Posted: 05-Feb-26
Location: Washington, D.C.
Type: Full Time
About Kellen
Kellen stands as a global leader in providing management and services to professional and trade organizations. We empower Board leaders by offering operational frameworks and strategic guidance to better serve their organization's mission and vision.
As a dedicated professional services company, we offer solutions to organizations, such as association management, public affairs, marketing, meeting management, education, and strategic communication. Leveraging our expertise across diverse industries including healthcare, food and beverage, buildings and materials, and technology, as well as our global perspective with a presence in North America and Europe, we collaborate with over 100 organizations to help achieve their goals.
Understanding the importance of a strong and effective Board of Directors, we offer customized management solutions that address the unique needs of each organization we partner with.
Position Summary
The Group Vice President, Professional, Consumer, Government at Kellen is a key leadership role responsible for shaping and executing strategic client goals, ensuring 100 percent client retention, and fostering company revenue growth. This position is responsible for managing Kellen’s Professional, Consumer, and Government portfolio, focused on expanding Kellen’s presence in this key company demographic. As a thought leader within the industry, the GVP oversees a portfolio of clients, providing strategic counsel to client leadership and collaborating with boards of directors. With a focus on financial management, the GVP helps expand client fee structures, addresses deficits, and identifies opportunities for revenue growth. This role involves effective team leadership, talent development, and fostering a positive corporate culture. The GVP also acts as a brand ambassador, representing Kellen at industry events, identifying speaking engagements, and contributing to the company's thought leadership initiatives. The GVP is also responsible for portfolio growth, and attracting new association clients into Kellen, and the portfolio. Overall, the GVP plays a crucial role in driving success, client satisfaction, and sustainable business growth within the organization.
Essential Functions
Leadership and Strategy Development
- Sets strategic goals for portfolio clients and ensures their successful execution in alignment with the overall strategic plan.
- Provides strategic counsel to client leadership and collaborates with boards of directors and committees to define and implement clear objectives.
- Develops lasting relationships with executive committees to position Kellen as an indispensable partner.
- Implements metrics, key performance indicators, and key results for each client, leveraging organizational data.
Communication and Client Management
- Facilitates effective and strategic communication with board leadership to address concerns and prevent escalations.
- Proactively resolves issues to maintain high levels of client satisfaction, preventing potential RFPs or termination of management agreements.
- Delivers thought leadership, innovation, and insight into industry trends and government regulations.
- Identifies opportunities for introducing additional Kellen services and achieving sustained annual fee revenue growth.
Financial Management and Contract Negotiation
- Develops fee structures aligned with client needs and Kellen profitability requirements.
- Monitors association finances, addressing deficits and recommending solutions to positively impact client margins.
- Recommends contract renegotiation and stages interventions with clients seeking services beyond the current scope of work.
Direct Client Management
- Serves as executive client lead for one and/or more clients, focused in the Professional, Consumer, and Government space.
- Manages client(s) objectives and key results, to ensure exceeding client expectations and association deliverables.
- Manage association management and shared services staff, to develop a team that delivers beyond client expectations.
- Facilitates regular team meetings, oversees succession planning, talent development, and career advancement.
Team Leadership and Development
- Coaches team leadership on adjustments, cost containment, and board recommendations.
- Ensures proper staff utilization, aligning talent with clients for optimal employee and client satisfaction.
- Facilitates regular team meetings, oversees succession planning, talent development, and career advancement.
Business Development and Brand Ambassadorship
- Represents Kellen as a brand ambassador at client events, conferences, and association-related gatherings.
- Identifies speaking engagements to position themselves as thought leaders.
- Produces thought leadership content and holds team members accountable for collaboration with the internal communications team.
- Leverages connections to bring leads for additional business.
Corporate Culture and Employee Relations
- Contributes to a positive and productive Kellen culture.
- Communicates corporate updates and transforms leadership direction into action that drives cultural change.
- Demonstrates leadership through event participation and active engagement in Kellen employee programming.
Other duties that align with the mission and vision of the company as assigned.
Kellen EEO Statement
Kellen does not discriminate against any employee or applicant on the basis of age, ancestry, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran status, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws, regulations and ordinances. We adhere to these principles in all aspects of employment, including recruitment, hiring, training, compensation, promotion, benefits, social and recreational programs, and discipline. In addition, it is the policy of Kellen to provide reasonable accommodation to qualified employees who have protected disabilities to the extent required by applicable laws, regulations and ordinances where a particular employee works.
Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Marketing, Communication, Human Resources, Finance, or related discipline preferred; Advanced degree strongly preferred.
- 7+ years of successful Association Management experience.
- Sales experience, with a proven ability to generate company business and expand revenue opportunities
- High-level strategic, operational excellence and financial management experience with the ability to read and interpret financial statements.
- Certified Association Executive (CAE) certification; a plus.
- Polished communication and interpersonal skills, including conflict resolution.
- Project management skills, advanced planning, and organizational abilities.
- Flexibility, adaptability, and the ability to manage through change and transition.
Physical Demands
This position operates within an office environment. The physical demands outlined below are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully fulfill the essential functions of the job. Reasonable accommodations may be provided to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these essential functions.
Extended Work Hours: The nature of this role may require more than 40 hours per week to fulfill job responsibilities. Additionally, flexibility in working nights and weekends may be necessary. Longer hours, travel, and weekend commitments are typically associated with conferences or special events.
Office Equipment Usage: The role routinely involves the use of standard office equipment, including but not limited to computers, telephones, photocopiers, filing cabinets, and fax machines.
The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by individuals assigned to this position. They are not exhaustive lists of all duties, responsibilities, or physical demands required. Employees may be required to perform other duties as assigned, and reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Travel Requirements
Occasional travel may be necessary for this position, up to 35% of the time. Modes of transportation may include air travel, car, or rail.