Business Development Manager
About The Position
The Business Development Manager will help drive growth of STUDIOS’ Los Angeles studio by identifying, pursuing, and winning new work. The role works directly with firm leadership and contributes to shaping the office’s growth and client relationships across Los Angeles and Southern California. It partners with the LA Managing Principal, West Coast Principals, and the Director of Business Development, West Coast, to develop plans and targets, align regional pursuits, and build the opportunity pipeline, with support for the San Francisco office as needed. The position oversees market research and opportunity identification; pursuit strategy and execution; proposals, qualifications, and RFP/RFQ responses; shortlist interview and client presentation preparation; client relationship development; and market visibility. It also tracks business development metrics and maintains accurate CRM records and pursuit collateral. The role calls for a persuasive communicator, organized pursuit leader, and proactive relationship builder who can work across strategy and hands-on execution and convey the firm’s commitment to sustainability, building performance, and thoughtful use of technology.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in marketing, business, communications, architecture, or a related field.
- 10 or more years of business development, marketing, or client development experience in the A/E/C industry, real estate, or related professional services.
- Strong knowledge of the Los Angeles and Southern California real estate and development market.
- Demonstrated success managing pursuits and developing winning proposals for design or professional services firms.
- Experience leading shortlist interview and client presentation preparation.
- Experience managing an opportunity pipeline in a CRM, with accurate tracking of leads, pursuits, win/loss data, and client contacts.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to craft persuasive narratives and present confidently to senior audiences.
- Proficiency with a CRM platform such as Deltek Vantagepoint or Salesforce, and Adobe Creative Suite, particularly InDesign.
- Strong organizational skills and ability to manage multiple deadlines across concurrent pursuits.
Nice To Haves
- An established network of client and industry relationships in the Los Angeles market.
- Experience in a mid-size firm where the role spans strategy and hands-on execution.
- Active involvement in industry organizations such as SMPS, ULI, AIA, CoreNet, or NAIOP.
- Familiarity with California public agency procurement processes.
Responsibilities
- Develop annual business development plans, revenue targets, and market sector priorities for the Los Angeles office with the LA Managing Principal and West Coast Principals.
- Align Los Angeles pursuits with regional strategy, share leads across offices, and build the pipeline in partnership with the Director of Business Development, West Coast; support the San Francisco office as needed.
- Track and report business development metrics, including revenue projections, hit rate, and cost of pursuit, to firm leadership.
- Maintain accurate, current opportunity pipeline and CRM records, including leads, pursuits, win/loss data, and client contacts.
- Monitor RFP and RFQ sources, industry publications, and market intelligence to identify opportunities early.
- Research clients, competitors, and project fit to support go/no-go decisions.
- Identify and qualify prospective clients and projects aligned with the firm’s practice areas and strategic goals.
- Lead proposal, qualifications, and RFP/RFQ responses in collaboration with leadership, marketing, and technical staff.
- Coordinate shortlist interview and client presentation preparation, including strategy, messaging, and rehearsals.
- Maintain and improve pursuit collateral, including project sheets, resumes, boilerplate content, and case studies.
- Build and steward relationships with clients, brokers, project managers, developers, contractors, consultants, and public agencies.
- Plan and execute client engagement activities, including targeted outreach campaigns and firm-hosted events.
- Represent STUDIOS at industry organizations and events such as CoreNet, NAIOP, ULI, and AIA; identify sponsorship and speaking opportunities for firm leadership.
- Collaborate with the marketing team on positioning, award submissions, PR opportunities, and content that supports business development goals.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
