About the Business
Rob Spence Academy helps leaders and teams get better at being human — using science-backed neuroscience and the rather less scientific power of a professional comedian who knows exactly when a room needs a laugh instead of another slide. We help individuals and teams supercharge productivity, engagement and emotional intelligence with the power of humour, delivered in a revolutionary way that is proven to work. We work with corporate clients across Switzerland and internationally, and we're growing: turning a founder-led practice into a scaled business, with a structured offering and a name people recognise in HR and leadership circles. If the idea of selling something that really makes a difference, appeals to you, keep reading!
Role Summary
We're looking for someone equal parts commercially sharp and happy to roll up their sleeves. For the first 6 - 12 months, the priority is business development: building pipeline, getting bookings on track ahead of a busy autumn, and turning past clients into repeat ones. Alongside that, you'll help with the practical side of running workshops and shape how the business scales, from the materials clients see before and after a session through to a proper tiered offering over time. This is a hands-on, builder role for someone who wants real ownership of a growing business, not a small seat in a large BD department.
Key Responsibilities
Business Development & Growth
- Build and run a lead-generation and sales pipeline — outreach, sequencing, qualification, meeting-setting — with supporting Rob with closing. Recover and grow bookings, particularly ahead of the autumn/Christmas season.
- Activate your network: bring existing relationships with HR/L&D decision-makers and senior business leaders where possible, and build new ones systematically.
- Follow up with past and returning clients to secure referrals, testimonials, and repeat workshops.
Client & Workshop Support
- Help prepare workshop materials and handouts, assist Rob and support facilitation logistics during sessions.
- Send out post-workshop follow-up material, reminders, and engagement content (yes, sometimes games!).
- Create and implement pre- and post-workshop surveys to help evidence impact.
Marketing & Offer Development
- Help create and oversee presentation material for marketing and sales pitches.
- Support the parallel workstream of shaping a tiered offering — from a self-paced/online format through to longer-term flagship engagements — working with Rob on structure and positioning.
Commercial Operations
- Basic pipeline tracking, proposal support, and process-building as the business scales.
- Delivering the training sessions themselves is a part that will remain with Rob and his handpicked trainers, who bring their own performance and comedy backgrounds — you won't be asked to do stand-up. But this could potentially evolve over time.
Geographic & Language Scope
- German: required (DACH region is core market)
- English: required
- French: a strong advantage
- Comfortable selling into Swiss-based European and global HQs, not purely domestic clients
Ideal Candidate Profile
- Proven business development / commercial track record — real experience building pipelines, lead generation, and closing or supporting sales processes (not purely strategy, product, or internal-facing roles).
- Demonstrable network with HR/L&D decision-makers, senior business leaders, or a clearly adjacent professional community (e.g. events, executive coaching, communications, corporate training).
- Entrepreneurial or scale-up background — comfortable working without established infrastructure, building process from scratch.
- Strong commercial understanding: can set up a sales pipeline and lead-gen sequence independently.
- Solid knowledge and proven capability with the latest AI tools and skills to enable Business Development activities.
- Trustworthy, low-ego collaborator — this is a close, founder-led partnership, not a large team environment. A sense of humour helps, though we won't be testing it in the interview.
Why This Role
- Direct, day-to-day partnership with the founder — not a layer of management between you and the decision-maker.
- Real ownership over how this business grows, not administering someone else's playbook.
- A genuinely different corner of the leadership development world — one clients actually look forward to!
Compensation Structure
- Base salary reflecting a build-phase role, plus performance-linked upside, to be discussed as part of the recruitment process.
- Potential equity/profit-share for the right long-term partner, tied to delivered commercial results (bookings, pipeline, retained contracts) rather than granted upfront — to be discussed once mutual fit is established.
Process
Initial conversations, followed by a business case working session, a structured trial period before any longer-term or equity-based arrangement is discussed.
Work Location: Hybrid remote in Zug, ZG
