Job Description

About Veloz 

Veloz believes that the future of transportation is electric for all. We envision a world in which vehicles are electric and where all people, corporations and agencies can confidently choose electric, knowing the energy that powers these vehicles is carbon free. 

Veloz was created to overcome three critical barriers to electric vehicle (EV) uptake — upfront cost, charging infrastructure and public awareness. Our unique public-private 501 (c)(3) nonprofit drives toward 100% zero-emission vehicles through strategic communications, unprecedented collaborations and purposeful convening. We are the power behind the nation’s largest and most provocative multi-stakeholder public awareness and education campaign for electric vehicles aimed at changing the conversation around EVs, the architect of events and programming that build the movement for transportation electrification in California and across the nation and the organization bringing together high-powered, diverse board and members from the public and private sectors. 

As a membership-based organization, Veloz has a rich history of unleashing the power of California consumers through signature education initiatives like Electric For All. Veloz is growing and we recently announced our nationwide expansion efforts alongside a newly developed strategic plan. With our cross-sector members and partners, we have the power to transform how California — and now the nation — moves, ensuring better public health outcomes, a stronger and more just economy and a cleaner and more sustainable climate for all communities.  

Opportunity and Position Description  
The Business Development Director is part of a passionate and collaborative organization that is changing the conversation about EVs nationwide by sparking a virtuous cycle of consumer awareness and demand. Veloz plays a unique and important role in the national EV landscape, and now is the time to take our efforts to an exponentially more impactful level. This requires a clear and inspiring vision, sophisticated strategies, significant and sustained financial support and smart implementation. 

Reporting to the Executive Director and partnering with the Veloz team and Board leadership, the Business Development Director plays a critical role in making the electric for all vision a reality by driving an ambitious revenue strategy. Veloz’s current budget ranges from $2.5M to $5M, depending upon the Electric For All campaign cycle, and our strategic plan sets a target of 20% annual growth in each of the next three years.

The candidate in this position will build upon an influential existing network of members, lead Veloz’s revenue generation efforts and annual member-focused industry events and build new funding partnerships with corporations, philanthropies and government. Finally, they will act as a thought leader for the organization, working alongside Veloz’s Executive Director, Board and members to accelerate the EV market nationwide. 

Key Priorities

Strategy

• Partner with the Executive Director and the Board to determine a dynamic revenue generation strategy, define goals and execute them to support year-over-year financial growth. 
• Develop and provide organizational leadership with dashboards to track progress and benchmarks against the business development plan and proactively produce reports and analyses to inform strategies and improve results, including member and donor retention and satisfaction.
• Track trends and opportunities, while partnering with Veloz’s Communications team to ensure the organization’s brand and value proposition resonates with and inspires increased investment and engagement of Veloz partners, namely member and funder prospects.
• Build relationships with organizations across the ecosystem in order to forge strategic partnerships that generate funds for Veloz’s campaigns.
• Identify opportunities to boost Veloz’s visibility and leadership in the EV landscape, including climate philanthropy.

Member Engagement and Value

• Lead member stewardship and engagement efforts to maintain high levels of satisfaction, ensure retention and inspire upleveling.
• Identify targets and tactics to realize the full potential of Veloz’s current membership base and to expand the base in order to increase financial investments and deepen engagement.
• Lead the strategy and oversee execution of Veloz’s Digital Dialogues and in-person Summits with Veloz’s Events and Partnerships Manager and external consultants to elevate members, guide policy education and identify market solutions (4-5 events annually).
• Act as a fulcrum point for members by identifying opportunities to collaborate, information-share and convene. 
• Ensure timely annual invoicing of members and receipt of membership dues. 

Fundraising and Sponsorships

• Initiate, develop and secure new revenue streams and opportunities to strengthen Veloz’s business model, including philanthropic and public grants.
• Lead the development of new philanthropic relationships and funding opportunities, making or facilitating solicitation for financial support.
• Identify and secure opportunities for investment in Veloz’s mission through public and government grant programs resulting from historic federal legislation.
• Ensure that proposals and reports to funders are properly prepared, submitted and tracked.
• Partner with the Executive Director to identify and secure investment in Veloz’s signature consumer-facing campaign, Electric For All, for production, dissemination and evaluation to measure changes in public perceptions about electric vehicles.
• Partner with the Executive Director to identify and secure investment for ad hoc programs as necessitated by the Veloz Board or to serve the overall EV industry.

Team Management, Culture and Systems

• As part of Veloz’s leadership team, lead, coach and mentor staff and Board in order to build a culture of fundraising, business development and market acceleration.
• Supervise the Events and Partnerships Manager, establishing annual objectives, providing regular feedback and appropriate recognition, conducting regular performance reviews and supporting continual growth, learning and professional development.
• Develop the organizational systems and practices that support strong fundraising, member and funder stewardship and sustainable growth (e.g., CRM, prospect research and grant reporting).
• Participate in and speak at key industry conferences, workshops and seminars, representing Veloz. 
• Promote a culture of high performance, intellectual curiosity and commitment to excellence.

Qualifications & Candidate Profile

The incoming Business Development Director will lead with their belief in and commitment to Veloz’s vision and mission. The successful candidate must champion the nation’s carbon emissions reduction goals that demand the boldest possible ambition, innovation and collaboration of leaders across sectors who are driving toward scalable transportation solutions. The Business Development Director will elevate the work of Veloz to our next levels of impact through their track record and expertise as a business development, fundraising and/or membership professional, optimally within the climate, clean energy or transportation electrification fields. 

The incoming Business Development Director is first and foremost a partnership-builder who develops authentic and lasting relationships with members and funders, engaging them as partners in our mission. The successful candidate is also a “closer” whose consultative approach to business development and fundraising advances Veloz’s role in the national effort to go electric. They demonstrate entrepreneurial initiative by taking a concept from idea to implementation, learning and iterating along the way. The Business Development Director joins a fast-paced team that operates with a sense of urgency fueled by passion and data-driven strategy. Despite the enormity of the challenges that lie ahead, Veloz celebrates successes and seeks a colleague who leads with positivity, has a “can do” attitude and a belief in what is possible. 

The selected candidate will also possess most of the following Core and Preferred skills and qualities: 

Core

• Minimum 8 years of progressive advancement in business development, sales, fundraising and/or membership, with significant experience generating resources in the climate, clean energy and/or transportation electrification fields.
  • At least 3 years of experience as an organizational leader and people manager.
• Proven track record of setting and executing business development strategy and securing high-level memberships and/or fundraising with foundations, funder collaboratives and /or corporations.
• Mastery of relationship-building skills with a wide range of external constituencies, from public agencies and government regulators to Fortune 500 companies, technology start-ups and nongovernmental organizations.
• Highly collaborative style with ability to operate as a thought partner to the Executive Director, Communications Director and Board of Directors to operationalize business development strategy.
• Outstanding oral and written communications skills with understanding of how to convey a compelling story about Veloz’s work and theory of change to prospective members and funders. 
• Experience designing and executing effective membership and funder engagement strategies that generate deeper satisfaction and loyalty, including industry events and convenings.
• Exceptional project management abilities to ensure that programs and projects are advancing on time and on budget in a fast-paced, constantly evolving and collaborative environment.
• Self-driven ambition, intellectual curiosity and commitment to becoming a credible, respected representative of Veloz and its values. 
• Demonstrated understanding of how to lead through influence.

Preferred

• Experience in building and engaging a Board of Directors in revenue generation.
• Experience securing public or government funding.
• Proficiency in Outlook, Zoom, Dropbox, Microsoft Office Suite, MAC OS, WordPress, Mailchimp and Slack. 
• Experience in translating complex, layered issues into persuasive narratives that can change consumer behavior. 

Our Commitment to Diversity Equity & Inclusion  

Veloz values diversity, equity and inclusion. Our membership and leadership reflect strongly held principles around diversity of perspective, background and sector. Diversity is the cornerstone of our credibility and effectiveness and is reflected in how we operate, including search and hiring processes, promotion and professional development. We are committed to an inclusive and transparent recruitment process and recruit and hire without regard to race, national origin, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, physical ability, marital status, veteran’s status, or age. People of diverse backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply. 

Don’t meet every single requirement? At Veloz we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive and authentic workplace (learn more about our organizational values here), so if you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You might just be the perfect candidate for this role! If you need a reasonable accommodation during the application or interview process, please email us at [email protected].

Compensation and Benefits 

The annual salary range for this position is $150,000 – $170,000, commensurate with experience. Veloz offers a generous and competitive benefits package that includes medical, dental, vision, a 401k plan, life insurance, employee assistance programs, a wellness program, a mobile phone/internet stipend for remote employees and many more. In addition, Veloz offers paid leave plans which include personal, sick and vacation time, along with 12 paid holidays. We are a remote-first workplace with an office in Sacramento, CA.

How to Apply

Application Process

To apply, please send a cover letter answering the questions below and resume in a combined PDF file to [email protected].

1. What inspires you to spend your time and talent on climate, clean energy, or transportation electrification?
2. Briefly share a sales effort or fundraising campaign you led that generated significant revenue to help an organization scale. What was the financial goal, and how did you prioritize partnership and mutual benefit? What did you learn from the effort that you would bring to Veloz?

This position is open until filled, with an initial application deadline of 5 p.m. Pacific Time on Monday, April 29, 2024. Candidate review and phone screens begin immediately and will be conducted throughout the search period.

Job Categories: Electric Vehicles. Job Types: Full-Time. Salaries: 100,000 and above.

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