Business Development Strategist

Summary:

The Business Development Strategist serves as the primary bridge between the company and its distribution channels across Hawaii, blending strategic thinking with hands-on execution to develop programs and initiatives that deepen business channel engagement and drive growth. A core function of this position is cross-collaborative communication across multiple internal departments - including Underwriting, Claims, Accounting, IT, Product, and Island leadership - ensuring that internal stakeholders are consistently informed, aligned, and involved in the distribution channel strategy.

This position is responsible for developing and owning a comprehensive annual distribution channel plan that spans strategic initiatives, event execution, communications, and a structured calendar of touchpoints across all agency audiences.

Duties:

Strategic Agency Growth (25%)

• Design and execute an annual distribution channel engagement strategy aligned with company growth goals.
• Analyze distribution channel performance data to identify trends, gaps, and opportunities; present recommendations to Marketing Manager and Executive Leadership.
• Collaborate with Underwriting to align distribution channel efforts with business priorities.
• Continuously seeks to optimize processes, systems, and software by incorporating feedback and internal use cases to improve the overall user experience for both agency partners and internal teams.

Event Planning & Execution (25%)

• Own the planning and execution of agency-facing events, including appreciation events, training sessions, product launches, and industry conferences.
• Manage agency professional development and compliance programming.
• Manage event logistics end-to-end: venue, vendors, invitations, budget, on-site coordination, and post-event follow-up.
• Represent the company as assigned.

Marketing & Communications (25%)

• Create and maintain marketing assets for distribution channels, including presentations, flyers, newsletters, and digital content
• Ensure all distribution channel communications are on-brand and reflect the company's voice and value proposition
• Develop content strategy, including content calendar ensuring brand voice ownership in distribution channel communications.
• Oversee the distribution channel communication pipeline, including regulatory and informational bulletins.

Relationship Management (15%)

• Serve as a dedicated point of contact for key distribution partners, fostering trust and long-term loyalty.
• Maintain strategic account management with a focus on growth metrics and partnership development.
• Coordinate with internal teams to address and resolve concerns voiced by the producer network, and escalate operational matters appropriately.

Cross-Departmental Collaboration (10%)

• Ensure internal stakeholders across Underwriting, Claims, Accounting, IT, Product, and Island leadership are consistently informed and aligned on distribution channel strategy and initiatives.
• Facilitate open dialogue between departments to surface agency-related issues early and drive timely resolution.
• Coordinate with internal teams to ensure agency-facing initiatives are supported and executed cohesively across the organization.

Attendance is an essential function of the job.

Perform all other duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in marketing, communications or journalism preferred.
• Minimum 5 years of experience in marketing, agency relations, sales support, or a related field.
• Experience in a B2B industry in Hawaii preferred.
• An equivalent combination of education and job-related experience will be considered.