TITLE:  Associate Director of New Business, East Coast
REPORTS TO: Head of New Business

Who We Are:

We are a fiercely entrepreneurial ad agency that blends creativity and performance to build great brands. We call this approach Soul + Science. With offices in San Francisco, New York, Chicago and Seattle, we serve as collaborative business partners to some of the world’s best brands including Ben & Jerry’s, Jose Cuervo, Alaska Airlines, Charles Schwab and OkCupid, among others.

Being a Mekanista requires a rare combination of being a weird, fearless and wonderful person who enjoys birthday cakes, well behaved dogs, and shared sensibility of respect and not taking ourselves too seriously.

Mekanism has been named to Ad Age’s A-List and twice to their Best Places to Work list. Most recently, Mekanism was named Independent Agency of the Year by The Drum and a Top 10 Most Effective Independent Agency in the US by the Effie Index. We have been profiled by The New York Times, Fast Company and ABC’s Nightline. Our campaign methodologies are studied by Harvard Business School.

ROLE:

The Mekanism New Business Associate Director is a self-assured, collaborative, strategic, proactive leader.

This person will drive and manage the day-to-day East Coast new business pipeline, working directly with the Head of New Business and agency leadership to expand Mekanism’s client portfolio by spearheading the development of RFIs, RFPs, pitches and proposals.

This person also supports the New Business Department as a whole – ensuring the machine stays well-oiled and consistently working to optimize it.

KEY AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY:

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

East Coast New Business Lead

• Internally
• Drive overall East Coast new business in partnership with Head of New Business (managing and prioritizing the current pipeline, concepting overarching strategy, tracking goals, etc.).
• Be the main information artery for both senior leadership and other departments on key new business efforts – managing upwards and outwards to foster communication and alignment. 
• Always one step ahead for East Coast new business opportunities. You are leading, everyone looks to you for what to do next.
• Partner closely with Head of New Business and West Coast New Business Director to ensure we are staying fully aligned and cohesive as an agency with our materials, processes, strategies, and goals.
• Externally

• Act as the go-to point of contact for potential new clients for the opportunities you are leading.
• Drive select new business opportunities from start to finish. Opportunities will be assigned by the Head of New Business.
• Have a deep understanding of what it takes to sell Mekanism. You know the agency’s capabilities, divisions, and culture inside and out and are able to speak about them fluently and charismatically

Pitches

• Act as the overarching pitch ringleader – externally running and internally rallying all key players with minimal oversight from Head of New Business.
• Ensure we have a deep understanding of the client’s business and objectives.
• Work closely with other pitch leaders to identify our “North Star” (the strategy for how we win) and ensure the entire team understands and is aligned.
• Oversee all moving pieces, ensuring there is a clear roadmap and that teams are always clear on what is required of them, working together seamlessly, and delivering on brief.
• Lay the groundwork for a positive relationship with the client, championing Mekanism and making sure they love and trust us.
• Work closely with Creative and Strategy to strategize how best to sell our ideas.
• Always think strategically and creatively about how we can go above and beyond to seal the deal.
• Set a positive and encouraging tone for the team.

Support Financial Organization and Performance

• Stay closely aligned to Head of New Business on how we are tracking towards our overall revenue goals and maintain a deep understanding of what’s needed from new business.
• Manage and keep pitches within approved internal budgets.
• Work closely with Department Heads across the agency to lead the development of strategic scopes and proposals to ensure we are closing profitable opportunities.

QUALIFICATIONS: 

• Ideally have 6 or more years of relevant experience in business development or account management
• You have a strong desire to hustle, solve problems, and make things happen. You have fire in the belly to do whatever it takes to help take our agency to the next level.
• You have a deep understanding of the agency business development landscape, and have a proven track record delivering successful RFI/RFP submissions.
• You know how to sell and scope for a full-service offering – from creative to digital strategy to media and intelligence solutions.
• You are diligent, rigorous, and sweat the details. Organizational prowess is a must.
• You have extremely strong strategic sensibilities – you are intuitive and able to quickly understand a business’ needs and the role Mekanism could play.
• You are discerning and able to understand what the right opportunities are for Mekanism.
• You are a proactive self-starter, able to take the reins and lead, but you are also a team player with a deep love for collaboration. You can manage up, down, and sideways.
• You have the ability to navigate rapid twists and turns with poise, staying calm, cool, and collected.
• You are highly personable and a killer presenter – eloquent and persuasive in both verbal and writter communications.
• You have client-facing experience and enthusiasm to be a Mekanism ambassador to the marketing community, consultants and potential clients – representing the company knowledgeably and charismatically.
• You are proficient with Google Suite. Salesforce proficiency a plus!

Salary: $135,000 - $145,000