Business Development Manager

Knott Laboratory LLC•Chicago, IL

9d•$70,000 - $90,000

About The Position

The Business Development Manager is an individual contributor responsible for developing, strengthening, and expanding client relationships within an assigned market. The role builds awareness of Knott Laboratory's capabilities, identifies business opportunities, develops relationships with prospective and existing clients, and connects client needs with appropriate technical expertise and services. As an external ambassador for Knott Laboratory, the manager develops trusted relationships with attorneys, insurance professionals, corporate clients, and other organizations that use forensic engineering and technical consulting services. Success requires strong relationship-building skills, consistent market activity, business acumen, disciplined pipeline management, and close collaboration with engineering and technical professionals. The Business Development Manager is accountable for business development results within the assigned market but has no formal people-management responsibilities. The role involves regular travel within the market and, as business needs require, to other locations. It may also involve occasional professional events or client activities outside standard business hours.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, Communications, Engineering, or another relevant field, or a combination of education and professional experience providing the necessary knowledge and capabilities.
Professional experience involving business development, sales, account management, client relations, professional services, or another relationship-focused business function.
Demonstrated ability to establish and maintain professional relationships.
Strong verbal, written, interpersonal, listening, questioning, and presentation skills.
Demonstrated organizational, planning, time-management, and follow-through capabilities.
Ability to independently manage business development priorities and activities within an assigned market.
Ability to travel throughout the assigned market and to other locations based on client and business needs.
Valid driver's license.
Strong relationship-building, consultative selling, networking, and client-service capabilities.
Ability to identify client needs and connect them with appropriate solutions or technical resources.
Ability to establish credibility with sophisticated professional clients and build relationships over extended periods.
Self-motivation and ability to operate effectively as an individual contributor.
Ability to manage multiple relationships, opportunities, and priorities concurrently.
Ability to learn and communicate organizational technical capabilities without representing oneself as a technical expert.
Ability to interpret market information, identify meaningful business opportunities, and use CRM and other business systems consistently and accurately.
Strong internal partnership and collaboration skills, with professionalism, initiative, accountability, judgment, and discretion.
Commitment to integrity, client service, collaboration, continuous learning, and organizational success.

Nice To Haves

Business development or client relationship experience in forensic engineering, engineering consulting, insurance, legal services, construction, professional services, or a related industry.
Existing professional relationships relevant to Knott Laboratory's client base.
Experience developing business within a defined geographic territory or market.
Experience using a customer relationship management (CRM) system to manage relationships, opportunities, and business development activity.
Experience participating in industry associations, professional networking organizations, conferences, or client-education programs.

Responsibilities

Develop and execute business development activities within an assigned geographic market.
Identify prospective clients and business opportunities aligned with Knott Laboratory's technical capabilities and growth objectives.
Develop new client relationships through networking, outreach, referrals, industry involvement, meetings, educational opportunities, and other appropriate activities.
Maintain regular contact with existing and prospective clients and build awareness of the organization's technical services.
Identify client needs and connect clients with appropriate engineers, experts, or technical resources.
Generate qualified opportunities and contribute to converting prospective relationships into active client engagements.
Develop strategies to expand existing client relationships and identify additional opportunities to serve clients.
Maintain a strong presence and working knowledge of clients, competitors, industries, and opportunities in the assigned market.
Represent Knott Laboratory at professional associations, conferences, networking events, client meetings, presentations, and other market activities.
Support educational presentations, continuing education programs, client events, and other relationship-development activities.
Establish and maintain trusted professional relationships; understand client businesses, needs, priorities, and service expectations.
Serve as a relationship resource and connector between clients and technical professionals, coordinating introductions and conversations.
Maintain visibility into significant client relationships and proactively identify opportunities, concerns, or changing needs.
Partner with technical professionals to provide a coordinated and responsive client experience; gather client feedback and communicate relevant insights internally.
Assist in addressing client-service concerns by connecting stakeholders and supporting follow-through.
Document client relationships, prospects, opportunities, activities, and follow-up needs accurately and promptly in designated systems.
Develop and maintain an active opportunity pipeline, track opportunities through business development stages, and maintain follow-up plans.
Prioritize activities based on relationship potential, client needs, organizational capabilities, and business objectives.
Monitor progress toward business development goals and activity expectations; report market activity, opportunities, challenges, and client developments.
Evaluate business development activities and adjust individual strategies based on results and market conditions.
Coordinate with technical professionals and organizational leaders when opportunities require specialized expertise or broader involvement.
Maintain awareness of market trends, competitive activity, client needs, emerging opportunities, and Knott Laboratory's technical disciplines and capabilities.
Gather and communicate market intelligence, identify underserved client needs and potential opportunities, and provide insight into client perceptions and market position.
Collaborate with leadership and technical professionals to align market activity with organizational priorities.
Build working relationships with engineers, accident reconstructionists, technical experts, leaders, and colleagues; learn their capabilities and match them to client needs.
Prepare technical professionals for client meetings by sharing relevant relationship and opportunity context.
Coordinate with other Business Development professionals, share useful information, promote cross-functional collaboration, and maintain clear communication about client opportunities.
Respect the technical independence and professional judgment of engineering and technical professionals.
Contribute measurably to market growth, including new relationships, client growth and retention, qualified opportunities, new and expanded business, pipeline health, client engagement, market presence, effective use of business systems, collaboration, and progress toward objectives.
Take ownership of market activity and results, represent Knott Laboratory professionally, follow through on commitments, exercise sound judgment, and model organizational values.
Continually strengthen knowledge of the organization's technical capabilities, client industries, relationship-development practices, market dynamics, and professional-services business development.