Chief Customer & Business Development Officer

Reports To: President

Provides leadership and supervision for the Account Management and Customer Service team.

Status: Exempt

At Midstate Spring, we believe our people and our customers are the foundation of our success. Since 1939, we've built our reputation on quality, craftsmanship, reliability, and long-term partnerships. Located in a fully climate-controlled facility in Syracuse, NY, we are committed to delivering exceptional customer experiences while fostering a culture of collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement.

We are seeking a strategic and customer-focused Chief Customer & Business Development Officer to lead our customer experience, sales, marketing, and business development initiatives while helping shape the company's long-term growth strategy. This executive leadership role is responsible for strengthening customer relationships, identifying new market opportunities, driving revenue growth, and ensuring the voice of the customer is embedded throughout the organization.

The ideal candidate is a relationship-driven leader with a strong commercial mindset, exceptional communication skills, and a proven ability to develop business, build high-performing teams, and partner cross-functionally to deliver sustainable growth and outstanding customer satisfaction.

Job Summary

The Chief Customer & Business Development Officer (CCBDO) is responsible for leading the company's customer-facing organization and developing strategies that strengthen customer relationships, support profitable growth, and deliver an exceptional customer experience.

This position provides leadership for the Account Management and Customer Service team while serving as the company's senior representative for key customer relationships and major business development initiatives. The CCBDO is responsible for identifying new business opportunities, expanding existing customer relationships, leading significant commercial negotiations, and ensuring customers receive responsive, professional service throughout every stage of the relationship.

Working closely with ownership and the leadership team, the CCBDO develops customer and business development strategies that align customer needs with the company's operational capabilities, profitability objectives, and long-term strategic direction.

The CCBDO collaborates extensively with Engineering, Operations, Quality, Estimating, Finance, and Production to ensure customer commitments are achievable, communication is consistent, and the company continues to build long-term partnerships based on trust, quality, responsiveness, and mutual success.

Primary Responsibilities

Customer & Business Development Leadership

• Develop and execute strategies that strengthen customer relationships and support sustainable, profitable growth.
• Lead and develop the Account Management and Customer Service team, establishing clear expectations, accountability, and professional development opportunities.
• Foster a customer-focused culture that emphasizes responsiveness, professionalism, and continuous improvement.
• Develop processes that improve customer communication, account management, and overall customer satisfaction.
• Business Development
• Identify and pursue new customers, markets, and business opportunities that align with the company's capabilities and strategic objectives.
• Expand business with existing customers through relationship development and strategic account planning.
• Build executive relationships with customer decision-makers across purchasing, engineering, operations, and quality.
• Represent the company during customer visits, business reviews, trade shows, and industry events.
• Maintain an active pipeline of business opportunities and provide regular updates to ownership.

Customer Relationship Management

• Serve as the executive sponsor for key customer accounts.
• Lead executive-level customer meetings and strategic business reviews.

• Personally manage significant customer concerns, negotiations, and relationship matters.
• Ensure the Account Management and Customer Service team provides timely, accurate, and professional communication.
• Balance customer expectations with the company's operational capabilities and long-term business objectives.

Business Development & Customer Strategy

• Develop business development strategies that support profitable growth and long-term customer partnerships.
• Lead customer pricing discussions and negotiations within pricing guidelines and approval authorities established by ownership.
• Develop pricing recommendations in collaboration with ownership, Estimating, Finance, and Operations.
• Negotiate contracts, supply agreements, payment terms, and other commercial matters.
• Evaluate opportunities based on profitability, strategic fit, capacity, and long-term value.
• Support the development of competitive quotations and commercial proposals.

Leadership of the Account Management & Customer Service Team

• Lead, coach, and mentor the Senior Account Manager, Account Manager, Customer Service Representative, and future customer-facing personnel.
• Establish performance expectations, customer service standards, and measurable objectives.
• Conduct performance evaluations and support employee development.
• Ensure customer responsibilities are appropriately assigned and coordinated.
• Promote collaboration between the customer-facing team and Engineering, Operations, Quality, Finance, and Estimating.
• Continuously improve workflows and customer-facing processes.

Strategic Planning

• Work with ownership to establish annual business development priorities and customer strategies.
• Analyze market conditions, competitive activity, and customer trends.
• Participate in strategic planning, forecasting, and budgeting.
• Recommend investments and initiatives that strengthen customer relationships and support long-term growth.