London, UK
Business development manager
at BIG
BIG is seeking a business development manager to join its team in London.
BIG is a group of 500+ architects, engineers, urbanists, inventors, researchers and business minds from all over the world who are based in our New York, Copenhagen, London and Barcelona offices. Our built work ranges from the most diverse urban playground and Michelin-star dining – to affordable housing that feels everything but, and a school among the verdant fjords of the Faroe Islands. Our vision spans traveling at supersonic speed with Hyperloop One, to living in floating cities, and eventually Mars! While we are led by a group of expert partners, directors and associates – a flat hierarchy and collaborative spirit are essential to our BIG ecosystem. We share our collective knowledge and expansive network through study trips and educational workshops – BIG Schools offer in-house lessons, while BIG Picture brings in industry experts to inspire and invigorate. We are infectiously ambitious and unified by the shared mission to craft the world we want to live in, and to give form to our future, one project at a time.
For the past years BIG LON has experienced a continuous growth, hence we are currently looking for a dynamic, confident, and organised business development manager to join our expanding business development and operations team in London.
As a business development manager you will work closely with the head of business development UK and ME to create initiatives that support the acquisition of projects and creation of new business in the UK and the Middle East. In support of the larger market strategy identified by the head of business development UK and ME, the business development manager is responsible for submarkets within the above regions, and you will work closely with senior leadership in BIG’s London office to prioritise opportunities, build relationships, and secure projects.
On a day-to-day basis, the business development manager will be responsible for securing projects, initiating proactive endeavours that support the larger market strategy and present new business opportunities within defined markets. You will also be part of building relationships with a vast network of clients, consultants, and collaborators.
You will be working within BIG’s operations team, reporting directly to the head of business development UK and ME and you will have a strong working relationship with the managing director, the bidding manager and our in-house legal team, as well as the business development teams in our New York, Copenhagen, Barcelona and Shenzhen offices.
Primary areas of responsibility:
- give active support to the business development team, including the head of business development UK and ME, partners and directors
- produce content independently while discussing key strategy points with the head of business development UK and ME
- strengthen BIG’s presence and positioning in existing markets, with a primary focus on the UK and the Middle East
- open new submarkets and lead new business for a submarket/discipline including interfacing and strategy with senior internal team members at BIG (partners, directors, and associates) and managing the pipeline for that submarket
- maintain and expand personal client and collaborator connections
- initiate, lead, and deliver special projects and proactive initiatives
- run several simultaneous pursuits from start to finish with limited oversight, including:
- ability to turn a lead into a project
- run an acquisition including the development of a fee proposal and leading of subsequent negotiations with clients and consultants (including internal operations team members at BIG—such as finance, legal, operations, etc.) and the handover to a design team
- vet all RFPs/RFQs/RFIs for dedicated (sub)market. Have the ability to produce and oversee the submission. Present strategic ideas within the submission and PQ/teaming process that distinguish the firm’s submission and point of view
- together with the head of business development UK and ME or partners, host meetings with potential clients, lead the follow-up, and internally assess and develop recommendations for new potential projects
- prepare proposals and negotiate consultant fees
- give office and project tours to clients, consultants, and other VIPs
- represent BIG at events and conferences
- take part in market research and development of marketing material
- take part in leadership pipeline meetings and global business development meetings
- maintain CRM databases and present reporting on new projects and potential projects
- prepare regular status updates, ad-hoc and on a weekly basis
- take initiative and bring ideas to the table
- interface with internal BIG departments to complete any of the above (i.e. bidding, operations, legal, etc.)
We seek a person who has:
- four to six years’ experience from a similar position within the construction industry
- a solid understanding of architecture, building procedures and urban planning in the UK; experience within the Middle East is a plus
- ability to strategise new business development initiatives
- ability to run four to ten plus simultaneous pursuits with limited oversight
- ability to produce content independently (while discussing key strategy points w/ Head of), including:
- acquisition: run an acquisition solo from initial call—to contract negotiation—to handover with the project team with minimal oversight
- PQ: ability to produce and oversee the production of a PQ in its entirety to completion without incremental oversight
- excellent communication and organisational skills
- a proactive approach, and follow’s up on and delivers projects and deliverables independently
- self-discipline and is confident in an ad hoc environment
- experience with CRM systems (Sugar is a plus)
- proficiency in MS Office and Adobe Creative Suite, particularly InDesign
- excellence in English, spoken and written (Arabic is a plus)
This job description reflects the core activities of the role although there will be changes in the emphasis of duties as required from time to time. There is a requirement for the post holder to recognise this and adopt a flexible approach to work.
Application
Please upload your CV and any relevant references via this link. We will contact you if your profile matches our requirements. Please confirm your availability to attend a video conference call at short notice.
This is a full-time position based out of BIG’s London office. You musthave permission to live and work in the UK.
Salary will be subject to experience and qualifications. Relevant applicants will be interviewed on an ongoing basis.