Director of Business Development & Strategy

ABOUT THE MARCOM GROUPThe Marcom Group is a fully remote marketing, branding, promotions, and creative agency built on relationships, results, and doing great work for clients who deserve it. With decades of experience in marketing and creative direction, we operate as a lean, high-trust team where every person matters and every project is personal.Our clients span industries and geographies nationally. We are growing intentionally and looking for the right person to help us scale — someone who brings a genuine combination of business development instinct, client strategy, and executive presence that opens doors we have not yet knocked on.In addition to our core agency work, The Marcom Group operates several related ventures: , a promotional products division; Valley Ag Voice, a digital media and print publication platform serving the agricultural community; and , a smart contact and connection platform. Our Director of Business Development & Strategy has the opportunity to generate revenue across all of these properties.THE ROLEThis is not a traditional sales position. The Director of Business Development & Strategy operates in two equally important lanes: developing new client relationships through a network and relationship-based selling and serving as a strategic resource for existing Marcom clients, helping them see opportunities they may be missing and bringing the agency's capabilities to bear in ways that genuinely move their business forward.If you have a strong network, think strategically about business challenges, and care about the outcomes your clients get — not just the close — this role was built for you.RESPONSIBILITIESNew Business Development- Build and maintain a personal pipeline of new client prospects through relationship-based engagement — not cold outreach- Actively participate in Bakersfield and Kern County civic and professional organizations, including Rotary, Kern EDC, the Greater Bakersfield Chamber of Commerce, and the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce- Represent The Marcom Group at sponsorship events, community functions, charity initiatives, and networking opportunities- Present agency capabilities in a conversational, credible manner suited to relationship-based selling- Manage prospect relationships from initial contact through signed agreement, coordinating with the internal team throughout- Leverage the agency's existing community connections, event access, and CEO network as business development tools- Pursue new client opportunities across all industries with no geographic restrictionClient Strategy & Growth- Serve as a proactive strategic resource for existing and past Marcom clients, building ongoing relationships that go beyond transactional project work- Assess what clients are currently doing, what they are not doing, and where gaps or missed opportunities exist in their marketing, brand, and digital presence- Bring informed, timely recommendations to clients on emerging opportunities, including the strategic use of AI tools and how Marcom can help implement direction and ideas they want to pursue- Help clients navigate a rapidly changing business environment by connecting their goals to Marcom's capabilities in a way that feels like counsel, not a pitch- Identify and surface upsell and expansion opportunities within existing accounts and bring those insights back to the teamMulti-Property Business Development- Identify advertising, sponsorship, and content opportunities for Valley Ag Voice within the agricultural and rural business community- Promote through a personal referral code, earning per-account commission on new signups generated through your network- Represent all Marcom properties with consistency and professionalism, understanding how each serves a distinct audience and purposeTeam Collaboration- Work closely with the CEO and full creative team to align client strategy with agency strengths and capacity- Participate in team meetings, trainings, and strategy sessions- Contribute to the agency's growth trajectory through executive-level thinking, not just activity metricsWHAT WE'RE LOOKING FORRequired- Proven track record in business development, sales leadership, or strategic account management at a senior level- Strong existing national network across multiple industries with demonstrated ability to convert relationships into revenue- Strategic thinker who can assess a client's business and identify real opportunities, not just repeat a capabilities deck- Comfortable operating at the executive level — presenting, consulting, and closing with senior decision-makers- Self-directed with strong follow-through — this is a remote role that requires personal accountability and zero hand-holding- Collaborative by nature and able to work effectively within a small, high-trust remote team- Professional communication skills, both written and verbal, at an executive level- Proficiency with CRM tools and modern business technology