If you’re passionate about helping a leading industry association drive their strategy forward through driving innovation and developing industry partnerships to advance members business success, then the National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors might be the place for you!
The National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors (NAW), the Washington, DC-based trade association representing the 30,000 company, $7+ trillion revenue distribution industry is seeking an accomplished leader to head up the newly established Innovation & Partnerships practice. Together with Membership Programs and Education you will deliver content and experiences, critical to our members’ continued success, reporting into our Chief Innovation Officer.
The working environment is high-energy, fast-paced and the culture is entrepreneurial.
Essential Job Responsibilities
To perform this job successfully, each essential job responsibility must be performed satisfactorily. Other responsibilities may be requested to meet business needs.
- Build on NAW’s roadmap to maintain the association’s position as the most innovative resource helping distribution executives to remain ahead of future trends
- Formulate and lead (new) program opportunities that deliver innovative solutions to member challenges, while aligning with business needs
- Contribute to a ‘culture of innovation’, by building upon the existing NAW product innovation infrastructure (‘Facing The Forces Of Change’ – publications, fellows, educators, consultants)
- Oversee the production of the annual NAW Innovation Summit and a growing set of innovation-centric programs
- Manage existing and develop new partnerships to facilitate ongoing discussions and evaluations
- Communicate key value propositions of partner innovations to executives and leaders at member companies
- Partnerships and Collaborations: deliver on NAW approved initiatives and stakeholder management for high-potential initiatives brought to the board to drive and accelerate results. Maximize revenue share opportunities through partnerships
- Research & Benchmarking: development and promotion of NAWI-led studies, relevant to member needs, with unique NAW and distribution perspective that distributors cannot get anywhere else
- Collaborate with stakeholders to design and implement innovation pilot projects using research, best practices, guest voice, and data
- Oversee measurement and evaluation of pilot projects to inform decision-making about organization-wide member adoption and scaling
- Facilitate go/no go decision making for new initiatives
- Thought Leadership: deliver meaningful member value (under storied ‘Facing The Forces Of Change’ – banner), with the goal to disseminate content throughout the year, informed by partner(s).
- NAW Institute for Distribution Excellence (NAWI) board member relationship management, incl. 2x year board meeting. Maximize board member collaboration, contribution, funding of research initiatives
- Promote NAWI as THE go-to place for Industry innovation, including building out its presence on the NAW website, sponsorships, member research funding, member event participation.
Requirements: The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skills, and/or abilities needed to successfully perform the job as well as the education and experience requirements.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
- Strong understanding of business management, including issues related to technology, digital transformation, innovation, leadership, management, operations, workforce etc.
- Ability to identify, design and develop research and/or business education programs and the processes to support them
- Ability to identify and develop new business tools for industrywide use
- Strong presentation skills
- Ability to collaborate with cross-functional teams to establish business priorities
- Ability to service, inspire and motivate (board) members
- Ability to manage to a budget and assigned resources
Education and Experience:
- Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent education and work experience, required
- 8+ years of experience working in or in-support-of the wholesale distribution industry and/or in supply chain related organizations, required
Other Experience and Requirements:
- Experience in developing innovative ideas, curating the best and building programming around them to engage business leaders, desirable
- Experience with associations, desirable
- Experience in Project Management, desirable
- Experience in Product Development (Stage Gate process), desirable
- A working knowledge of MS Office, Salesforce, desirable
Work Environment: This position is based at NAW’s headquarters office in Washington, DC, near Metro Center. NAW is currently offering a hybrid work model. Employees are required to be in the office Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and upon request for mandatory meetings or events. Employees are provided the opportunity to work remotely on Monday and Friday. The hybrid work model is subject to change.
NAW’s DC HQ office provides a standard office environment.
NAW is open to fully remote employees based outside of the Washington, DC metro area.
To Apply: Send your resume to NAWJobs@NAW.org
