Business Development Manager

Blue State•Oakland, CA

14d•$74,750 - $80,000•Hybrid

About The Position

Blue State is hiring a Business Development Manager to join its Partnerships team and support the agency’s new business engine. The role manages and maintains the sales pipeline and coordinates proposals and pitches from RFP through signed contract. It brings strategists, creatives, technologists, and leadership together to develop timely, persuasive responses that connect prospective clients’ goals with appropriate solutions. The position is consultative and collaborative, supporting organizations—particularly nonprofits, causes, and brands seeking fundraising, marketing, and communications support—in choosing Blue State as an agency partner. The Business Development Manager reviews RFPs, helps shape response plans, drafts and edits proposals and pitch materials, supports prospect research and qualifying calls, and contributes to agency marketing, thought leadership, events, and awards submissions. The successful candidate is an excellent project manager and writer with familiarity with nonprofit fundraising and an interest in marketing, communications, and digital strategy. Blue State is an independent, purpose-driven agency operating in the US and London. It partners with causes, brands, and campaigns to help raise money, influence policy, build platforms, and grow communities of supporters. The Partnerships team leads agency growth and brand, builds prospective and existing client relationships, identifies solutions to business challenges, and communicates the agency’s creative, strategic, and technical capabilities.

Requirements

3–5 years managing complex, deadline-driven projects with many contributors.
Familiarity with nonprofit fundraising through work on or alongside a development, digital fundraising, or membership team, or by supporting nonprofit clients at an agency or vendor.
A genuine interest in marketing, communications, and digital strategy and how they help organizations grow.
Ability to get strong work from busy people without directly managing them, using clear requests, friendly but firm follow-up, and calm under deadline pressure.
Clear, concise, persuasive business writing and strong editing instincts.
Comfort with frequent internal and client interaction in person and by phone, email, and Zoom.
Impeccable ethical standards and professionalism.

Nice To Haves

Experience with Google Workspace or CRMs.
Experience in marketing, communications, or digital strategy; curiosity and interest are required, while prior experience is a plus.

Responsibilities

Coordinate RFP responses, proposals, pitches, and scopes of work from start to finish, including timelines, owners, deliverables, kickoffs, and check-ins.
Review RFPs and help identify client needs, required contributors, and what a successful response should address.
Draft and edit memos, proposals, pitch decks, and collateral for executive directors, chief development officers, CMOs, and other C-suite leaders.
Manage sales-process logistics from initial conversations through contracting.
Join qualifying calls with VPs and SVPs and ask questions to understand prospects’ goals, constraints, and measures of success.
Learn how Blue State’s fundraising, advocacy, brand, and digital services fit together and contribute to consultative recommendations.
Apply familiarity with nonprofit fundraising, including donor programs, membership, campaign moments, and development team priorities.
Support agency thought leadership internally and externally.
Work with senior Partnerships leaders to identify potential partners, research target verticals, and monitor RFP opportunities.
Research prospects and clients and share useful findings with senior leadership.
Support agency marketing for new business, including case studies, newsletters, website updates, and social content.
Coordinate Blue State’s presence at industry conferences and events and support industry award submissions.
Help develop thought leadership, including articles, webinars, and points of view that initiate conversations with prospects.

Benefits

Unlimited time off, inclusive of sick, personal, and vacation days.
$1,250 annually in professional development funds.
Competitive health, dental, and vision insurance.
Flexible spending and health savings accounts.
401(k) with employer match.
Generous paid holiday schedule.
12 weeks of fully paid parental leave for all parents-to-be.
Short-term and long-term disability insurance.
Pre-tax commuter benefits.
Remote work flexibility.
Hybrid work model, with on-site presence welcome for US staff within commuting distance of the New York or DC office.