Director, Client Services- Agriculture and Forestry

Overview

A leading research and advisory firm is looking to hire a Director, Geotechnology to join its Washington DC  or NY offices.

Headquartered in New York, the firm has offices in Washington, London, São Paulo, Brasilia, Tokyo, Singapore, and San Francisco, as well as on-the-ground experts in more than a hundred countries in every region of the world.

The firm is seeking a Director to join its newly established Agriculture & Forestry Practice. This is an exciting opportunity for a seasoned professional with a minimum of 8 years of relevant experience who is looking to expand their expertise in advisory sales while working at the intersection of agriculture, forestry, land use, public policy, and global geopolitics.

The role focuses on growing and strengthening the firm’s agriculture and forestry client base by delivering high-value insights and solutions on policy, geopolitical, and political developments affecting clients across the agriculture sector (including agrochemicals, cooperatives, and agricultural equipment) and the forestry sector (including pulp, paper, and timber). The Director will also contribute to key strategic initiatives supporting the growth and development of the Agriculture & Forestry Practice.

The firm is looking for a collaborative, low-ego professional with a strong problem-solving mindset. The ideal candidate is highly organized, efficient, and proactive, with excellent communication and relationship-management skills. They should be comfortable engaging with clients on a daily basis and adept at balancing multiple priorities across different regions and time zones.

The Director will be based in New York or Washington DC and must already possess the legal right to work in the USA, as visa sponsorship is not available for this position.

Key Responsibilities

• Create and build in-depth strategic account plans and provide support to the Agriculture & Forestry Practice’s leadership in strategy planning (including new business pipeline) and key new pitches.
• Do cold outreach to prospects, draft client proposals, and negotiate new contracts, upsells, and renewals.
• Lead business development efforts, including prospecting and cold outreach, drafting client proposals, and negotiating new contracts, renewals, and upsell opportunities.
• Maintain a strong understanding of political risks, policy developments, and market trends affecting the agriculture and forestry sectors across multiple regions, and leverage this knowledge to provide value to clients.
• Build and nurture deep client relationships, with a particular focus on end-user clients and long-term account growth.
• Develop a comprehensive understanding of company products and services, and become a trusted advisor on how political risk intersects with clients’ strategic priorities and risk-management processes.
• Collaborate closely with analysts, strategy teams, and colleagues across the firm to deliver integrated client solutions and drive business growth.
• Manage and maintain the client servicing tracker, ensuring client commitments, deliverables, and follow-up actions are accurately monitored and executed.
• Prepare and manage project documentation, including timelines, requirements, deliverables, and stakeholder reviews, to support successful project delivery.
• Identify and implement opportunities to improve operational efficiency, streamline workflows, and strengthen business development processes.

Skills, Knowledge & Experience

• Minimum of 8 years’ prior experience in a client-facing role, with demonstrated experience working with a diverse range of client types and building strong client relationships.
• Prior experience in a sales, advisory role and/or consulting with proven ability to monetize a differentiated research and advisory offering across wide range of client type preferred.
• Interest in—and broad understanding of—key agriculture and forestry policy issues.
• Prior experience with strategic planning and prospecting/pitching preferred.
• Excellent interpersonal, communication/presentation, and writing skills.
• Demonstrable interest in sustainability and environmental policy issues.
• Must be a self-starter with a strong team focused mindset, problem-solving skills, and high attention to details.
• Adaptability to a fast-paced work environment.
• Willingness and capacity to travel on an ongoing basis.
• Highly organized, system-oriented, and capable of managing multiple priorities.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
• Collaborative mindset with proven experience in a coordinator role.
• Ability to troubleshoot and work effectively in an office-based environment with a hybrid work option.
• Bachelor’s degree required; relevant certifications or further education are a clear plus.
• Fluent in English (non-negotiable); Portuguese a plus, but not a requirement.