Business Development Representative

CL Construction | Lincoln, Nebraska Build Relationships. Develop Opportunities. Drive Growth. CL Construction is looking for a driven, relationship-focused Sales & Business Development Representative to help grow our business by identifying and developing new construction opportunities. This is a hunter-style sales role for someone who enjoys getting out in the field, building relationships with decision-makers, and finding opportunities before they reach the bidding stage. You'll be responsible for developing new business, managing your sales pipeline, and moving qualified opportunities from the first conversation through closing. You'll work closely with our estimating, operations, project management, and division leadership teams to connect customer needs with the right construction solutions and pursue projects that align with our capabilities and growth goals. If you're persistent, self-motivated, and know how to turn conversations into business opportunities, we'd like to hear from you. What You'll Do Develop New Business Identify and pursue large construction projects, capital investments, facility expansions, and other opportunities within our target markets. Proactively generate leads through cold calling, in-person visits, networking, referrals, industry events, and market research. Build relationships with business owners, developers, general contractors, engineers, consultants, and other key decision-makers. Identify opportunities early, ideally before projects reach the bidding stage. Develop new accounts and grow existing customer relationships by understanding their needs and connecting them with CL Construction's capabilities. Own the Sales Process Manage assigned opportunities from initial prospecting and qualification through proposals, negotiation, closing, and customer handoff. Maintain an accurate sales pipeline in the CRM, including opportunity details, next steps, timelines, and follow-up. Consistently follow up with prospects and customers to keep opportunities moving forward. Evaluate opportunities based on project fit, timing, customer needs, capacity, and likelihood of success. Communicate pipeline activity, market insights, and upcoming opportunities to the Business Development Manager and company leadership. Work Across the Business Partner with estimating, operations, project management, and division leadership to develop solutions, scopes, proposals, and pricing. Understand customer requirements and communicate expectations clearly to internal teams. Present proposals, manage customer communications, and negotiate within established company guidelines. Ensure customer commitments align with our ability to successfully execute the work. Support a smooth transition to the appropriate internal team once a project is secured. What We're Looking For A proven track record in sales, business development, or a similar role, with demonstrated success generating new business. A strong hunter mentality and the persistence to consistently prospect, follow up, and develop opportunities over time. Experience with cold calling, networking, relationship development, and in-person customer visits. Strong communication, relationship-building, negotiation, and organizational skills. Experience managing a sales pipeline and using a CRM to track opportunities and activity. The ability to manage multiple opportunities, prioritize time effectively, and work independently. Strong business judgment and the ability to identify opportunities that align with customer needs and business objectives. The ability to build credibility with business owners, executives, project managers, and other decision-makers. Preferred Experience Experience in construction, commercial agriculture, industrial services, manufacturing, equipment, engineering, or a related industry. Existing relationships within construction, commercial agriculture, industrial, or manufacturing markets. Experience selling complex projects, services, equipment, or customized solutions. Experience developing new markets, territories, or customer accounts. Experience identifying projects during the planning or pre-bid stage. A bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, Agriculture, Construction Management, or a related field. Relevant experience may be considered in place of a degree. What Success Looks Like Success in this role means consistently creating new opportunities, building strong customer relationships, maintaining a healthy and accurate sales pipeline, and helping CL Construction secure projects that support long-term growth. This position requires significant time in the field, with approximately 60-70% of your time spent meeting with customers, prospects, referral sources, and other business contacts . #J-18808-Ljbffr