Vice President, Business Development

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. This role owns Highwire’s new business engine—driving pipeline strategy, leading pitches, and converting opportunities into long-term client partnerships. Working closely with executive leadership and practice teams, this leader will shape go-to-market strategy, elevate pitch excellence, and build the systems that make growth repeatable and scalable. 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   The...