The Opportunity:
Kidlandia seeks a gifted deal-maker to drive business development for an exciting venture-backed
consumer products and entertainment startup for kids. We seek an individual who will get in on the
ground floor of a company redefining a major consumer market. The ideal candidate with also have
cross-functional skills in operations and finance.
Kidlandia targets the white-hot personalization market and provides major retailers and media companies
a solution to their need for a personalization strategy. Personalized gifts alone are $27B market, and
personalization is growing share across multiple consumer categories. The company has a proven product
that kids love, existing deals with some of the biggest names in retail and media, a rich pipeline,
and is poised for national and international expansion.
The Team:
Kidlandia’s culture is creative and entrepreneurial. The founder and CEO, Brian Backus, has been illustrating
maps and fanciful monsters since he was a child. Brian, a serial entrepreneur and former Producer at Disney, is
a 17 year veteran of digit media. He holds an MFA from USC Film School, and a BA and MBA from Harvard.
Kidlandia’s talented team includes engineers and artists with leadership experience at creative companies
including Electronic Arts, Disney, Viacom, and Broderbund among others. Funders and Advisors include successful
two venture firms and media entrepreneurs and experts chosen for their ability to directly address specific
company needs. A portion of company stock is set aside for the benefit of charities serving the educational and
health-related needs of children.
The Role:
The Manager of Business Development reports directly to the CEO, and will serve as the primary
architect and driver of Kidlandia’s business development initiatives. In addition, the position
includes an active role in operations, budgets, and financial modeling.
Responsibilities:
• Develop and drive Kidlandia’s business development strategy
• Lead all aspects of deal development – prospecting, sourcing, negotiating and closing
• Identify and develop new strategic business development opportunities. Work closely with Design and Programming to ensure successful execution of these deals.
• Develop initiatives designed to grow the business in new areas
• Evaluate prospective deals and channel strategy (i.e. model revenue and operational impact)
• Research prospective business partners and assess competitive landscape
• Ensure and increase Kidlandia's visibility in the industry
• Because this is an early-stage startup, the role requires flexibility and cross-functional skills in operations and finance (wearing “many hats”).
Qualifications:
• 3+ years of relevant experience required, with retail, media, and internet experience preferred
• An impressive track record of closing deals with complex structures
• Background and success in building a robust pipeline
• Positive optimistic attitude; high degree of intrinsic motivation and ability to operate with energy and flexibility
• Excellent interpersonal, oral and written communication skills
• Exemplary analysis and problem solving skills
• Ability to work independently and manage priorities as well as work well in teams
• Comfortable in a dynamic startup environment and industry
• Deft understanding of the latest trends and players across online video, digital media and the internet
• BA/BS degree required, MBA/JD or equivalent preferred
The Company:
Kidlandia, Inc
(www.kidlandia.com) is a San Francisco media
startup whose mission is to inspire, educate, and delight children and their families through products
that put the child in the product story. The first product, personalized kingdoms, harnesses the power
of map imagery as a way to convey rich meaning. The product line began as commissioned works of illustrated
art in 2004, and developed into a software platform. Within weeks of the software launch (June 2009), the
Company secured a distribution partnership with one of the world’s premier retailers, and many more
partnerships are signed or in the pipeline. The company works with both its own characters, and with top
licenses.
Next Steps:
Please send your CV to jobs@kidlandia.com. We will review every resume, and will contact you if there is a match.