Business Development Manager

We are looking for a Business Development Manager to help drive the growth of our Los Angeles studio by identifying, pursuing, and winning new work. Our LA studio is a key part of our West Coast presence, and we are investing in our client relationships and visibility across the region. This role works directly with firm leadership and has a real seat at the table in shaping how the office grows.

Who You Are

You are passionate about the impact of design on people’s lives and thrive on developing architectural solutions to complex problems. You are collaborative by nature and enjoy both teaching and learning from others, understanding that the best design comes from exploration and the exchange of ideas. You are a proactive and creative problem-solver with strong analytical skills, as well as a good communicator who builds strong relationships with colleagues, clients, consultants, contractors, and vendors. And finally, you are committed to the advancement of technology, building performance, and sustainability strategies in design and construction.

You are a relationship builder who knows that winning work in the built environment takes equal parts research, storytelling, and follow-through. You are energized by the full arc of a pursuit, from spotting an opportunity early, to shaping the strategy behind it, to preparing our team to put its best foot forward in the room. You bring real curiosity about the Los Angeles and Southern California real estate landscape, along with the relationships to match.

You are collaborative and self-directed, and comfortable moving between strategy and hands on execution. You write and speak persuasively, whether you are shaping a proposal narrative or helping a Principal prepare for a shortlist interview, and you keep several pursuits moving at once without losing track of the details. You are excited to tell the story of a design practice that cares about sustainability, building performance, and the thoughtful use of technology, and to help clients see why that matters for their projects.

What You'll Do

Strategy and planning

• Work with the LA Managing Principal and West Coast Principals to develop annual business development plans, revenue targets, and market sector priorities for the Los Angeles office.
• Partner with the Director of Business Development, West Coast, to align LA pursuits with regional strategy, share leads across offices, and build the pipeline, including support for our San Francisco office as needed.
• Track and report business development metrics, including revenue projections, hit rate, and cost of pursuit, to firm leadership.
• Keep the opportunity pipeline and CRM accurate and current, including leads, pursuits, win/loss data, and client contacts.

Market research and opportunity identification

• Monitor RFP and RFQ sources, industry publications, and market intelligence to surface opportunities early.
• Research clients, competitors, and project fit to support go/no-go decisions.
• Identify and qualify prospective clients and projects that align with our practice areas and strategic goals.

Pursuits, proposals, and interviews

• Lead proposal, qualifications, and RFP and RFQ responses in collaboration with leadership, marketing, and technical staff.
• Coordinate shortlist interview and client presentation preparation, including strategy, messaging, and rehearsals.
• Maintain and continuously improve pursuit collateral, including project sheets, resumes, boilerplate content, and case studies.
  

Client relationships and market visibility

• Build and steward relationships with clients, brokers, project managers, developers, contractors, consultants, and public agencies.
• Plan and execute client engagement activities, from targeted outreach campaigns to firm hosted events.
• Represent STUDIOS at industry organizations and events such as CoreNet, NAIOP, ULI, and AIA, and identify sponsorship and speaking opportunities for firm leadership.
• Collaborate with the marketing team on positioning, award submissions, PR opportunities, and content that supports business development goals.
  

Your Experience and Skillset

• Bachelor's degree in marketing, business, communications, architecture, or a related field.
• 10 or more years of business development, marketing, or client development experience in the A/E/C industry (architecture, engineering, construction, real estate, or related professional services).
• Strong knowledge of the Los Angeles and Southern California real estate and development market.
• Demonstrated success managing pursuits and developing winning proposals for design or professional services firms.
• Experience leading shortlist interview and client presentation preparation.
• Experience managing an opportunity pipeline in a CRM, with accurate tracking of leads, pursuits, win/loss data, and client contacts.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to craft persuasive narratives and present confidently to senior audiences.
• Proficiency with a CRM platform such as [Deltek Vantagepoint] or Salesforce, and with Adobe Creative Suite, particularly InDesign.
• Strong organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple deadlines across concurrent pursuits.
• An established network of client and industry relationships in the Los Angeles market is desired.
• Experience in a mid-size firm where the role spans strategy and hands on execution is desired.
• Active involvement in industry organizations such as SMPS, ULI, AIA, CoreNet, or NAIOP is desired.
• Familiarity with California public agency procurement processes is desired.

Compensation

The salary range for this position is $130,000 to $150,000 annually. The range reflects what STUDIOS reasonably expects to pay for this position. Final compensation will depend on experience, qualifications, and other job-related factors.

Fair Chance Hiring

Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with the Los Angeles City Fair Chance Ordinance and the California Fair Chance Act.