Position Summary:

The China Center Engagement Director will strategize, plan, direct, manage, and support all aspects of member engagement and business development for the China Center program. 
Based in Beijing, the Engagement Director will be the Chief Representative of The China Center for Economics and Business (a licensed Representative Office in the PRC).

The Engagement Director will be responsible for all aspects of engagement with and development of China Center members. This includes, but is not limited to:

• Managing China Center programing and member engagement (i.e. councils, peer-exchange sessions, company briefings, member meetings and communications, etc.).
• Defining and implementing initiatives to continually improve and deepen and broaden member engagement and relationships.
• Engaging with the China Center and global Conference Board research teams to add value to the China Center’s knowledge program and its research deliverables (ideally including content review, editing and authoring).
• Leading and directing membership development for The China Center, both the prospecting for new members and the retention activities for existing members.
• Together with other Senior Resources of the China Center and Conference Board, engaging with and presenting to the business, academic, media, and policy communities to raise awareness and enhance the impact of China Center and Conference Board work in China and globally.

Reporting Relationship

The Engagement Director will report to the Senior Vice President Asia who, based in Singapore, will travel regularly to China to support the Engagement Director with all aspects of his/her job, as well as direct and support China Center research and peer-exchange programs.

Initially Engagement Director will have line management responsibility for Office Manager, Claire Xia, in Beijing, and China Program Specialist, Ethan Cramer-Flood, in New York.

Principal Direct Activities

The main activity sets for the China Center Engagement Director are:

1. Managing China Center Programming (i.e. member events, meetings, etc.)

• Directing /supervising all aspects of current China Center peer-exchange meetings (6-8 meetings a year): topic selection, agenda design, resourcing (e.g. internal/external speakers), scheduling, marketing, and production. [All with the support of the China Center team and the Center’s advisors.]
• Chairing and facilitating the meetings in a program director or co-director role.
• Soliciting input from members on programing preferences.
• Creating new programing formats and refreshing (or retiring) existing formats, as and when needed.
• Undertaking necessary after-event follow up to fully distribute meeting materials, communicate and brief absentees (to make sure they get/perceive value), privately brief members who express such an interest, and leverage the meetings and material to cultivate prospects, etc.

2. Managing Member Engagement

• Directing, writing, or supervising China Center marketing communications to assure optimal language and maximize positive impact.
• Establishing and maintaining regular email communications, calls or video calls, or in-person meetings with members to build enduring relationships.
• Connecting members with one-another to maximize the network effects of membership.
• Connecting members with needed external resources when possible.
• Continually improving member-facing processes and activities, e.g. EDM, billing, renewals, scheduling, inviting, etc.
• Continually “reminding and detailing” members on the utility of China Center programs and research to assure they see and feel value.
• Overseeing the utilization TCB’s CRM and EDM systems for maximum benefit (assure accurate and robust member data and account information, improve member usage, improve development effectiveness, etc.)
• Managing renewals

3. Engaging in China Center Research

• Providing input to the research agenda
• Coaching researchers and engaging them in ideation and narrative development
• Connecting the research team to external resources and other experts
• Reviewing and editing researcher, performing quality assurance
• Authoring own work, when applicable (and practical)

4. Leading / Directing China Center Business Development

• Working with Ethan Cramer-Flood (China Program Specialist in New York), and the regional development teams (US, Europe, Asia), on managing and cultivating prospects
• Directing the development and continual improvement of marketing and sales materials
• Conducting prospecting calls and China briefings in China, the US, Europe and Asia
• Making, or directing the development, of prospect presentations and proposals 
  (e) Creating new, revenue-generating China Center products; developing, implementing and directing go-to-market programs for these products

5. Promoting the China Center

• Speaking at, or attending, relevant conferences
• Engaging with the media – and directing/overseeing media engagement of the China Center team
• Building positive relationships for The Conference Board with Chinese institutions, officialdom, and academia; leveraging these relationships add value to China Center research and programming
• Building positive relationships for The Conference Board with the Chinese and Western business communities
• Coordinating briefing tours for visiting TCB thought leaders that maximize member value delivery and value to key Conference Board relationships in China

6. Promoting The China Center “Access to Experts” Program

• Promoting awareness and use of the Access to Experts program
• Coordinating and directing China Center and TCB resources to support the program
• Continually improving the program

KEY PERFORMANCE MEASURES

The general key performance measures for the position are fivefold:

1. Membership growth and retention
2. Member usage: #s of users, rates of usage, attendance, etc.
3. Member satisfaction with China Center programming and products
4. Positive distinctions attributed by the business, academic, media, and policy communities to the China Center program
5. Peer feedback on job performance and TCB-wide contribution and value-addition

Desired Qualifications and Requirements:

Deep and broad strategic perspective and business experience, including a minimum of 10 to 15 years of direct business experience in or related to China (including significant in-China time and experience). Deep understanding of the Chinese business environment for MNCs and the key success factors for foreign investors in China. Appreciable general and China-specific subject matter expertise in one or more of TCB’s three practice areas (economics, human capital, corporate leadership). Strong business and governmental networks in China. Asia-region experience and relationship network a plus.

Demonstrated excellence in:

• Project management
• People development and management
• Written communications
• Presentation and public speaking
• Business development and consultative selling
• Customer relationship management
• Analytical skills and strategic thinking
• Report and presentation writing
• Excellent people, teamwork and collaboration skills.

Excellent people, teamwork and collaboration skills.

Chinese language fluency required.

Contact: David Hoffman, VP & Managing Director, China Center, China Center Ops david.hoffman@conference-board.org See more at: https://www.conference-board.org/about/index.cfm?id=30261