General Manager

The Role:

We are hiring a General Manager to serve as the senior operating executive of the business, with full ownership of the P&L. This is a hands-on leadership role for an operator who can rebuild commercial momentum, tighten delivery, and put the agency on a durable growth path.

This is a build mandate, not a caretaker role. The right candidate is comfortable owning the number, sitting in front of clients, and leading a small, talented team. The General Manager reports to the Board of Directors through the Chairman.

Responsibilities:

• Commercial ownership

  • Own the revenue number and the commercial calendar; convert pipeline into signed, invoiced work.

  • Build and lead the commercial organization, including recruiting and developing a Business Development Manager as the business scales.

  • Build a repeatable sales process — qualification, proposal, pricing, and close — with a weekly pipeline review and a monthly forecast.

  • Develop the aviation, government, and institutional verticals, building on Nominees existing public-sector relationships.

  • Collaborate with 617 Collective leadership to leverage shared resources, pursue cross-selling opportunities, align pricing strategy, and support major business development initiatives.

• Client relationships and retention

  • Act as senior relationship owner for key accounts; protect and grow recurring revenue.

  • Institute renewal planning and scope management so engagements are extended rather than allowed to lapse.

  • Maintain client satisfaction and resolve delivery issues before they become account risk. Operations and delivery

  • Own delivery quality, on-time performance, and studio utilization.

  • Establish a weekly operating cadence, clear project ownership, and simple, enforced process.

  • Improve estimating, scoping, and time capture so project profitability is visible and managed.

• Financial management

  • Own the P&L and the operating budget, and manage the business to agreed gross-margin and profitability targets.

  • Deliver EBITDA and gross margin performance consistent with Board-approved targets.

  • Manage cash — receivables collection, vendor terms, and a rolling 13-week cash forecast.

  • Operate within the approved budget and escalate variances early.

• Team leadership

  • Lead, coach, and stabilize a small senior team; set clear expectations and accountability.

  • Assess the organizational structure and build the capability the growth plan requires.

  • Protect the culture and creative standards that clients buy.

• Governance and reporting

  • Deliver a monthly management report to the Board and a weekly cash-and-pipeline report to 617 Collective.

  • Operate within the delegated authority framework, escalating reserved matters to the Board.

Requirements:

• Eight or more years in agency, professional services, or marketing services, including at least three years with P&L or general management responsibility.

• Demonstrated ability to sell — personally originating, pitching, and closing new businesses and to build a sales function beneath them.

• Track record of client retention and account growth in a relationship-driven services business.

• Operating discipline across budgeting, forecasting, utilization, project profitability, and cash management.

• Experience leading small teams where the leader is also a practitioner.

• Demonstrated ability to lead organizational change while maintaining team engagement and client confidence.

• Clear, direct communicator, comfortable reporting to an owner-led board.

Preferred Experience:

• Experience with aviation, municipal, public-sector, or institutional clients and their procurement processes.

• Background spanning brand strategy, design, and digital delivery.

• Prior turnaround, restart, or early-scale experience in a small business.

• Experience building relationships in regional or relationship-driven markets.