The Director of New Business Development is a dedicated growth driver for WJ Weiser, Naylor's association management company (AMC) focused primarily on healthcare associations while creating lookalikes for new markets. This role is the commercial engine behind WJ Weiser's expansion — responsible for identifying, pursuing, and closing new AMC client relationships that extend WJ Weiser's footprint in the healthcare association market and offer opportunities to cross sell with Naylor’s core solutions.
The Director operates with the agility of a business owner and the discipline of a seasoned sales professional. While embedded in the WJ Weiser business unit they will report to our Chief Growth Officer and sit within the Naylor business development team — sharing intelligence, tools, and best practices while maintaining a clear and singular focus on growing WJ Weiser's client roster.
This is not a marketing or brand role. It is a hunter role — built for someone who is energized by the full sales cycle, from first contact through signed agreement, and who understands the nuance of selling high-trust, long-cycle professional services to nonprofit executives.
The preferred candidate will work hybrid based in the Schaumburg, IL area. We will consider remote employees based in ET or CT time zones.
Business Development Strategy & Pipeline Ownership
- Develop and execute a proactive new business strategy for WJ Weiser, targeting healthcare associations that are strong fits for WJ Weiser's AMC service model as well as adjacent markets.
- Build and maintain a robust pipeline of qualified prospects; own pipeline metrics, conversion rates, and velocity from first contact to close.
- Identify and prioritize high-potential markets, association segments, and geographic opportunities in coordination with the WJ Weiser GM and Naylor's new business team.
- Establish and maintain a prospecting cadence using outreach, conferences, referrals, and industry networks — consistently generating new top-of-funnel activity.
Outreach, Relationship Development & Sales Execution
- Serve as WJ Weiser's primary external-facing business development contact for prospective clients; conduct discovery meetings, capability presentations, and follow-up conversations.
- Build credibility and trust with board officers and governance leaders at target associations through consultative, relationship-first engagement.
- Represent WJ Weiser at healthcare and association industry conferences, networking events, and trade organizations; leverage these relationships to generate referrals and warm introductions.
- Manage multi-stakeholder decision processes with patience and strategic discipline — understanding that AMC selection is a high-stakes, lengthy decision for most associations.
Proposal Development & Pitch Management
- Lead the full proposal process for new AMC engagements: scoping, pricing, writing, and presenting — collaborating with WJ Weiser's senior leadership and Naylor's marketing and operations teams as needed.
- Develop compelling, customized presentations and proposals that speak directly to the governance and operational needs of individual prospects.
- Maintain a library of case studies, capability statements, references, and proposal templates to accelerate the sales cycle and raise the quality of submissions.
- Debrief all won and lost opportunities; apply insights to continuously improve WJ Weiser's competitive positioning and proposal quality.
Cross-Functional Collaboration with Naylor New Business Team
- Work in active partnership with Naylor's enterprise new business development team — participating in regular pipeline reviews, sharing prospect intelligence, and aligning on messaging and competitive positioning.
- Leverage Naylor's broader brand, relationships, and resources to open doors for WJ Weiser; represent WJ Weiser's distinct value proposition within the Naylor family of companies.
- Contribute to Naylor-wide go-to-market initiatives where WJ Weiser's AMC expertise adds value, including joint proposals, content development, and industry presence.
Market Intelligence & Competitive Positioning
- Stay current on trends, consolidation, and opportunities in the healthcare association management market; bring competitive intelligence into WJ Weiser's go-to-market strategy.
- Monitor the competitive AMC landscape, tracking competitor capabilities, pricing, wins, and losses to inform WJ Weiser's positioning and differentiation.
- Provide regular market feedback to the WJ Weiser GM and Naylor leadership on what prospects are asking for, where WJ Weiser wins, and where gaps exist.
- Identify potential partnership, referral, or joint-venture opportunities that could accelerate new business for WJ Weiser.
Education & Experience
- Bachelor's degree in Business, Communications, or a related field required.
- 6+ years of progressive business development or sales experience in professional services, association management, or a B2B services environment.
- Demonstrated track record of independently closing new client relationships — not just supporting a sales team.
- Experience selling to nonprofit, association, or healthcare sector executives strongly preferred; AMC industry background is a significant advantage.
- Familiarity with Naylor's broader association solutions ecosystem, or comparable experience in a multi-product professional services environment, is a plus.
Technical & Functional Skills
- Skilled in the full B2B sales cycle: prospecting, discovery, proposal development, negotiation, and close.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills; able to translate complex AMC service models into compelling, accessible value propositions.
- Proficiency with CRM systems (Salesforce preferred) and modern sales enablement tools; comfortable with pipeline tracking, forecasting, and reporting.
- Ability to develop polished, customized proposals and presentations with minimal support.
- Working knowledge of healthcare association governance, structure, and operational challenges is a meaningful differentiator.
Competency
What It Looks Like at WJ Weiser
Hunter Mentality
Energized by originating new business, not managing existing accounts. Proactively creates opportunity rather than waiting for inbound interest.
Relationship Capital
Builds trust with senior nonprofit and association executives quickly; understands the high-stakes, relationship-driven nature of AMC selection.
Consultative Selling
Leads with curiosity and listening; positions WJ Weiser as a strategic partner, not a vendor. Qualifies hard and proposes only where WJ Weiser can genuinely win.
Organizational Agility
Operates effectively within a business unit (WJ Weiser) while collaborating across a larger enterprise (Naylor). Navigates complexity without losing focus.
Drive for Results
Sets ambitious pipeline and close targets; holds self accountable to outcomes. Resilient in the face of long sales cycles and competitive losses.
Market Savvy
Brings a genuine understanding of the healthcare association landscape; earns credibility with prospects through industry knowledge, not just charm.
In the first 12 months, the Director of New Business Development will have:
- Built a qualified pipeline of 15–20 prospective AMC clients across the healthcare association market, with documented outreach activity and clear next steps for each.
- Closed at least 2–3 new AMC client agreements for WJ Weiser, with a combined revenue impact consistent with agreed targets established with the GM.
- Developed a repeatable prospecting and proposal process — including templates, case studies, and a go-to-market calendar tied to key industry conferences and events.
- Established a working rhythm with Naylor's enterprise new business team, including regular pipeline syncs, shared competitive intelligence, and aligned messaging.
- Earned credibility as WJ Weiser's external face for business development — recognized by healthcare association executives as a knowledgeable, trustworthy partner.
- Delivered a competitive landscape assessment and preliminary recommendations on WJ Weiser's positioning, pricing, and target market prioritization.
WJ Weiser is a division of Naylor Association Solutions. WJ Weiser provides full-service association management to healthcare associations across the United States, with a focus on governance, operations, member engagement, and financial management. Learn more at naylor.com.
Naylor Association Solutions is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to hiring a diverse workforce.
