Who We Are
AmPhil is a leading consulting and professional services firm with a mission to strengthen civil society by helping mission-driven enterprises flourish. Since 2009, AmPhil has served over 650 nonprofits, philanthropists, charitable foundations, and other missional initiatives, helping them succeed and grow through practical guidance, strategic analysis, and a full suite of professional services.
As a firm, we value true partnership with our clients and our colleagues; encourage large-heartedness and conviviality; honor the virtues and traditions that have made American society prosperous and free; and employ practical wisdom and deep thinking. Learn more about AmPhil and our philosophy here.
What You’ll Do
As part of AmPhil’s Direct Response Division, the Director, Direct Response Strategy at AmPhil will play a critical role in driving success for Division’s clients, ensuring that the firm continues to meet a high standard of excellence in serving its clients and fulfilling its obligations. This role entails managing a team of direct response strategists; leading client engagements; working closely with the Chief Direct Response Officer to manage and refine Division operations; engaging in regular business development and outreach and activity; and interacting regularly with company leadership and other departments. This position reports to the Chief Direct Response Officer.
Primary activities and responsibilities include:
Personnel Management and Operations
- Assisting in, and leading as needed, the overall management of the Direct Response Division, including planning for growth, training, mentoring, aligning division priorities with the rest of the company, and planning for future growth in staff, service offerings, and other departmental decisions;
- Managing staffing and engagement roles on Division engagements to promote clarity and maximize employee utilization, professional growth, and client satisfaction;
- Managing 4-5 direct reports, assigning client workloads and tasks, addressing personnel issues, making key personnel decisions, approving time sheets, expenses, and vacations, and nurturing strong internal culture; Helping to troubleshoot and support the client engagements being led by other consultants within the group, mentoring staff and assisting as needed to help staff become trusted advisors to clients and build durable relationships across multiple levels within a client organization; and
- Assisting with review, update, and maintenance of internal systems and reports as needed.
Engagement Leadership
- Leading client engagements and communicating regularly with them with the goal of building strong relationships of trust with clients across multiple levels of the client’s organization;
- Guiding strategy and execution (both print and digital) on multiple high-value client engagements with excellence, expertise, and efficiency that reflect continued cultivation of technical, tactical, and strategic understanding of all direct response channels including direct mail and digital techniques, strategies, and tactics;
- Leading and overseeing integrated direct response audits and strategic planning projects;
- Addressing and resolving client issues in a positive and professional manner;
- Managing the work of other staff in the context of shared client engagements, ensuring each person has clarity of purpose and role and that services are of high quality and aligned with client priorities and scope of contract;
- Learning and perfecting working knowledge and experience with best practices related to direct mail, digital outreach, social media, design techniques, data analysis, project management software and processes, and Salesforce database systems among others.
Business Development
- Supporting the Division’s business development efforts by identifying and assigning new leads and driving accountability in this area for other group members; participating in prospect discovery calls and meetings to qualify and develop leads; assisting with preparing proposals and other sales materials; and assisting with pricing and staffing projections during proposal process;
- Monitoring contract terms and timelines for engagements managed by Division and assisting with renewal and upgrade strategies as needed; and
- Helping to build the respect and recognition of AmPhil by publishing articles, leading trainings, and representing the firm at client meetings, conferences, seminars, and other events as needed.
What We’re Looking For
- Experienced: The ideal candidate will have at least ten years of professional experience including at least five years spent in a direct response-related role (digital and/or print). Familiarity with the nonprofit landscape, experience managing at least three people, and a record of success in business development efforts are strongly preferred. This role may require up to 4-6 days of travel per month for client meetings, events, and trainings.
- Principled: We look for colleagues who are excited about our mission to strengthen civil society; understand and honor the Western tradition; value truth, faith, and self-governance; and understand that humans need virtue to flourish in community.
- Bright: We want to work with people who are intelligent, logical, self-directed, and curious; able to create order from ambiguity and translate theory and strategy into practical action.
- Convivial: We put a premium on humor and good cheer and seek unpretentious, genuine, generous people who are fun to be around.
- Forthright: We value clear, intelligent, engaging communicators who balance warmth and candor as they earn respect and build honest and trusting relationships.
- Diligent: We search for conscientious colleagues who possess the prudence and discipline to work hard, strive for excellence, complete tasks with minimal supervision, and go above and beyond when necessary to help our clients, partners, and firm succeed and grow.
What You’ll Love About AmPhil
Mission: Everything we do is guided by our mission to strengthen civil society and we’re passionate about building strong partnerships with clients engaged in work that supports strong families, virtuous citizens, vibrant communities, durable institutions, and a flourishing nation. Our employees have the opportunity to work in a company that’s in the trenches with its clients in the service of their incredible missions, helping them refine and grow their work and achieve more.
Culture: We genuinely respect, trust, and enjoy working with our colleagues—and it shows. On any given day, you might find us engaged in healthy debate about the principles of a healthy democracy over happy hour, swapping book recommendations, or challenging one another to a salsa-making competition. We strive to model the “art of association” through our culture of vibrant communitarianism and prioritize courtesy, clarity, warmth, and humor in our interactions and decisions. We take our work seriously, but not ourselves.
Growth: Our employees are given a high degree of ownership over their work and have significant freedom to execute responsibilities in line with their interests and talents. They have the opportunity to learn continually, stand out quickly, do work they’re proud of, and earn the respect and appreciation of their clients and colleagues. It’s hard work and sometimes chaotic, but exciting and rewarding.
Flexibility: We are a hybrid remote/in-person company and have been from the start. Employees have the option to work out of one of our beautiful office spaces or to work remotely. Either way, there are regular opportunities for in-person interaction. We also understand our staff have lives outside of work. We work hard and expect our colleagues to do the same, but we recognize that while a strong work ethic is supremely important, so also is maintaining a healthy life that does justice to other goods, including those of family, faith, and community.
Competitive Compensation and Benefits: We will pay competitive market rates and have a generous benefits package and holiday/PTO schedule that reflect our commitment to our employees and their families. Benefits and perks include health insurance for employees and their dependents, employer contributions to health savings accounts, a 401(k) retirement program with employer matching, paid parental leave, dependent care spending accounts, a yearly stipend for books and print publications, support for employees’ volunteer board service, and more.
To express interest in this role, please contact Veronica Kuenstle at vkuenstle@amphil.com