Vice President of Business Development

Tucker Company Worldwide, Inc.
Tucker Company Worldwide, Inc. is a family-held, third-generation corporation with a proud legacy of leadership celebrating its 60th anniversary in business. We believe in the importance of investing generously in our people, business, industry, and local community. Tucker Company is the oldest privately-held freight brokerage in North America, specializing in notoriously complicated freight, like temperature-controlled, oversized, and high-value, high-security shipments. We help transportation professionals for some of the world's top brands ensure the safe, on-time delivery of their freight using carefully designed procedures, cutting-edge technologies, and award-winning service. Whether the shipment is oversized, delicate, high-value, or hazardous, we're prepared to manage it with the utmost care.

Tucker Company serves on the board of the Transportation Intermediaries Association (TIA), chair the Highway Transportation Committee of the National Industrial Transportation League (NITL), and serves on committees in a variety of trade associations important to our customers to understand both our industry and our customers' industries. We take great pride in moving high-touch, high-security freight in industries where reputation and track record are paramount.

Role Accountabilities & Responsibilities:

Accountabilities

• Lead, coach and develop the business development team in all the areas and skills required to be highly competent in their roles, to effectively communicate with colleagues and stakeholders internally, and to enable the company to succeed in achieving its goals of growth, industry knowledge, market share profitability.
• Oversee the execution of sales revenues to meet or exceed the company's annual goals. Communicate these goals to the Business Development Representatives (BDRs) and Business Development Specialists (BDSs), ensuring all BD staff have the necessary resources to achieve their targets.
• Achieve business revenue growth targets in spread and load count as defined by the company whenever revenue goals are set or updated by securing more business from existing customers and finding and onboarding new customers.
• Establish customer-specific pricing strategies that consider onboarding, retention, increased wallet share, margin enhancement, and each customer's overall goals.
• By clearly articulating the opportunity, assess whether a contract is qualified to proceed to legal review and Vendor Product Service Validation (VPQS). Once an agreement is approved, be ready to assist the company in negotiating final contract details as needed.
• Effectively execute the customer onboarding process to ensure a smooth transition for new customers.
• Clearly articulate a strategic plan to the CEO or the Executive Leadership Team (ELT) as directed that consistently achieves overall goals and cascades these goals down to each BD.
• Identify and capture both new and repeat revenue. Train the BD staff and, eventually, stratify or specialize in the team by specific industries in the future.
• Evaluate, select, and execute the contracting process and renew services or software related to lead generation and business development tools.
• Manage, hire, and train the BD team to sell within Tucker's service niches effectively, ensuring they are fully trained and fluent in the relevant language, terms, and methodologies for selling these niches.
• Assess BD's current and future personnel requirements to ensure the team is resourced adequately for growth objectives. Collaborate proactively with the People and Culture team to meet these needs promptly.
• Cross-train and teach industry-specific sales skills, focusing on securing business with repeat lanes. Ensure the BD staff receives initial and ongoing training regarding pricing strategies, processes, and tools.
• Confirm that prospective clients and any bids we participate in are fully qualified. BD staff should ensure that prospects meet the following criteria before bidding:
  
  • Specific interest in Tucker
  • Alignment with Tucker's industry-specific solution development values
  • Clear communication to the Pricing team regarding our stated goals, with sufficient notice and clarity
  • Pre-qualify contracts before sending them to the legal team (this includes known volumes, customer champions, etc.)
• "Own" all customer relationships by establishing strategies to increase the number of customer connections and enhance account loyalty through relationship building with multiple contacts.
• Maximize operating margin performance while meeting customer needs.
• Ensure a smooth and successful transfer of the customer from the BDR/S to all necessary operations personnel. After the transition, be ready to assist whenever needed.

Responsibilities:

Your role is integral to the success of the company in many areas, so these responsibilities are broken down into categories:

• Leadership and Collaboration for Success
  • Present revised multi-year growth targets for the ELT. Your insights and decisions are crucial for our future success, and you will also be responsible for developing the departmental budget.
  • Ensure BDRs schedule meetings to onboard new customers and prepare for the transition of awarded business per company procedures. Ensure BDSs schedule Account Development Strategy (ADS) meetings to tailor our services and/or response when needed.
  • Facilitate collaboration between the BD team and the Director of Operational Excellence (DOE), Capacity, Customer Experience (CX), and BD staff to explore new opportunities, strategies, and resources needed to capitalize on daily spot market opportunities and achieve our goals. Your contributions are vital to success. For special projects, such as permitted loads, inform stakeholders of upcoming initiatives with sufficient lead time.
• Marketing Evaluation and Tradeshow Effectiveness:
  • Collaborate with CEO and Marketing Manager (MM) to assess and quantify the effectiveness of marketing and tradeshow efforts within the established budget. Each tradeshow should generate enough net revenue (total revenue minus carrier costs) within 6-9 months to justify a return visit unless exceptions are made in consultation with the CEO. Maintain a dynamic report in partnership with Marketing, under the ownership of the VPBD, prioritizing events based upon ROI and perceived ROI. Continuously update CEO and MM throughout the year as shows and events occur.
  • Collaborate with Marketing to provide Business Development-related information for social media campaigns.
  • Implement competitive controls within customer accounts by developing services that enhance customer relationships, encourage existing business, and retain wallet share.
• Quarterly Goals and Financial Health:
  • During quarterly projection and goal-setting meetings, highlight any poor-performing existing customers to the ELT and outline what you've done to address it/them, or present your plan. Your attention to these details is crucial for our financial health.
• Contracts, SOPs and NDAs:
  • Qualify customer NDAs or potential contracts before submitting them to VPQS and the legal team for review.
  • Lead BD staff, prospects, and work with VPQS and/or legal teams in negotiating agreeable terms.
  • Introduce customer onboarding service requirements to the Operational Excellence teams.
  • Inform VPQS of any Corrective and Preventive Actions (CAPA) opened for BD accounts and collaborate on responses.
  • Work with VPQS on strategies when freight needs exceed our carrier offerings.
• Operational Efficiency:
  • Reduce waste and improve efficiency by proactively managing BD staff performance, effort and tools to ensure maximum productivity. Monitor and report any ineffective or excessive resources within the department to the ELT.
• Customer Relationship Management:
  
  • Coach BD team to be able to effectively handle customer discussions about rates, service, credit and collections, and unmet volume expectations-both positive and negative. Ensure that each BD is properly trained and effective.
  • Collaborate with COO, DOE, VPQS to implement strategies that meet or exceed customer satisfaction in service, reporting, customer portal functionality, etc.
  • For special carrier needs or additional capacity, inform VPQS (during contract time), DOE, and the carrier development team for existing clients. Identify customer IT needs, friction points, and automation opportunities. Work with COO and Technology to develop solutions.
• Audit and IT Management:
  • In advance of a customer or prospect audit of Tucker's facility or our operations, provide VPQS with as much advance notice as possible regarding any actual or potential customer audits.
  • Gather and report on IT needs from customers or staff to Technology leadership.
  • Continuously present feedback, discuss, prepare, and organize the necessary resources to improve business operations.
  • Be a leader and champion of the company's values, goals, and initiatives publicly and in one-on-one, closed-door settings, ensuring that every staff member aligns with and assimilates into Tucker's culture.
  • Become a subject matter expert within the logistics industry, including seeking public speaking opportunities at tradeshows.
• Multi-Year Growth Targets and Budget Development: `
  
  • Present revised multi-year growth targets for the ELT. Your insights and decisions are crucial for our future success, and you will also be responsible for developing the departmental budget.
  • Ensure BDRs schedule meetings to onboard new customers and prepare for the transition of awarded business per company procedures. BDRs should be trained to lead these meetings effectively.
  • Facilitate collaboration between the BD team and the DOE, CS and CX to explore new opportunities, strategies, and resources needed to capitalize on daily spot market opportunities and achieve our goals. Your contributions are vital to success.
  • For special projects, such as permitted loads, inform stakeholders of upcoming initiatives with sufficient lead time.
• Marketing Evaluation and Tradeshow Effectiveness:
  • Plan trade shows, marketing and event management with Marketing and CEO
  • Maintain a dynamic report in partnership with Marketing, under the ownership VPBD, prioritizing events based on Return on Investment (ROI) and perceived ROI. This document should be continuously updated throughout the year as shows and events occur.
  • Collaborate with Marketing well in advance of key events, to ensure we have customer entertainment plans, if possible.
  • Collaborate with Marketing to provide BD-related information for social media campaigns.
  • Implement competitive controls within customer accounts by developing services that enhance customer relationships, encourage existing business, and retain wallet share.
• Collaboration (Consulted or Informed)
  • Support social media campaigns, and help with messaging when asked, or when you see an opportunity.
  • Collaborate with DOE when Company's performance does not meet customer expectations.
  • Integral role in the development of a carrier contract for a specific project, opportunity, or solution.
  • Consult on nuanced claims or business decisions relating to claims.
  • Informed by DOE of potential threats or opportunities within an account where necessary.
  • Consulted on the messaging that will be sent to a customer about a freight security or a claim event.
  • Gather customer feedback and development requests to enhance portal and site functionality.
  • Consult with VPQS upon formal execution of a shipper contract when a business award is imminent.
  • Regarding escalated credit and collection efforts, meet with accounting to maximize company efforts, while managing customer relationships.

Qualifications and Education Requirements

• 10+ years in proven success in sales leadership
• Bachelor's Degree
• 10+ years' experience managing teams
• Demonstrated competence in use of CRM, lead generation tools, McLeod TMS is a plus, other.
• Excellent organizational and writing skills
• Strong presentation and public speaking skills

Preferred Skills

• Graduate Degree in related field is strongly preferred
• Participating in industry groups

Equal Opportunity Employment:
Tucker Company is dedicated to promoting and supporting diversity within our workplace. We provide an environment that promotes respect, integrity, teamwork, achievement, and acceptance regardless of age, disability, education, gender, gender expression, gender identity, job level, marital status, military status, national origin, parental status, pregnancy, race, religion, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, or other protected factors. Tucker Company is committed to equal employment opportunities and providing reasonable accommodations to applicants with physical and/or mental disabilities. Equal employment opportunity applies to all policies and procedures relating to recruitment, hiring, compensation, benefits, promotion, termination and all other terms and conditions of employment. Employees are encouraged to discuss equal employment opportunity-related questions and issues with People and Culture. The Company does not allow any form of retaliation against individuals who, in good faith, raise issues of equal employment opportunity.