Vice President, Engagement

ChangeMakers is growing. The Vice President, Engagement will play a key leadership role in driving new business development, supporting strategic initiatives, and delivering high-impact client solutions. Reporting directly to the President of Social Impact Consulting, this position requires a seasoned strategist with a proven track record in business development, executive leadership, and team building. The Vice President will oversee the development of cross-functional strategies, contribute to new business growth, and help lead a team of senior consultants to deliver innovative solutions to clients. This role combines strategic counsel, client management, and internal team leadership to ensure the delivery of successful, high-value projects.

Responsibilities will include:

New Business Development:

• Lead efforts to identify and secure new business opportunities by researching and pursuing qualified leads.
• Participate in new business presentations, and craft tailored proposals and RFPs that address client-specific needs.
• Develop and maintain a robust pipeline of potential clients, achieving set new business targets and exploring emerging opportunities.
• Cultivate and sustain relationships with senior leaders, clients, and key thought leaders to drive long-term growth.

Strategic Leadership & Client Engagement:

• Serve as the primary strategic advisor for complex client projects, providing expert counsel and guiding clients through high-level initiatives.
• Lead and facilitate the development of C+E strategies for large-scale projects or organizations, ensuring they align with client goals.
• Coach executives on engagement strategies, and provide thought leadership in translating trends and innovation into actionable plans.
• Provide direction on research and analysis to ensure the production of insightful, client-focused deliverables.

Team Leadership & Collaboration:

• Lead cross-functional teams, fostering collaboration and improving team dynamics across practices.
• Ensure that projects are executed on time and within budget, maintaining a strong focus on quality and client satisfaction.
• Manage internal resources and drive productivity across teams, while balancing client work with new business efforts.

Financial Oversight & Performance Management:

• Oversee practice area performance, including billings, revenues, and resourcing, ensuring that financial objectives are met.
• Make key decisions related to client account management and budgeting, exercising sound financial judgment.
• Monitor project profitability, ensuring efficient staff utilization and expense management to maintain a strong bottom line.
• Manage client expectations, setting clear goals and maintaining alignment throughout the project lifecycle.

Client Relationship Management:

• Serve as a trusted advisor to clients, providing ongoing strategic support and maintaining strong, long-term relationships.
• Identify risks and opportunities early on, proactively developing strategies to mitigate challenges and capitalize on emerging trends.
• Drive value for clients through the delivery of innovative, impactful solutions that align with their goals.

Preferred Experience

• Demonstrated experience in leading and mentoring a team of professionals with diverse backgrounds and skillsets.
• Demonstrated expertise in building and maintaining trusted client relationships in a planning or engagement capacity in delivery of high-quality, innovative and impactful solutions to exceed client expectations
• Current relationships and/or prior experience with a variety of clients including Indigenous communities and organizations, non-profits, government (municipal, provincial and federal), and the private sector.
• Experienced relationship builder with senior leaders, and key thought leaders to drive long-term growth.

Qualifications:

• Strong track record in business development, strategic consulting, and client relationship management
• Ability to work effectively in fast-paced, dynamic environments, managing multiple priorities with ease.
• Exceptional communication skills, with the ability to synthesize complex information into clear, actionable strategies.
• Demonstrated ability to make key decisions related to client account management and budgeting, exercising sound financial judgment.
• IAP2 membership or certification and experience leading large stakeholder engagement sessions.

We are ChangeMakers:  A bold, new brand that formed when Believeco:Partners' reputation advisory Argyle, social impact advisory Castlemain and marketing advisory Believeco united as one business and one team to create a reputation, social impact, and marketing firm.

ChangeMakers is a 400+ person independent reputation management, social impact and marketing firm with offices throughout Canada and in the US. Our decades of experience in reputation, social impact and marketing have equipped us with a deep comprehension of diverse audiences, enabling us to craft solutions that address multiple needs simultaneously. This allows us to have multiple perspectives on the challenges and opportunities presented by our clients and partners.  

An equitable employer: 

ChangeMakers is committed to advancing equity, diversity, and inclusion in all its forms, a commitment that enriches our company culture, the ideas that we generate, and the quality of service that we provide our clients. We encourage applications from Indigenous communities, racialized communities, women, persons with disabilities, LGBTQ2S+ people, and people from other historically marginalized communities.

ChangeMakers is committed to providing employment accommodation under the Human Rights Code and the Accessibility Disabilities Act provincially by providing employment accommodations. If you are a job applicant with a disability, ChangeMakers will make every effort to accommodate you throughout the recruitment process. Please inform us if you require any accommodation, and we will work with you to meet your needs.

At ChangeMakers we recognize that the best candidate may not meet all the criteria listed above. We encourage all those interested and with relevant experience to apply even if you don't match the job posting perfectly. We welcome creative, out-of-the-box thinking, and lived-experience and we strive to provide an environment for best-in-class innovation that quickly and fulsomely meets our clients' needs.