Director of Business Development & Marketing
General Position Characteristics
- Organizes, plans, schedules, and manages the firm’s sales efforts, and/or is firm’s top salesperson.
- Closes deals and follows through with leadership and technical staff on client service.
- Seeks to cultivate & maintain business opportunities for firm, within targeted market verticals.
- Time is allocated between marketing responsibilities, and time spent outside the firm making contacts, networking, cultivating and researching new opportunities.
- Has responsibility for creating and preparing qualifications packages, proposals preparing for interviews.
- Marketing responsibilities include creating advertisements, all forms of branding, signage, apparel, and other firmwide marketing-related duties.
- May make commitments for firm with previous direction from superiors or under established guidelines.
- Responsible for budgeting and adherence to budget.
- Trade show/ exposition attendance, preparation, budgeting, travel.
- Corporate Event/Networking event planning, attendance, and execution.
Directing Others/Direction Received
Reports to and receives performance evaluations from firm leadership. Receives suggestions and guidance on client types, projects desired and volume of business to be generated based on firm’s business and marketing plans. Must carry out the duties of the position, and operate with little administrative support.
Duties & Responsibilities
- Gathers information on potential markets, clients, and projects.
- Regularly reports to the firm regarding: pursuits, market conditions, departmental initiatives, departmental status.
- Creation of all Marketing & Business Development collateral material.
- Updates website and social media. Encourages the usage of and following of other employees, vendors, industry partners.
- Schedules meetings with new, existing, and past clients to uncover project opportunities.
- Create Annual Marketing & Business Development Plan, maintain and execute toward the goals of that plan.
- May solicit involvement of other members of firm in client meetings. Is charged with developing long-term client relationships.
- Reports on planned and executed sales activities to appropriate levels of management.
- Maintain an organized filing system for proposals, including databases.
- Is accountable for generating specified volume of business within an established time frame.
- Creates/maintains relationships with relevant publications, market reporters, and relevant media outlets to facilitate publicity.
- Public relations responsibilities as needed for Schaefer, and/or clients.
- Develops scopes of work and fee estimates.
- Has a major role in proposal coordination, technical writing, strategy & positioning, researching competition, and preparing qualifications packages.
- Keeps firm management apprised of current and anticipated market conditions.
- Maintains strong business network.
- Maintains ongoing client relationships after project start-up.
- Travel to/from Louisville & Tampa office required for business development pursuits.
Education/Experience/Registration
Typical requirements: Bachelor’s Degree in marketing or related field, or equivalent, relevant career experience; 5 to 8 years of directly-related industry experience, with 3 years in similar position. Strong relationship sales, business development, marketing background, particularly in design/construction services. Certification (or registration) not required, but may be an asset.
Required Abilities
- Strong written and verbal communication skills.
- Ability to operate under tight deadlines.
- Sound judgment and confidentiality.
- Attention to detail.
- Ability to manage last minute and urgent requests.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.
- Possesses excellent interpersonal skills, is poised and professional.
- Has the ability to self-motivate, lead, direct and multi-task between BD & Marketing roles.
- Can easily interface with client representatives from the facilities to the executive level.
- Is intimately acquainted with firm’s business goals and practices.
- As a salesperson, meets or exceeds the qualifications for senior business development representatives. Is organized, resourceful, and professionally persistent.
- Follows through in a consistent manner.
- Has solid knowledge of firm’s technical services, experience, and capabilities.
- Represents firm professionally, to even the highest levels of client organizations in a manner consistent with corporate image and standards.
- Is involved in several professional and civic organizations, including SMPS.
- Must possess the skills and abilities to remain agile in a volatile industry and economy.
- Must possess persuasive and diplomacy skills.
- Responds quickly and appropriately to a variety of difficult situations.
- Must have the ability to work well with others especially leadership, department/project managers, and anyone involved in business development efforts.