations, decision-making responsibilities, and accountability across client engagements.

• Provide direct, thoughtful feedback that strengthens strategic thinking, executive presence, and leadership capability.

• Help resolve staffing, performance, client, and operational challenges with sound judgment.

• Contribute as both a strategist and a hands-on team member within a small, collaborative agency.

QUALIFICATIONS

• At least 10 years of progressively senior experience in communications, public relations, marketing, or a related field.

• Significant leadership experience within an agency, consultancy, or other professional-services environment.

• A demonstrated record of personally sourcing, developing, and closing meaningful new business—not simply participating in pitches originated by others.

• An active professional network, ideally including relationships in corporate social impact, corporate responsibility, corporate foundations, philanthropy, advocacy, nonprofit leadership, or progressive movement-building.

• Experience advising senior executives and building trusted, long-term client relationships.

• Strong understanding of agency economics, including pricing, scope, staffing, utilization, profitability, renewals, and resourcing decisions.

• Experience leading proposals, presentations, pitches, and complex sales conversations.

• Communications experience extending beyond earned media, such as messaging, thought leadership, content, partnerships, campaigns, coalition-building, executive communications, or impact-program strategy.

• Excellent writing, facilitation, coaching, presentation, and executive communication skills.

• Experience leading teams successfully in a remote environment.

• Genuine alignment with progressive social impact work and comfort supporting organizations working on complex or politically sensitive issues.

• An outgoing, relationship-oriented working style and a genuine interest in networking, attending events, and representing the agency publicly.

• The ability to work effectively without extensive large-agency infrastructure or a separate new-business support team.

• Residence in New York City, New Jersey, or Connecticut, with consistent access to New York City required.

The strongest candidates may currently be leading a social impact, purpose, advocacy, public affairs, corporate responsibility, or nonprofit communications practice. Candidates with a combination of agency and in-house social impact experience may also be considered, provided they bring current agency economics and business-development experience.

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

The base salary for this position is $160,000–$170,000, based on experience and qualifications. There is an upside for new business wins, and annual bonus depending on agency / candidate performance.