Client Solutions Manager

About ECE
Celebrating over 40 years of success, ECE is one of the most well-known and respected names in comparative international education. Our main product, an educational credential evaluation, is a report used by counselors, recruiters, registrars, and admissions officers in the U.S. and elsewhere to determine how the academic history of a foreign-educated individual matches up to American grading scales and standards. As the demand for talented professionals has increased around the world, hiring managers have increasingly relied on the expertise of ECE to review the credentials of employees. ECE is a medium-sized nonprofit organization with just over 100 employees.

Summary
The Client Solutions Manager (CSM) manages a sales territory as a trusted representative for one of the most highly regarded organizations supporting international education today. Cultivates business opportunities and generates relationships with ECE’s primary and secondary markets: higher education institutions in the U.S. and Canada, healthcare organizations, employers (corporations, staffing companies, background check organizations), professional associations, and international educational consultants/agents. Collaborates on a creative, dynamic marketing team supporting a mission-driven, service-obsessed, tech-powered nonprofit organization.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities
This position entails an 80/20 split between time spent on direct sales, marketing, and outward-facing communication (80%) and more internal-facing support, including research and special projects as assigned (20%).

Sales
Develops new business relationships by generating leads through various channels and transitioning them into customers by finding solutions to their problems.

Develops a business pipeline by identifying appropriate contacts with prospective client organizations. Initiates outreach with “warm” sales calls in a thoughtful, organized way. Tracks follow-up and adjusts outreach as needed. Responds to rejection with poise, consistent with ECE’s brand as a trusted, collegial partner.

Drives revenue initiatives. Demonstrates an outstanding knowledge of all ECE products and services. Identifies prospects’ needs and explains ECE's value propositions relevant to those needs.

Contributes to continuous improvement efforts to optimize the sales function. Works with team members to develop new sales tools and makes recommendations for ongoing enhancements.

Collaborates with Marketing team to establish effective go-to-market strategies to strengthen existing markets and open new ones.
Completes and coordinates Requests for Proposals (RFP) from institutions within assigned territory.

Client Relations
Nurtures relationships within a sales territory consisting of several regions as defined by NAFSA: Association of International Educators, plus provinces in Canada. Works to become a recognized, trusted figure within that territory.

Creates a positive working relationship for both newly acquired and established clients by anticipating and responding promptly to client needs.

Asks insightful questions of clients to determine their unique needs relative to their industry. Based on a detailed understanding of ECE products and capabilities, suggests creative solutions to those needs.

Works closely with Institution Support team to service accounts.

Brand Promotion
Supports the established company image and reputation in the field. Represents ECE at conferences for business development purposes.

Research
Utilizes market intelligence (primary and secondary) to identify new business opportunities/targets and measures results against goals.

Provides feedback to ECE about market trends, competitive threats, unmet needs, and opportunities to deliver greater value to customers by extending company offerings.

Technology
Works with customer relations management (CRM) system, (HubSpot), to manage sales activities by maintaining an active record of client touch points and follow-ups to ensure deadlines are met, new business is cultivated, and internal stakeholders are informed.

Measures customer retention and tracks customer satisfaction in addition to acquisition.
Participates in other projects and initiatives and assists with other duties of the Marketing and Client Solutions team.

Competencies
To perform the job successfully, an individual should demonstrate the following competencies:

Business Acumen - Understands business implications of decisions, demonstrates knowledge of market and competition, aligns work with strategic goals, presents numerical data effectively, collects and researches data, uses intuition and experience to complement data.

Commitment & Responsibility - Keeps commitments, arrives at meeting and appointments on time, ensures work responsibilities are covered when absent, works independently or collaboratively depending on the situation, manages competing priorities.

Communication - Writes clearly, informatively, without error, and ensures ECE’s style is represented in all communication, speaks clearly and persuasively, listens, and gets clarification, responds well to questions, demonstrates presentation skills, demonstrates attention to detail and ensures that all communication adheres to ECE brand standards, provides excellent customer service.

Customer Focus - Approaches others in a tactful manner, builds strong relationships, is flexible/adaptable, solicits and applies feedback, responds promptly to customer needs, shows respect and sensitivity for cultural differences, responds to requests within one business day, collaborates with internal departments.

Delivers Results - Demonstrates accuracy and thoroughness, meets productivity standards, completes work on time and within budget, develops, prioritizes, and plans work activities, demonstrates organization and project management skills.

Functional Expertise - Assesses own strengths and weaknesses, pursues training and development opportunities, strives to continuously build knowledge and skills through professional development opportunities, and shares expertise with others.

Organizational Focus - Follows policies and procedures, supports organization's goals and values, identifies external threats and opportunities to the company.

Qualifications
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.

Education and/or Experience
A bachelor's degree in business, marketing, communication, or similar area recommended, and a minimum of 3 years of experience in a client or customer-facing or sales role such as recruitment or admissions, preferably in the higher education or credential evaluation industry.

Professional Experience
3-5 years of experience in ECE’s key market of college admissions or similar experience is a plus.

Experience in (or strong knowledge of) one of ECE’s secondary markets (human resources/staffing, background check organizations, Canadian higher education, study abroad, education agents) is highly desired.

Experience in writing proposals is desirable, as is experience coordinating with technical implementation or account management teams.

Experience researching and opening new markets using a targeted approach is preferred.

Computer Skills
Experience with CRM products (HubSpot specifically is a plus) and knowledge of Microsoft functions are highly preferred.

Foreign Language Skills
No foreign language skills are required for this position, however, experience supporting an organization with a global scope is ideal. ECE serves individuals, institutions, and other key stakeholders from all over the world.

Mathematical Skills
Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals. Ability to calculate figures and amounts such as proportions and percentages.

Supervisory Responsibilities
This job has no supervisory responsibilities.

This position reports to the Senior Client Solutions Manager.

What does ECE offer?
ECE offers a competitive base salary and comprehensive benefits. Starting pay for this position is $56,000 - $65,800 per year depending on experience and qualifications.

We believe balancing personal life and work life leads to engaged, productive, and satisfied employees. Many positions offer remote work opportunities and flexible scheduling options. The benefits package includes employer-sponsored life insurance and a rich 403b retirement plan contribution match in addition to health, dental, vision, flex spending account, and other voluntary insurance options. There are seven paid holidays annually and generous paid time off benefits in addition to flexible and/or remote work opportunities for qualified positions. Employees have opportunities to develop their professional skills through internal and external training.

Work Location
A remote work arrangement may be considered for qualified and experienced candidates. Wisconsin-based individuals will receive preference. ECE is currently unable to work with candidates living in the following states: CA, CO, NY.

Travel to conferences and client sites may be required.

Physical Demands & Work Environment
The physical demands and work environment characteristics described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit. The employee is frequently required to walk; use hands to finger, handle, or feel and reach with hands and arms, and talk or hear. The employee is occasionally required to stand; climb or balance; stoop, kneel, crouch. The employee may occasionally need to lift and/or move up to 10 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision.