Director of Sales & Business Development

Position Purpose

As we restructure our Business Development and Marketing functions, we are seeking an entrepreneurial growth leader to build our next chapter. Reporting directly to the President and CEO, you will be the primary driving force for new business, strategically mining existing accounts and identifying high-potential prospects to scale our national impact.

What You Will Do

• Act as the primary hunter for new revenue by aggressively mining existing historical accounts and identifying high-potential new market segments with a demonstrated ability to navigate high-stakes, multi-stakeholder sales cycles. You will personally drive a qualified pipeline to consistently exceed your annual quota.
• Architect a data-driven national sales playbook that provides the consultancy with clear visibility into pipeline velocity and revenue forecasting. You will align sales effort with our long-term goals to ensure sustainable, high-margin growth.
• Partner with leadership to align our consulting approach, service offering and delivery with evolving market needs to ensure a high-value, differentiated client experience. You will refine our go-to-market strategy to position Alford Group as the premier partner for social impact.
• Work to drive data integrity in the CRM and actionable analytics across the sales lifecycle. You will leverage advanced analytics and automated leads nurturing to accelerate pipeline velocity and optimize revenue health.
• Pioneer the use of AI tools to automate routine prospecting, allowing the sales team to focus on high-value relationship building and closing. You will be the internal champion for modern solutions that expand our sales opportunities and scale our national reach.
• Serve as a player-coach who elevates the sales acumen of our sales team through targeted training and sophisticated business development frameworks. Success is measured by your ability to increase team members’ success in hitting their individual business development targets.
• Build a formal referral engine by securing and managing high-impact partnerships with aligned providers serving the nonprofit sector. You will ensure a consistent flow of warm, high-intent leads that accompanies a strategic focus on cold outbound efforts.
• Lead the evaluation process for major RFPs, ensuring we prioritize high-impact, high-margin engagements. You will proactively manage pricing strategies and contract terms to maximize both consultancy’s profitability and client value.
• Perform other strategic leadership and business development duties as assigned to support Alford Group’s evolution and overall mission.

What You Will Bring

• An entrepreneurial self-starter with a sophisticated ability to diagnose complex organizational challenges and architect high-value, mission-aligned solutions for C-suite and Board-level stakeholders. You excel at value-based selling, moving beyond service features to deliver strategic outcomes.
• 5-7+ years of progressive leadership in consultative sales or professional services, with a proven track record of consistently exceeding $1M+ revenue targets. Working knowledge of the nonprofit sector is helpful.
• Bachelor’s degree required (advanced degree preferred). This role requires a blend of academic rigor and street-smart business development acumen.
• Working knowledge of CRM Systems, ideally HubSpot—to drive the full consultative sales motion and maintain rigorous data integrity. You leverage advanced analytics to institutionalize accurate revenue forecasting and accelerate pipeline velocity.
• Exceptional executive presence with the ability to author high-impact thought leadership and design persuasive sales collateral. You are a compelling communicator who delivers sophisticated professional presentations that inspire confidence and drive conversion.
• Strong financial acumen with an understanding of financial forecasting and modeling and key sales indicators. You approach sales with a disciplined focus on both top-line growth and bottom-line sustainability.
• Valid driver’s license and ability to travel nationally, as needed.

Position Details

Operational Environment & Physical Demands

• This role can be remote or hybrid for those in the Chicago area.
• Travel is required for conferences, on-site meetings with leads, clients and consultancy-wide events.
• Requires extensive use of computers and frequent virtual communications via Zoom or Microsoft Teams.
• Ability to meet the physical demands of being stationary for extended durations of time as well as lifting conference materials.

Reports to President & CEO

Who We Are

Alford Group is a national, full-service consultancy serving nonprofits in nearly every state in the country. Since our founding, we have partnered with over 3,000 nonprofits to accelerate their impact and advance social change.

Alford Group expects each employee and associate of the consultancy to reflect and promote our vision, mission and values.

Vision: A world where possibilities are endless and reflect the best of who we are as humans.

Mission: We accelerate the nonprofit community’s impact and advance social change.

We Value:

Honest Partnerships

Equity-Centered Practices

Continued Learning

Joyful Connections

Core Services

All employees are expected to assist in fulfilling our consultancy-wide goals and innovation objectives, participate in meetings and contribute to the consultancy’s thought leadership.

Confidential Data

Our team members have access to sensitive, confidential information and are trusted to maintain these files and documents properly.

Equity-centered hiring practices:

Alford Group is dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive and equitable workplace culture that fosters a sense of belonging where you can bring all of your true and best self. We desire candidates who are excited about this role, open to advancing our commitment to partnering with diverse team members and clients, align with the behaviors that elevate our values and seek to grow personally and professionally. Alford Group will not discriminate against team members with respect to any term or condition. If you are looking to be a change maker, then we are eager to talk with you about careers at Alford Group.

To apply:

Please submit your resume and a cover letter quantifying your success in driving revenue within a complex professional services environment. We are looking for an entrepreneurial leader who can demonstrate how they turn strategy into revenue results. Apply here.

Our Benefits

We care about your total well-being and will support you with the following:

• Annual base salary range of $95,000 – $125,000, with final offers determined by relevant experience, specialized skill set and internal equity. This position includes an incentive structure featuring both personal performance-based commission and a bonus tied to overall consultancy success.
• Matching 401(k)
• Comprehensive healthcare plans including medical, dental, and vision coverage
• Generous PTO policy, paid holidays and flexible work schedules
• Career development opportunities, on-demand learning and professional development reimbursement