Vice President, Business Development

Highwire; Atlanta (GA); Hybrid; USD 130,000 - 175,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary with merit-based opportunities for growth

Flexible hybrid work model

Generous vacation policy

401(k) plan with employer matching

Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage

Paid parental leave benefits

Monthly technology reimbursement

Employee referral and new business referral bonuses

Dog-friendly office environment

Job summary

Highwire is seeking a Vice President of Business Development to lead and scale our agency's new business function during a significant growth phase. The role involves overseeing the full business lifecycle and building strong client relationships, crucial for the agency's development.

Candidates should have over 10 years of experience in business development, particularly in communications or marketing, and demonstrate a track record in successfully winning new clients through strategic pitches.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in business development and client leadership with a communications, marketing, advertising, or public relations agency.
• Proven success leading complex, multi-stakeholder pitches and winning new business.
• Strong storytelling, pitching, and proposal development skills.

Responsibilities

• Own the full new business lifecycle from qualification to close.
• Build relationships with senior marketing and communications leaders.
• Lead RFPs, referrals, and strategic pitch processes.

Skills

Business development

Client leadership

Stakeholder management

Strategic pitching

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent

Job description

At Highwire, growth starts with deeply understanding client needs and translating them into strategic opportunities. The Vice President, Business Development will lead and scale the agency's new business function at a key stage of growth.

Key Responsibilities

Drive Growth & Pipeline

• Own the full new business lifecycle from qualification to close
• Manage a strong, qualified pipeline aligned to agency priorities
• Partner with marketing and leadership to drive inbound and outbound growth strategy
• Track pipeline health, forecasting, and performance metrics

Lead Prospecting & Client Engagement

• Build relationships with senior marketing and communications leaders
• Lead consultative conversations that uncover client needs and opportunities
• Partner with account teams to drive cross-sell and upsell growth within existing clients

Lead Pitches & Win New Business

• Lead RFPs, referrals, and strategic pitch processes
• Partner with account teams to develop compelling, insight-driven proposals and presentations
• Orchestrate cross-functional teams across strategy, creative, digital, and insights
• Prepare and coach teams to deliver high-stakes presentations with strong executive presence

Build Scalable Systems

• Create playbooks, templates, and frameworks to improve win rates and efficiency
• Improve forecasting, reporting, and pipeline visibility
• Use data to continuously refine business development performance

Lead & Collaborate Across Teams

• Mentor and develop business development talent
• Align cross-functional teams around growth opportunities
• Share market insights that inform agency strategy and offerings

Success Factors

• 10+ years of experience in business development and client leadership with a communications, marketing, advertising or public relations agency
• Proven success leading complex, multi-stakeholder pitches and winning new business
• Strong understanding of integrated, cross-channel agency offerings
• Ability to build systems and processes that scale growth
• Executive presence with experience engaging senior‑level procurement leaders and decision‑makers
• Strong storytelling, pitching, and proposal development skills
• Solid understanding of agency economics and pipeline management
• U.S.-based, open to candidates anywhere in the U.S.

Ideal Attributes

• Strategic Growth Leader – connects market insight to opportunity
• Builder – creates structure, systems, and repeatable processes
• Collaborative Operator – brings teams together and drives alignment
• Strong Pitch Leader – excels in high‑stakes, competitive environments
• Executive Communicator – clear, confident, and credible with senior clients

Salary & Benefits

Salary range: $130,000 to $175,000, with the final offer based on a combination of factors, including education, relevant experience, skills, prior training, internal equity, and local geographic market data.

Benefits

• Competitive salary with merit-based opportunities for growth
• Flexible hybrid work model tailored to your schedule and lifestyle
• Generous vacation policy, including extended summer and winter breaks
• Early log-off on Fridays through our Empower Hours program
• 401(k) plan with employer matching
• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage, plus FSA options
• Paid parental leave benefits
• Commuter benefits
• Annual Growth Mindset stipend for books, events, or learning experiences
• Monthly technology reimbursement
• Wellness benefit program for mental and physical health
• 501(c)(3) donation matching program
• Mentorship and ongoing professional development opportunities
• Monthly recognition and team celebrations
• Employee referral and new business referral bonuses
• Quarterly Highwire events and team gatherings
• Dog-friendly office environment
• Supportive, inclusive, and collaborative workplace where you can grow and do your best work

Location & Work Environment

Highwire offers both remote and hybrid work options, depending on where you live.

Hybrid Options

Candidates located within commuting distance of our New York, NY or San Francisco, CA offices follow a hybrid schedule, with three in‑office days per week.

Remote Options

We hire for fully remote roles in the following states: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, and Washington, D.C.

Please note: We are only able to consider candidates who reside in one of the locations listed above at the time of hire.