Senior Manager, Business Development & Growth

Via Evaluation•Buffalo, NY

1d•$125,000•Remote

About The Position

Based in Buffalo, New York, Via Evaluation. Inc. is an evaluation and data strategy consulting firm helping mission‑driven organizations measure what matters. We work with nonprofits, K–12 schools, professional associations, foundations, and community‑based organizations to use meaningful data to guide decisions and demonstrate impact. Higher Ed Insight, our subsidiary, brings this work to higher education, workforce development, and STEM education research. We are a certified Woman‑Owned Small Business (NYS WBE, SBA WOSB, WBENC) and a 2024 Buffalo Business First’s Best Places to Work honoree. Guided by a clear mission, we have built our reputation on thoughtful, high‑quality work and deep client partnerships. Our clients stay with us, refer us with confidence, and place lasting trust in our work. Our immediate challenge is visibility—reaching organizations that aren’t yet aware of us and building intentional infrastructure to sustainably grow our pipeline. We live our core values… Commitment to Growth & Development Work/Life Balance Feedback Inspires Change Collaborative Team Approach Integrity Matters Passionate About Our Work Summ ary of Position The Senior Manager of Business Development & Growth is a hands-on role for someone who thinks strategically and can execute day-to-day. You will work closely with leadership and client-facing staff to turn opportunities into funded work, while helping the team show up clearly and confidently in the market. Areas of Focus Pipeline Development & Opportunity Management Build and maintain a forward-looking pipeline of opportunities across our core sectors (nonprofits, K–12 schools, foundations, associations, subject to change) Monitor Requests for Proposal (RFP) sources, listservs, and networks to identify relevant opportunities Assess opportunities for fit and bring forward clear go/no-go recommendations Track all opportunities in Client Relations Management (CRM), ensuring accuracy and timely follow-up Surface dormant relationships, expiring contracts, and re-engagement opportunities Proposal Development & Coordination Lead proposal development from kickoff through submission Translate our work into clear, compelling, client-centered proposals Create timelines, coordinate contributors, and ensure deadlines are met utilizing project management and opportunity tracking systems (Motion, Salesforce, SharePoint) Partner with technical staff to gather inputs and shape scopes of work Maintain and improve proposal templates, boilerplate language, and process tools Communication & Market Presence Support consistent external communication aligned with business development priorities Draft LinkedIn content, short insights, and light thought leadership in the voice of VIA and affiliated companies Help translate completed work into simple, clear stories for external audiences Support development of key business development materials (e.g., statements of qualifications, one-pagers) Team Enablement & Collaboration Guide client-facing staff through prospect conversations with concise briefs and talking points Support a culture of shared business development by making processes clear and accessible Facilitate simple debriefs after proposals or major conversations to capture lessons learned Collaborate closely with leadership to refine messaging, priorities, and approach Systems & Continuous Improvement Maintain and improve business development workflows and tools Use CRM (Salesforce) data to track pipeline activity and identify trends Recommend practical improvements to increase efficiency and win rates Eligibility Knowledge & Technical Requirements 5–8+ years of experience in business development, proposals, marketing, or consulting Experience in professional associations, nonprofit, education, philanthropic foundations, or public sector environments preferred Strong responsive writing skills, with the ability to translate and interpret complex ideas and plans into clear, compelling communications, language, stories, and products Experience supporting or leading proposal development (custom proposals, RFPs, bids, or similar) Familiarity with CRM systems (Salesforce or similar) Highly organized, self-directed, and comfortable managing multiple deadlines Skills & Abilities Clear and effective communicator (written and verbal) Strong project manager who can move work forward Good judgment in prioritizing opportunities and effort Collaborative and able to work across teams with efficiency Comfortable balancing structure with flexibility Success in This Role Looks Like A consistent and visible pipeline of qualified opportunities High-quality, timely proposals with improved win rates Clear, compelling communication of our work in the market Strong coordination across staff contributing to business development Practical systems that make business development easier and more consistent Growth Opportunity This role is designed to evolve into a Director of Growth position within 2–3 years, with increasing ownership over strategy, systems, and team leadership. Physical Demands This is a remote position requiring regular use of a computer, keyboard, mouse, and screen. To align with supervisor’s schedule individual must work within one hour of Eastern Standard Time office hours. Frequent communication via phone, video conferencing, and occasional in-person meetings are expected. Airline or vehicle travel to conferences, events, and client locations for business development and relationship-building purposes is required. An honest note on fit — please read before applying This role requires comfort with ambiguity and range. It is not a fit for someone who needs a detailed playbook, operates in a single narrow lane, or comes from a predominantly B2C or consumer brand background. We’ve tried junior and generalist marketing roles before, and those arrangements didn’t serve either party well. We’re seeking someone with strong business development instincts, real curiosity about our industry, and the confidence to challenge us when they see a smarter way to move forward. Total Compensation Compensation Salary negotiations tend to have an unfair bias. Via Evaluation is committed to increasing equity and does not participate in a salary negotiation process with any candidate. Our starting salary is our best offer, and it will be the same regardless of the candidate. This position will pay $125,000.00 annually or a biweekly rate of $4,807.69. Annual Remote Stipend $580 for personal needs paid bi-weekly Work Computer & Monitor provided Annual bonus plan based on company revenues Annual COLA increases Bi-annual compensation study for wage benchmarking Self-allocated Professional Development $1,500 Compensation Equity Policy Transportation Transportation & parking for work reimbursed Co-working space available at headquarters All work mileage (car) reimbursed at Federal reimbursement rate Defensive driving reimbursement of up to $50 TSA precheck reimbursed up to $85 Paid Time Off 4-day work week (Friday is paid) 16 PTO days annually (4 weeks) to start 11 federal holidays off 2 floating holiday days 30-minute lunch breaks Benefits Health Insurance (company paid premium for single coverage) Dental Insurance (company paid premium for single coverage) Dependent Care Account (DCA) Flexible Medical Spending Account (FSA) 50k Life Insurance (company paid) Short-Term Disability (company paid) Long-Term Disability (company paid) Accident, Critical illness (company paid) Additional policies are available for Health, Dental, Vision, Life insurance for dependents Retirement Annual financial planning meetings 401K Loans Traditional 401K and/or 401K Roth IRA -Safe Harbor and employer match of up to 10% Other Flex-Scheduling during company hours (M-Th 7 AM to 7 PM) Hybrid work environment – what works best for you Employee Assistance Program Up to $150.00 toward Estate planning Financial Advisor to assist employees with their investments and financial planning Vaccine leave for employee for seasonal and doctor-recommended vaccines

Requirements

5–8+ years of experience in business development, proposals, marketing, or consulting
Strong responsive writing skills, with the ability to translate and interpret complex ideas and plans into clear, compelling communications, language, stories, and products
Experience supporting or leading proposal development (custom proposals, RFPs, bids, or similar)
Familiarity with CRM systems (Salesforce or similar)
Highly organized, self-directed, and comfortable managing multiple deadlines
Clear and effective communicator (written and verbal)
Strong project manager who can move work forward
Good judgment in prioritizing opportunities and effort
Collaborative and able to work across teams with efficiency
Comfortable balancing structure with flexibility

Nice To Haves

Experience in professional associations, nonprofit, education, philanthropic foundations, or public sector environments preferred

Responsibilities

Build and maintain a forward-looking pipeline of opportunities across our core sectors (nonprofits, K–12 schools, foundations, associations, subject to change)
Monitor Requests for Proposal (RFP) sources, listservs, and networks to identify relevant opportunities
Assess opportunities for fit and bring forward clear go/no-go recommendations
Track all opportunities in Client Relations Management (CRM), ensuring accuracy and timely follow-up
Surface dormant relationships, expiring contracts, and re-engagement opportunities
Lead proposal development from kickoff through submission
Translate our work into clear, compelling, client-centered proposals
Create timelines, coordinate contributors, and ensure deadlines are met utilizing project management and opportunity tracking systems (Motion, Salesforce, SharePoint)
Partner with technical staff to gather inputs and shape scopes of work
Maintain and improve proposal templates, boilerplate language, and process tools
Support consistent external communication aligned with business development priorities
Draft LinkedIn content, short insights, and light thought leadership in the voice of VIA and affiliated companies
Help translate completed work into simple, clear stories for external audiences
Support development of key business development materials (e.g., statements of qualifications, one-pagers)
Guide client-facing staff through prospect conversations with concise briefs and talking points
Support a culture of shared business development by making processes clear and accessible
Facilitate simple debriefs after proposals or major conversations to capture lessons learned
Collaborate closely with leadership to refine messaging, priorities, and approach
Maintain and improve business development workflows and tools
Use CRM (Salesforce) data to track pipeline activity and identify trends
Recommend practical improvements to increase efficiency and win rates

Benefits

Annual Remote Stipend $580 for personal needs paid bi-weekly
Work Computer & Monitor provided
Annual bonus plan based on company revenues
Annual COLA increases
Bi-annual compensation study for wage benchmarking
Self-allocated Professional Development $1,500
Transportation & parking for work reimbursed
Co-working space available at headquarters
All work mileage (car) reimbursed at Federal reimbursement rate
Defensive driving reimbursement of up to $50
TSA precheck reimbursed up to $85
4-day work week (Friday is paid)
16 PTO days annually (4 weeks) to start
11 federal holidays off
2 floating holiday days
30-minute lunch breaks
Health Insurance (company paid premium for single coverage)
Dental Insurance (company paid premium for single coverage)
Dependent Care Account (DCA)
Flexible Medical Spending Account (FSA)
50k Life Insurance (company paid)
Short-Term Disability (company paid)
Long-Term Disability (company paid)
Accident, Critical illness (company paid)
Additional policies are available for Health, Dental, Vision, Life insurance for dependents
Annual financial planning meetings
401K Loans
Traditional 401K and/or 401K Roth IRA -Safe Harbor and employer match of up to 10%
Flex-Scheduling during company hours (M-Th 7 AM to 7 PM)
Hybrid work environment – what works best for you
Employee Assistance Program
Up to $150.00 toward Estate planning
Financial Advisor to assist employees with their investments and financial planning
Vaccine leave for employee for seasonal and doctor-recommended vaccines