Custom Fabrication - Sales and Marketing Manager

Job Description

Job Description

Dillon Works is a specialty design and fabrication studio with nearly 40 years of experience creating extraordinary environments for theme parks, museums, casinos, retail spaces, and architectural installations. Our team of skilled craftspeople — spanning design, estimating, fabrication, metal, sculpt, mold, CNC and paint — brings imaginative concepts to life for some of the most recognized brands in the world. We're a close-knit, high-craft shop where relationships, reputation, and doing things right have defined us since the beginning. See more at dillonworks.com

We are seeking an experienced Sales & Marketing Manager to lead our client-facing sales, estimating, and proposal functions. This is a senior, hands-on role at the center of our business — you will be the facilitator who ensures opportunities are pursued with precision, proposals are thorough and compelling, and client relationships are nurtured throughout the project lifecycle. You will work closely with ownership, production leadership, and our estimating team to drive sustainable growth while honoring the craft and culture that make Dillon Works exceptional.

Key Responsibilities:

Business Development & Client Relations

• Identify and pursue new business opportunities in themed entertainment, museum, casino, retail, and architectural sectors.

• Build and maintain strong relationships with existing and prospective clients, ensuring Dillon Works remains a preferred partner.

• Represent the company professionally in all client communications, meetings, and industry settings.

• Keep ownership informed and organized around active opportunities, pending decisions, and upcoming commitments.

Proposals & Estimating

• Lead the end-to-end proposal process for complex, multi-disciplinary projects — from initial RFP review through submission.

• Read, comprehend, and critically analyze RFP and bid documents; flag areas of concern, ambiguity, or risk to the team before commitments are made.

• Ensure all proposal requirements are met and every box is checked — thoroughness and accuracy are non-negotiable.

• Collaborate with the estimating team to review scopes and catch potential errors before they become problems.

• Maintain working proficiency in Excel to support change order tracking, cost reviews, and scope management.

Contracts & Compliance

• Review and interpret client contracts with a working understanding of key terms, obligations, and risk areas.

• Coordinate contract execution and maintain organized records of signed agreements, deliverables, and milestones.

• Escalate complex legal or contractual questions appropriately while keeping the process moving.

Internal Coordination & Leadership

• Serve as the coordination hub between client-facing activities and internal production — ensuring nothing falls through the cracks.

• Proactively keep ownership and the team reminded of proposals due, contracts pending review, email drafts requiring approval, and upcoming commitments.

• Build collaborative working relationships across departments, recognizing that each person on the team brings a unique perspective and communication style.

• Participate in succession planning for estimating and marketing functions as the team evolves over the coming years.

Qualifications:

Required

• 5+ years in a business development, sales, or proposal management role — ideally within specialty fabrication, construction, themed entertainment, exhibit design, or a related creative/technical industry.

• Demonstrated success managing complex proposals and RFP responses from start to finish.

• Strong contract literacy — comfortable reviewing agreement terms and identifying key obligations and risk factors.

• Exceptional organizational skills and a reliable, detail-oriented memory — you follow through and nothing gets dropped.

• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel at a working level (formulas, basic tracking, reviewing estimates).

• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills.

• High emotional intelligence — the ability to read people, adapt your approach, and work effectively with a diverse team of skilled craftspeople and creative professionals.

• A collaborative, non-confrontational disposition; someone who can advocate a position clearly and then move forward when the plan changes.

Preferred

• Experience in themed entertainment, museum exhibit, casino, or retail/experiential design sectors.

• Familiarity with fabrication processes, materials, and production operations.

• Experience reviewing or generating content for marketing materials and capability statements

Who You Are

You're the orchestrator, not always the one doing every task — but you make sure the right things get done by the right people at the right time. You lead with curiosity and respect, understanding that a 40-year-old company has deep institutional knowledge worth learning before trying to change anything. You're persistent without being pushy, organized without being rigid, and thorough without being slow.

You thrive in an environment where no two projects are the same, where clients are sophisticated, and where your attention to detail on a proposal can make or break a major opportunity. You read the documents. You catch the details. You sound the alarm when something doesn't add up — before it becomes a problem.