Sales Assistant, Business Development

The Arizona Commerce Authority (ACA) is the state's leading economic development organization with a streamlined mission to grow and strengthen Arizona’s economy.

The ACA uses a three-pronged approach to advance the overall economy: recruit, grow, create – recruit out-of-state companies to expand their operations in Arizona; work with existing companies to grow their business in Arizona and beyond; and partner with entrepreneurs and companies large and small to create new jobs and businesses in targeted industries.

ABOUT THE ROLE:

The Business Development (BD) team serves as the primary point of contact for companies looking to relocate or expand in Arizona. The Sales Assistant, Business Development, is primarily responsible for providing direct support to the Executive Vice President and the entire BD and Sales team as they work through the sales cycle of identifying, qualifying, and cultivating prospects through the entire project management cycle. A successful outcome includes the company’s decision to create jobs and invest in our community.  This individual will provide administrative support and complex event management planning along with excellent organization, communication, and sales acumen to drive successful outcomes.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Support in-house or off-site events, meetings, and webinars for high-profile clients, including but not limited to scheduling, preparing, and distributing the agenda and other meeting materials, catering, reserving, and preparing conference rooms, setting up audio/visual equipment, and recording and drafting meeting minutes.
• Arrange travel, including all logistics including foreign exchange issues; proactively troubleshoot and address travel conflicts.
• Process invoices ensuring correct accounting codes are used and required signatures are obtained.
• Responsible for reviewing all submitted monthly international office invoices and individual international office employee expense reimbursements; prepare expense reports using Concur.
• Support management reporting needs including weekly reports, quarterly board report data and other reporting to influence decision-making.
• Manage complex schedules with thoughtfulness and advance planning; anticipate and resolve conflicts for EVP and BD/Sales team.
• Organize, schedule, and prioritize meetings and appointments; prepare and circulate agendas and minutes as needed.
• Compose and distribute professional correspondence and memoranda as needed.
• Performs general clerical duties, including by not limited to filing, photocopying, faxing, and mailing.
• Serve as a back-up for the front-office reception desk; greet visitors, distribute mail, and answer phones.
• Coordinate all BD/Sales and international conference logistics; coordinate with Marcomm teams as necessary to ensure timely and meaningful execution.
• Establish and maintain a well-organized filing system for correspondence and other records (physical and electronic), ensuring information is easily accessible; update and maintain program database, electronic files, and Salesforce records.
• Create and maintain prioritized inventory of critical tasks, high priority activities, deadlines, and project reports.
• Independently perform special projects that require a combination of administrative, creative, and communication skills.
• Able to work outside of regular business hours including evenings, early mornings, and weekends.

COMPETENCY, EDUCATIONAL & EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS:

• Minimum four (4) years of progressive experience in a related position with responsibility for administrative support, and event/meeting planning and management.
• Proven to be highly organized and self-directed, will exhibit sound judgment demonstrated by effective problem solving and decision-making.
• Successful record of managing multiple simultaneous projects and events with demonstrated ability to work independently in rapidly changing environments.
• Experience monitoring receipt and review of ongoing monthly invoices, and processing invoices for payment.
• Bachelor’s degree in business administration or a related field of study; or an equivalent combination of education and/or experience.
• Demonstrated knowledge of office administration, clerical procedures, and recordkeeping systems.
• Excellent verbal, written and interpersonal communication skills; highly collaborative team approach to work.
• Proficiency with MS Office Suite and web-based technologies.
• Must be comfortable dealing directly with C-level executives, VIPs, and a sales team in a role which continually requires demonstrated poise, tact, diplomacy, and confidentiality.
• This is a hybrid position based in Phoenix, AZ; base compensation for this role is between $65k—$80k annually, depending on experience. 

HIGHLY PREFERRED SKILLS, ABILITIES & QUALIFICATIONS:

• Significant experience and proficiency in use of CRM platforms (preferably Salesforce) to support compliance and exception monitoring and overall quality control.
• Adaptable/flexible – adapts quickly and with little direction to meet deliverables that require frequent shifts in direction and priority.
• High motor – sustainable ability to perform with excellence in a very high-paced environment.
• Proven ability to communicate, influence, establish trust, and demonstrate results with multiple stakeholder groups will be critical to success for this position.
• High tolerance for ambiguity, service orientation, and a high level of humility for successful assimilation in our highly collaborative, entrepreneurial culture.
• Self-starter interested in contributing to a dynamic and growing program with a non-traditional approach.
• Dependable -- more reliable than spontaneous.
• Adaptable/flexible – enjoys doing work that requires frequent shifts in direction.
• Autonomous/Independent – enjoys working with little direction.
• Innovative – prefers working in unconventional ways or on tasks that require creativity.
• Detail-oriented – able to attend closely to minor issues and questions with focus on accuracy and completeness.