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Director, Business Development - Strategy & Reputation Practice

New York

FGS Global is the world’s leading stakeholder strategy firm, with approximately 1,400 professionals around the world, advising clients in navigating critical issues and reputational challenges. FGS was formed from the combination of Finsbury, The Glover Park Group, Hering Schuppener and Sard Verbinnen & Co to offer board-level and C-suite counsel in all aspects of stakeholder strategy — including corporate reputation, crisis management, and public affairs and is also the leading force in transaction and financial communications worldwide.

FGS offers seamless and integrated support with offices in the following locations: Abu Dhabi, Amsterdam, Beijing, Berlin, Boston, Brussels, Calgary, Chicago, Dubai, Dublin, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, Houston, Kingston, London, Los Angeles, Munich, Paris, Riyadh, San Francisco, Shanghai, Singapore, South Florida, The Hague, Tokyo, Toronto, Vancouver, Washington, D.C., and Zurich. The firm is headquartered in New York.

FGS is consistently ranked a Band 1 PR firm for Crisis & Risk Management and for Litigation Support by Chambers and Partners.  For the second year, FGS was ranked #1 Global M&A PR firm by Deal Count and Value in 2024 by Mergermarket.

As part of its ambitious growth strategy, FGS Global is building a global Growth team under the leadership of the Chief Growth Officer. The team will combine Business Development and Marketing and, as such, will play a key role in supercharging the firm’s growth. It will be comprised of individuals embedded in and responsible for FGS’ Practice Areas, Sector Teams and Regions, as well as other Business Development specialists. 

About the Strategy & Reputation Practice 

FGS Global’s Strategy & Reputation (“S&R”) practice partners with senior business leaders to build, shape, and protect long-term reputations in support of business goals. We excel at navigating the broader stakeholder landscape, offering a comprehensive view of the complexities of today’s uncertain world. 

We craft and implement holistic communication strategies to address challenges, neutralize threats, seize opportunities, and build stakeholder trust during the moments that matter. With a foundation in research and data-driven insights, we provide counsel and executional support across corporate positioning, executive advisory, employee engagement and transformation, and social issues and impact. Our modern strategies are designed to meet stakeholders where they are. 

Position Overview 

The Director, Business Development will play a key role in driving the growth of FGS Global’s Strategy & Reputation practice across our global markets. This is a newly created role designed to help the practice group’s leadership team implement its ambitious five-year growth strategy. This individual will lead the practice’s global expansion efforts, working closely with colleagues, practice leaders, and business development teams to design, implement, and execute strategies that translate into measurable growth.  

Although this is a position based in New York, the candidate will also be responsible for driving business development in other markets, specifically Europe and the UK.  

The role will require the candidate to be both a source of support within S&R and between other practice groups within the business. It is expected that the candidate will also help to identify, develop and disseminate collateral in order to support the growth trajectory outlined by the team.  

Key Responsibilities 

  • Driving Global Growth Strategy 
    • Develop and execute a comprehensive global business growth strategy for the Strategy & Reputation practice. 
    • Design and implement outreach initiatives to engage potential clients and referral sources, focusing on CEOs, CCOs, and other key decision-makers, to elevate awareness of our capabilities and value proposition. 
    • Identify and target prospective clients with tailored strategies. 
    • Collaborate across FGS Global’s practice areas to identify cross-serving opportunities within existing S&R accounts, particularly with financial communications, crisis & issues management, and public affairs. 
    • Develop and distribute pitch materials and marketing collateral to support business development efforts ensuring that these are kept up to date. 
    • Serve as liaison between Business Development, Marketing, Internal Communications and HR to support internal upskilling and cross-serving. 
  • Anticipating Opportunities and Delivering Results 
    • Proactively identify opportunities to approach prospective clients during key moments, such as strategy shifts, stakeholder/media sentiment changes, leadership transitions, emerging socio-cultural issues, geopolitical pressures, reputation recovery scenarios, employee and workplace challenges, post-merger integrations, and corporate transformations and establish processes to quickly capture and act on these opportunities. 
    • Monitor emerging trends in communications, macroeconomic shifts, and industry developments to inform outreach strategies. 
    • Identify key industry events, such as conferences and panels, where FGS Global experts should have a presence. 
    • Maintain competitive intelligence on marketing activities of key competitors (i.e., tracking conferences, events, owned content) and help ensure that FGS retains a competitive advantage. 
    • Collaborate with marketing and practice leaders to develop thought leadership content (e.g., articles, white papers) that positions FGS Global as a best-in-class and forward-thinking advisor. 

Ideal Candidate Profile 

We are seeking a candidate who embodies the following qualities: 

  • Bachelor’s degree. 
  • 5-10 years’ experience in business development at a leading communications or public affairs consultancy or professional services firm. 
  • Flexibility to work outside of normal business hours, including nights and weekends, when business needs arise and to meet expectations of a global role. 
  • Ability to travel to meet the needs of global practice group leadership and a willingness to engage meaningfully with leaders of the Strategy & Reputation Practice in a number of locations around the world. 
  • A passion for winning new business and delivering exceptional results. 
  • A global mindset with fluency in cross-border business and a natural ability to build internal and external connections. 
  • A strong service-oriented mindset, dedicated to fostering collaborative partnerships and delivering tailored solutions that drive value for our clients. 
  • A consultative approach, proactively identifying opportunities to enhance the practice group’s impact and reach. 
  • Entrepreneurial, self-starter, and comfortable operating in a fast-paced corporate environment. 
  • Strong collaboration skills, with the ability to build consensus and solve problems. 
  • Strategic and creative thinking, with the ability to identify new opportunities and white spaces. 
  • A balance of strategic vision and hands-on execution. 
  • Exceptional written and verbal communication skills. 
  • High levels of professionalism, integrity, and discretion.

Candidates must have authorization to work in the U.S. without requiring sponsorship now or in the future.

Role Setup & Interactions 

The person will be based in New York and will work closely with teams across the globe. The role is hybrid, with an expectation of at least three days per week in the office.  

  • Reporting to Christine Graeff, Chief Global Growth Officer, based in Zurich, with a dotted line to the leadership team of the S&R practice, based in the U.S. and the UK. 
  • Based in the United States but giving equal weight to generating leads in the UK and Europe 
  • Closely cooperating with Business Development and Marketing colleagues across FGS Global’s other practice groups across the globe. 

 What We Offer 

  • The opportunity to become part of a newly created team with an entrepreneurial spirit. 
  • A collaborative and inclusive work environment in a global firm with well-articulated and ambitious growth plans. 
  • Annual profit-sharing model, aka annual performance bonus 
  • Comprehensive medical, dental and vision insurance 
  • 401(k)-plan with a generous company match 
  • Generous time off benefits, including flexible vacation, parental leave, and a sabbatical. 
  • A collaborative group of smart, passionate, and highly motivated people.  
  • Team-oriented work environment structured to provide opportunities for professional growth and development. 
  • Competitive compensation package, commensurate with experience 

New York City Salary Range

$140,000 - $160,000 USD

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