Remote Economic Development Jobs in Guilford, CT

Crum & Forster (C&F) provides market leading property & casualty, accident & health, specialty and standard commercial lines insurance solutions. A true underwriting company, we have a 200-year history of helping our customers manage risk with laser-focused expertise, integrity and discipline. Our people are empowered to make decisions and problem-solve with you smartly and swiftly. Our annual gross written premium is 6.2 billion. C&F enjoys a financial strength rating of "A+" (Superior) by AM Best.

Our most valuable asset is our people. We have 3000 employees, and locations throughout the United States and India. With our employee-first focus, the Company is consistently recognized as a great place to work, earning multiple workplace and wellness awards, including the Great Place to Work Award, Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For, Fortune Best Workplaces for Parents, Fortune Best Workplaces for Millennials, and many others.

C&F is part of Fairfax Financial Holdings. For more information about C&F, please visit our website: www.cfins.com

Travel Insured International (TII), a Crum & Forster company, is hiring an AVP, Business Development, Host Agencies on our Travel Business Center (TBC) team. Travel Insured International is a leading travel insurance provider with more than 30 years in business. As a key component of our Specialty Business Unit, within the Accident & Health division, TII provides travel protection plans to help each individual travel confidently. Travel Insured International is proud to offer products to consumers and to agency partners of all sizes. We're committed to providing dependable coverage, great value, and end-to-end satisfaction for all customers.

The AVP, Business Development, Host plays a crucial leadership role in driving business growth and increasing market share for Travel Insured International (TII) within the Host Agencies vertical.

This role focuses on cultivating strong partnerships with Host Agencies such as Travel Planners International (TPI), Outside Agents, Nexion, Gifted Travel Network, Oasis Travel Network, World Via (and other assigned host relationships), while leading and developing a team of 4 Host Business Development Managers (BDMs). The AVP, Business Development, Host is responsible for strategizing and executing host partner growth plans that achieve new business revenue targets, deepen host penetration, and support significant multi-year growth of the Host Channel.

This role leads a team of experienced Business Development professionals.

This is a 100% remote role.

What you will do:

• Oversee a team of Host BDMs focused on new business acquisition and key account management within major Host Agency partners such as Travel Planners International (TPI), Outside Agents, Nexion, Gifted Travel Network, (and other assigned host relationships).
• Provide guidance, set clear performance metrics, and foster a culture of collaboration, accountability, and professional growth.
• Develop and execute relationship strategies with Host Agency executives and leadership teams to expand adoption, increase market share, and deepen penetration across advisor networks.
• Identify and capture new business opportunities within each host, ensuring TII's visibility and influence in the advisor community.
• Establish structured engagement rhythms (QBRs, executive check-ins, annual growth plans) to align Host Agency priorities with TII's Host Channel objectives.
• Support advisor enablement through coordinated onboarding, training cadence, partner communications, and field engagement-improving activation and conversion.
• Own Host Channel marketing and event-related contracts, including sponsorships, co-op marketing agreements, and event spend governance.
• Design and manage co-op programs and bonus override structures tied to measurable outcomes (production lift, activation, conversion, retention), ensuring investment efficiency and partner ROI.
• Partner internally to ensure compliant execution, tracking, and reporting of funded initiatives.
• Guide Host BDMs in creating tailored strategies to activate advisor memberships, increase sales conversion, and maximize market share within assigned Host Agencies.
• Drive consistent field execution, disciplined follow-up, and sales process rigor to improve performance and partner experience.
• Represent TII at Host events, conferences, roadshows, and top-producer programs; attend key trade and consortia events to strengthen industry presence and strategic relationships.
• Manage sales tracking using Salesforce or similar CRM tools.
• Monitor performance metrics, ensuring accurate and timely reporting to executive leadership.
• Stay ahead of industry trends, competitor activity, and market shifts, using insights to refine Host Channel plans and partner strategies.
• Partner with product, underwriting, finance, operations, and marketing teams to create targeted enablement, campaigns, and partner-specific initiatives for Host Agencies.
• Deliver regular progress reports on sales performance, revenue impact, event outcomes, and pipeline development.
• Provide ongoing coaching and feedback to team members to drive continuous improvement.
• Accurately forecast Host Channel growth, set annual revenue targets, and ensure alignment with the company's strategic objectives.
• Maintain strong, ongoing relationships with Host Agencies through regular meetings, training sessions, and strategy check-ins.

What YOU will bring to C&F:

• Advanced ability to Influence the Sale: ability to convince current and prospective partners to represent and promote TII's products.
• Advanced Relationship Management skills: superior interpersonal skills and the ability to work effectively and cultivate deep, trusted relationships both internally and externally, with a focus on consortia partners, host agencies, travel advisor networks.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams, including product, marketing, finance, and technology, to align business development strategies with company objectives.
• Advanced Communication skills: strong verbal and written communication skills. Ability to deliver professional presentations, engagement and influence decision-makers at all levels within consortia and travel trade partners.
• Advanced ability to demonstrate resilience: Maintains a high level of commitment to personally getting things done, assuming personal responsibility for achieving outcomes and works effectively with little direction. Dependable and responsible.
• Advanced negotiation skills
• Advanced skill of Driving for results: Self-assured, responds confidently to objections, and does not give up easily. Proven ability to meet and exceed sales targets, with experience analyzing sales performance and optimizing strategies to drive continuous growth.
• Intermediate ability to deliver results: ability to focus on the bottom line and push self and others to meet established goals and KPI's.

Requirements:

• A bachelor's degree or equivalent experience is required
• 10+ years of experience required, preferably in travel or hospitality sales.
• 3+ years of experience managing others is preferred.
• Experience working with Host Agencies (e.g., Travel Planners International (TPI), Outside Agents, Nexion, Gifted Travel Network, Avoya Travel, Cruise Planners) and directly engaging Host Agency executives and leadership teams
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, including Intermediate level skills with Excel, Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, Teams and One Note. Knowledge of or ability with Salesforce.com, or related CRM (Customer Relationship Management) and e-commerce channels.
• A Personal Lines or Property/Casualty Lines License is preferred. Training is provided internally.
• Travel a minimum of 25%-35% of the time is required by car, plane, and/or train, including evenings and weekends, both domestically and internationally; must have a current passport
• Ability to attend multiple conferences/events per year, which may include international travel
• Must be based within assigned territory (100% remote)

• Competitive compensation package
• Generous 401K employer match
• Employee Stock Purchase plan with employer matching
• Generous Paid Time Off
• Excellent benefits that go beyond health, dental & vision. Our programs are focused on your whole family's wellness, including your physical, mental and financial wellbeing
• A core C&F tenet is owning your career development, so we provide a wealth of ways for you to keep learning, including tuition reimbursement, industry-related certifications and professional training to keep you progressing on your chosen path
• A dynamic, ambitious, fun and exciting work environment
• We believe you do well by doing good and want to encourage a spirit of social and community responsibility, matching donation program, volunteer opportunities, and an employee-driven corporate giving program that lets you participate and support your community

At C&F you will BELONG

If you require special accommodations, please let us know. We are committed to equal employment opportunity and welcome everyone regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity, or Veteran status. If you require special accommodations, please let us know. Belonging at C&F, is a mindset. It's about fostering a culture of inclusion and connection, where everyone feels valued, heard, and empowered to thrive and where our social impact efforts help strengthen the communities where we live and work.

For California Residents Only:  Information collected and processed as part of your career profile and any job applications you choose to submit are subject to our privacy notices and policies, visit https://www.cfins.com/onlineprivacypolicy/ca/noticeatcollection/ for more information.

Crum & Forster is committed to ensuring a workplace free from discriminatory pay disparities and complying with applicable pay equity laws.  Salary ranges are available for all positions at this location, taking into account roles with a comparable level of responsibility and impact in the relevant labor market and these salary ranges are regularly reviewed and adjusted in accordance with prevailing market conditions. The annualized base pay for the advertised position, located in the specified area, ranges from a minimum of $110,600.00 to a maximum of $208,000.00. The actual compensation is determined by various factors, including but not limited to the market pay for the jobs at each level, the responsibilities and skills required for each job, and the employee's contribution (performance) in that role. To be considered within market range, a salary is at or above the minimum of the range. You may also have the opportunity to participate in discretionary equity (stock) based compensation and/or performance-based variable pay programs.

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