Business Development Lead

Business Development Lead

Grimshaw is a global architecture and design studio of ideas and invention, driven by a desire to connect people to each other and the world around us. We recognize the urgency of the challenges that face our planet, and our duty to deliver architecture and design best suited for a flourishing future. Our studios are founded on analysis and exploration. We relish the challenges inherent across a wide range of work, engaging our expertise and agility to deliver lasting, meaningful design that brings value and joy to clients and users. At Grimshaw, we encourage creativity, collaboration and innovation. We want our staff to be fulfilled by their time with us as we know the key to our continuing success is working with and engaging the most talented people we can find.

We are seeking a Business Development Lead to join our New York studio. This individual will play a pivotal role in advancing Grimshaw's North American business vision and market presence by strengthening research, intelligence-gathering, and pre-positioning efforts. The role is designed to be both externally facing, building networks and identifying opportunities early, as well as internally facing, ensuring accountability, processes, and tools are in place for leadership to act on them. This individual will be an enabling agent for partners and principals to secure new work through management of information, deliverables and systems. The role supports both the New York and Los Angeles studios, helping align business development initiatives across markets while leveraging regional insights.

What You Will Do

• Play a key role in developing innovative and well-coordinated business development, reputation-building campaigns, and client feedback programs for Grimshaw North America.
• Assist in developing project pitches, and ensure consistency and quality across all sectors, in coordination with sector leads.
• Conduct comprehensive market research and intelligence gathering to identify opportunities well in advance of the proposal stage, targeting long-term pipelines.
• Maintain comprehensive knowledge of competitor activities, market trends, and sector-specific developments to inform strategic decision-making.
• Support leadership in cultivating and maintaining relationships with clients, collaborators, and strategic partners, facilitating early engagement and informed decision-making.
• Develop, implement, and manage a CRM system to ensure consistent tracking of prospects.
• With a strong understanding of Grimshaw's business vision and market presence, represent the practice, targeting key organizations and individuals to generate new business opportunities.
• Coordinate new business efforts with global practice-wide marketing teams when necessary.
• Collaborate with external business development consultants as needed.
• Monitor and assess project conversion rates, returns on business development efforts, and other key metrics to refine BD approaches.
• Manage bid budgets and associated expenditures to ensure fiscal responsibility and alignment with strategic priorities.
• Contribute to the refinement of internal tools and processes that improve pipeline visibility, pursuit tracking, and team collaboration.

Position Requirements

• Minimum 10 years of progressively responsible experience in business development, marketing, or client strategy roles in architecture, design, or professional services environments.
• Strong knowledge of the architectural and design industry; commitment to design excellence.
• Experience engaging developers and municipal or city-level stakeholders a plus.
• Proven capacity to influence and guide senior leadership, shaping strategy, fostering accountability, and achieving results, while continuing to uphold a collaborative team culture.
• Demonstrated ability to build relationships, influence and engage with external and internal stakeholders. Highly networked, discreet, and adept at managing sensitive information to facilitate strategic advantage.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills; able to craft compelling positioning narratives and deliver persuasive presentations.
• Experience in supervising, mentoring, and developing team members, ensuring the timely completion of deliverables.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage competing priorities and maintain a proactive mindset in a fast-paced environment.
• Proficiency with CRM tools, market research platforms, and data analytics is a plus.

Salary and Benefits

Salary is commensurate with qualifications and experience, ranging from $150,000 - $170,000, excluding profit share and other benefits. This is a good faith estimate based on the expectations as laid out in the job description. Grimshaw offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes health insurance (medical, dental, vision and life insurance), annual profit share, Safe Harbor 401(k) plan, 15+ days paid time off, ARE support and yearly performance reviews.

Grimshaw is an equal opportunity employer that does not discriminate on the basis of actual or perceived race, creed, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, alienage or citizenship status, age, disability or handicap, sex, gender identity, marital status, familial status, veteran status, sexual orientation or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state or local laws. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all our colleagues.