Business Development Leader I

Your role is focused on providing strategic and tactical business development leadership within a region or national market/practice of CannonDesign to advance the Firm’s client engagement strategies. You will partner with the Executive Director of the East Region to lead, collaborate with and support Market and Client Leaders in positioning the firm for new business opportunities. You will also develop client and partner relationships that identify and secure new opportunities in target markets to grow the top line. Importantly, you will be an ambassador of our brand, responsible for demonstrating how our Living-Centered Design approach can help clients and partners achieve enduring success. 

WHAT YOU WILL DO

A primary aspect of this role will be to focus on “convergence” opportunities across and between markets and geographies in the east region, working together with and reporting to the Executive Director of the East Region. This work will also rely on coordination with and support of the firm’s national Executive Directors of Market Strategies & Growth (Incubate + Launch, Health for All, Live Work Play, and New Frontiers). This will ensure that business development activities in the east region are in complete alignment with the firm’s overall growth strategies and priorities.

Your time will be spent exclusively on business development activities including supporting the pursuit of clients and project opportunities identified by other leaders in the firm, personally identifying new clients and project opportunities, and external brand activities. Your work will focus on amplifying the regional vision by developing strategies and action plans to support the advancement of the regional convergence hubs that are emerging from the east regional vision and will require regular visits to each office.

• Top Line Growth: Provide leadership, guidance and support to Market and Client Leaders in the development of new business development opportunities with client partners to achieve top line targets, which will support a minimum 10% growth year over year. In addition to supporting opportunities identified by other leaders and on a yearly basis you will be personally responsible for identifying and advance a minimum of $3.0 million in net fee opportunities that convert to wins in a market / office / region.
• Pre-positioning and Intelligence Gathering: Demonstrate effective pre-positioning and intelligence gathering activity that identifies key issues and potential differentiators in our client pursuits. Oversee a pipeline of qualified opportunities that consistently equals or exceeds three times the annual net signed fee of the office and positively impacts a “Lost Not Shortlisted” percentage at or below 20%. 
• Collaboration: Partner with the Regional Director, the Director of BMBD, Market and Service Line Leaders, and other Business Development Leaders in the progression of networking, intelligence gathering and pursuit strategies to advance the growth of our markets, practices and service lines within your office and the firm. 
• Best Practices: Work with Market Leaders, Client Leaders and the BMBD Team in the development and implementation of best practices for client pursuit and retention strategies within your office and firm wide. Champion initiatives include the Strategic Pursuit Process, Omnichannel market approach, and the Industry Partner and Inclusive Partner Programs.  

AREAS OF FOCUS

• Business Development / Top Line Capture: Together with the Regional Director, you will collaborate with Office Leaders, Market Leaders, Client Leaders and the Director of BMBD and beresponsible for leading and supporting business development activities and identifying new potential client leads/opportunities in your region and firm wide. You will work with other leaders to identify new target clients based upon value propositions and strategic initiatives. You will support research and intelligence efforts to guide strategic pursuit plans for CannonDesign with target clients.  
• Business Planning / Marketing Budget: You will participate in the annual business planning process with your Regional Director. You will ensure that the marketing budget is aligned with the business plan, and you will effectively monitor and manage the budget throughout the year. 
• Networking: You are responsible for developing and advancing internal and external networks within our core markets, practices and service lines. Internal networking activities include partnering and collaborating with other Business Development Leaders and others in the firm to strengthen and build upon existing client relationships. External networking activities include attendance at networking events and conferences, developing local/regional client and AEC industry relationships, as well as developing/maintaining a diverse regional partner network.
• Client Engagement Meetings: In partnership with the Regional Director, you will lead new client engagement meetings. At a minimum, you will bring together Market and Client Leaders bi-weekly to advance marketing and business development activities around target clients and new opportunities
• Pipeline Management: You will maintain active watch on pipeline and have a deep understanding of pipeline; you will be a Vantagepoint user and evangelist. You will drive Vantagepoint use by others in client-facing roles to keep information accurate, assess performance and develop actionable insights to stay on plan.
• Pursuit, Proposal and Interview Activities: In collaboration with Client Leaders, the BMBD Team and others, you will provide strategic input in all phases of our client engagement process and activities. This includes developing effective capture plans, ensuring prepositioning activities are completed prior to receipt of RFQs/RFPs, and assisting in the development of the pursuit approach and implementation of client intelligence in proposals and interviews.
• Brand: In partnership with the Office Practice Leaders, you will strengthen CannonDesign’s brand in the marketplace and become a champion of Living-Centered Design. You will bring our firm’s purpose—to help people continuously flourish—to life in every touchpoint you have with clients and partners, including in the pursuit and prepositioning materials we create.

Targets and performance metrics for this role are subject to change as CannonDesign periodically evaluates our performance metrics.

HERE'S WHAT YOU'LL NEED

• A minimum of 8 years of related work experience required. 10+ years’ related work experience is preferred, preferably in the a/e/c/ industry.
• Proven experience in the development and implementation of marketing business plans.
• A degree in marketing or related field is preferred. Additional education and/or certifications / training a plus.
• Proven track record of the ability to develop significant relationships that increase our opportunity pipeline is essential.
• Business acumen and ability to develop, influence and execute strategy is required.
• Strong ability to communicate authentically and respectfully required.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PPT) required.
• Experience with CRM Platforms, such as Salesforce, a plus.
• Some travel is required.