The position is 100% remote and offers flexibility in scope (full-time or part-time), making it suitable for candidates seeking a flexible working arrangement while being part of a global organization.
Why Kenes:
With more than 60 years of experience, Kenes Group is a global PCO leader and association management. Our team of 250 employees works together to create impactful professional events. We foster a family-like work environment within our global company, where collaboration and support are at the heart of what we do. We believe in empowering our employees by equipping them with knowledge and skills that help them grow and advance in their careers. We understand the significance of work-life balance and strive to create an atmosphere that supports personal well-being, to meet the diverse needs of our employees.
Job Summary:
The Business Development Manager will be responsible for identifying, developing, and securing new partnerships with professional associations and societies, primarily across North America.
This role is best suited for candidates who have worked within an Association Management Company (AMC), Professional Conference Organizer (PCO), or event services company, and have been directly responsible for identifying associations as potential clients and closing service agreements with them.
The successful candidate will proactively approach association leaders, understand their congress and organizational needs, and position Kenes as a trusted partner for conference and association management services.
Key Responsibilities
- Identify and pursue new business opportunities with professional associations, societies, and federations.
- Proactively research and approach associations that may require congress or association management services.
- Build relationships with association leadership and decision-makers (Executive Directors, CEOs, Board Members, Congress Chairs).
- Lead early-stage sales discussions and present Kenes’ capabilities in conference and association management.
- Qualify opportunities and develop relationships that lead to long-term partnership agreements.
- Work closely with senior BD leadership to develop proposals and close contracts with new associations.
- Maintain an active pipeline and document activities in the CRM system.
- Monitor association market trends and identify potential new congress opportunities.
- 3+ years of business development or sales experience within an Association Management Company (AMC), PCO, or similar organization.
- Proven experience identifying associations as potential clients and closing service agreements with them.
- Strong understanding of how associations select partners for congress or management services.
- Proven ability to build relationships with senior association leadership.
- Experience managing sales pipelines using CRM tools (Salesforce, HubSpot, etc.).
- Excellent communication and relationship-building skills.
- Flexible remote work environment.
- Opportunity to work with a global, mission-driven team serving high-profile international clients.
- Growth potential into full-cycle sales or account management roles.
Top Skills
What We Do
Our Mission: To be the world’s leading facilitator of meetings for global exchange of professional knowledge in medical, scientific and other professions, based upon our core values of integrity and excellence. With over 60 years of expertise, Kenes Group has become a global leader in meetings, excelling as a Professional Conference Organiser (PCO), Association Management Company (AMC), and Continuing Education Provider (CPD/CME). Founded in Tel Aviv in 1965 and headquartered in Geneva, Kenes Group has hosted over 4,300 conferences in more than 100 cities around the globe, providing services to over 220,000 participants per year. Over the past six decades, Kenes Group has established and maintained its winning reputation as a global meeting and association management provider. Recognised as the world leader in meeting planning, Kenes Group is the only global PCO dedicated to medical and scientific events. Kenes Group boasts a long-standing client base of some of the world’s foremost organisations and associations, with more than 100 returning and long term clients. With a team of over 350 professional, multi-cultural, multi-disciplinary employees in 18 locations on four continents, Kenes Group truly delivers global expertise with personal, local know-how. Our clients have come to rely on Kenes Group as a competent, loyal and trusted advisor. We have earned our reputation as the provider of choice for global conference management. Kenes Group is proud to be accredited member of IAPCO (International Association of Professional Congress Organisers) and ICCA (International Congress and Convention Association) and to have team members in both PCMA (Professional Convention Management Association) and ASAE (American Society of Association Executives).
