London, UK
Business development manager
at Design Research Studio
Design Research Studio is seeking a business development manager to join its team in London.
Design Research Studio (DRS) is the innovations and design agency at the heart of Tom Dixon working on the spaces, products and brands of tomorrow. A restless innovator, Tom established Design Research Studio in 2002 to work on innovative projects and products with a wide variety of partners, brands, developers and entrepreneurs. Rich in narrative, we nurture a fast-growing global portfolio of projects working across interior design, product design, graphics and branding.
About the role
Reporting to the studio director, the business development manager will work in close collaboration with team members at all levels to support the growing success of the studio. This is a varied role and the ideal candidate will have experience managing the effective delivery of new business opportunities. You will be responsible for growing the future pipeline for a full-service, multi-disciplinary creative design studio working across architecture, interior design, product design, licensing and branding.
Further establishing DRS as a world-class design agency, the business development manager will support strategic decisions to raise brand awareness, attract clients and improve working relationships. They will research new market opportunities and oversee the studio growth plans, making sales projections and forecasting future pipelines, in line with projected performance. More specifically, the business development manager will be responsible for the following:
New business acquisition:
- managing the end-to-end new business process from lead generation to contractual agreement
- working alongside the senior management team to plan and execute business development strategies
- developing the studio’s global network of existing and prospective clientele
- proactively pursuing new business by researching and sourcing prospective opportunities
- managing all in-bound new business opportunities, reviewing, and qualifying their potential
- completing and submitting RFP/RFQ/EOI responses
- preparing and issuing high-quality service and fee proposals
- leading CRM by nurturing long-term working relationships with key clients and partners
Commercial support:
- managing the end-to-end new business process from lead generation to contractual agreement
- performing reviews of client contractual agreements
- working with the company’s legal consultant to review and complete client contracts
- communicating project-specific terms and conditions to team members
Administration and process:
- acting as initial point of contact for new business responding to enquiries, client communications and managing marketing content
- tracking the new business pipeline and reporting progress
- leading weekly new business meetings and sales team updates
- working with the finance team to coordinate sales forecasting and progress reports
- maintain a database of existing and prospective clientele
About you:
- established understanding of the commercial structure of a creative/design studio with knowledge of the industry
- ambitious attitude and entrepreneurial mindset – we are looking for a ‘hunter’ with a keen passion within the design/creative industry
- knowledge of contractual documentation and commercial terms
- highly organised and comfortable with multi-tasking
- able to prioritise tasks according to importance and timing
- positive and friendly attitude
- able to build a strong rapport and working relationships with external contacts and internal team members at all levels
- able to communicate confidently and effectively
- enjoy working autonomously and problem-solving
For the right candidate, we will offer a competitive remuneration package alongside the opportunity to build an extraordinary career within one of the world’s leading design companies and lifestyle brands.
We embrace diversity in all applicants’ backgrounds. The successful application must have the eligibility to work in the UK.
Please submit your application via the button below.