Business Development - Northern California

HGA•San Jose, CA

1d•$145,500 - $180,000•Hybrid

About The Position

This role serves as a strategic partner to Principals within HGA's Science + Technology Market and supporting the firm's Education and Arts Markets. This role is responsible for advancing business development efforts across Northern California through pipeline growth, relationship strategy, market intelligence, and pursuit support. You will collaborate closely with business development professionals across HGA's national offices to leverage firmwide knowledge, resources, and opportunities. This role will collaborate to strengthen and expand the firm's successful Science + Technology, Education, and Arts practices by identifying and cultivating high-value client opportunities, positioning HGA early in the decision-making process, and supporting strategic pursuits. This individual plays an integral role in helping teams focus on the right opportunities, build meaningful industry relationships, and maintain a strong market presence. While this role is not responsible for independently selling or closing project opportunities, it is critical to the success of principal-led business development efforts. The ideal candidate will proactively support relationship-building, provide market and client insights, coordinate pursuit strategies, manage business development data, and contribute to winning outcomes through strategic thinking, disciplined execution, and effective collaboration.

Requirements

10-15 years of experience in business development, client engagement, or strategic marketing within the A/E/C industry (a Science + Technology focus is preferred).
Demonstrated success in relationship-based business development and pursuit support, focusing on UC, CSU, Community College systems and private colleges.
Strong strategic thinking, communication, and organizational skills.
Comfortable partnering with senior leaders in a matrixed organization.
Ability to provide insight using data and metrics.
Self-motivated, collaborative, and energized by helping teams grow and win work.

Nice To Haves

Experience with CRM and pipeline management tools preferred.

Responsibilities

Partner with Principals, Market Leaders, and National Business Development leadership to develop, prioritize, and advance a qualified pipeline.
Support client targeting and segmentation aligned with national and regional growth strategies.
Assist with early-stage positioning and pre-positioning to ensure the firm is known and trusted before opportunities emerge.
Identify risks, gaps, and opportunities within the pipeline and recommend proactive actions.
Utilize proprietary tools and metrics to guide strategy.
Support principal-led relationship development with key decision-makers at institutions within the University of California, California State University, and Community College systems as well as at private colleges.
Build and maintain strong relationships with industry partners, consultants, and influencers to support positioning and opportunity awareness.
Act as a connector—facilitating introductions, coordinating engagement, and ensuring continuity across teams and geographies.
Monitor and analyze market trends, including capital planning, regulatory and policy shifts, and competitive dynamics.
Translate market intelligence into actionable insights that inform targeting, pursuit strategies, and go/no-go decisions.
Share insights regularly with regional and national leadership to support proactive, data-informed decision-making.
Support the full pursuit life cycle—from early positioning through interview preparation and post-interview debriefs.
Collaborate with Principals, Subject Matter Experts, and Marketing to develop win strategies, positioning statements, and compelling narratives.
Support interview preparation, coaching, and rehearsal to strengthen performance and outcomes.
Ensure alignment with national messaging while tailoring approaches to specific clients and markets.
Coordinate Principals’ participation in conferences, client events, and industry forums in alignment with business development strategy.
Encourage and support Principals and team members in thought leadership activities, including speaking engagements, panels, articles, and white papers.
Help ensure market-facing activities reinforce the firm’s brand, expertise, and strategic priorities.
Maintain accurate and timely information in CRM systems, including client relationships, activities, opportunities, and pursuits.
Track BD activity, pipeline health, and pursuit outcomes to support forecasting and reporting.
Coordinate closely with Marketing, National Business Development leadership, and regional teams to ensure alignment and follow-through.
Support internal BD and practice meetings, including documentation of action items and next steps.