Vice President, Business Development – Industrial, Manufacturing & Life Sciences
Overview
A growing, multi-office engineering firm is seeking a Vice President of Business Development to drive expansion across industrial, manufacturing, and life sciences markets. This role reports to executive leadership and is responsible for generating new business, strengthening strategic partnerships, and increasing market share across targeted sectors. The position offers flexibility for candidates to be based anywhere, with a strong emphasis on relationship-driven growth. Key Responsibilities include:
Business Development & Market Expansion
- Develop and execute a strategic plan to grow presence across industrial, manufacturing, and life sciences sectors
- Identify and pursue new project opportunities with owners, developers, and partners
- Build relationships with architects, contractors, design-build firms, MEP firms, and owners
- Track market trends, competitive positioning, and emerging opportunities
- Represent the firm at industry events and networking functions
- Generate and convert leads into secured projects aligned with revenue goals
Strategic Partnerships
- Build and expand a network of industry partners and collaborators
- Identify and pursue strategic alliances to strengthen market position
- Connect internal teams with external partners to support project pursuits
Client Relationship Management
- Lead client engagement efforts and maintain consistent communication
- Translate client needs into actionable opportunities with technical teams
- Track activity, opportunities, and pipeline through CRM tools
Proposal & Sales Support
- Partner with marketing and technical teams to develop targeted pursuit strategies
- Support proposal development and positioning to win new work
Market Intelligence
- Conduct research on industry trends, investment activity, and emerging technologies
- Analyze competitor strategies and refine positioning
- Provide leadership with insights to guide growth strategy
Leadership & Collaboration
- Align business development efforts with market sector leaders and technical teams
- Mentor junior BD professionals and support a seller-doer culture
- Collaborate with marketing on campaigns, thought leadership, and outreach
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in business, engineering, marketing, or related field
- 10+ years of business development or client-facing experience within AEC
- Experience in one or more target sectors: industrial, manufacturing, or life sciences
- Proven ability to win and grow major client accounts
- Strong understanding of design and construction processes
- Established network across owners, developers, contractors, and design firms
- Strong communication, negotiation, and presentation skills
- Experience with CRM tools and market intelligence platforms
Profile
- Strategic and hands-on, capable of driving both short-term wins and long-term growth
- Relationship-oriented with a strong industry presence
- Collaborative leader who can influence both internal and external stakeholders
- Comfortable operating in a fast-paced, growth-focused environment
