Head of Business Developments

Business Development Manager
GFT is seeking a Business Development Manager to provide strategic leadership across Florida and Georgia within our Transportation, Construction Services, and Buildings & Places markets. This high-impact role is designed for an accomplished AEC business development leader who drives the full lifecycle of growth—from client engagement and market intelligence to capture planning, proposal leadership, and interview execution. Leveraging deep expertise in FDOT, GDOT, and municipal procurement environments throughout Florida and Georgia, you will serve as a trusted partner to Client Service Leaders and Market Leaders, helping to identify opportunities, develop winning pursuit strategies, and translate client intelligence into measurable business results. This position also includes direct management of Business Development staff, with responsibility for establishing performance expectations, allocating resources across offices and markets, and developing a high-performing team aligned with regional growth objectives. We are seeking a proven AEC business development professional with demonstrated success leading Florida- and Georgia-based teams, managing strategic pursuits, and collaborating across business lines and geographies to achieve growth goals. The ideal candidate brings a strong understanding of the business development lifecycle, exceptional leadership and relationship-building skills, and a track record of delivering successful outcomes on high-value pursuits. At GFT, we're not just pursuing projects—we're strategically capturing opportunities that shape our communities. The Strategic Growth Office is the engine behind GFT's enterprise-wide growth. It fuels our most significant pursuits by aligning talent, insights, and strategy to win complex, high-impact projects. From vision through delivery, we partner across all Business Groups to develop compelling, competitive proposals that reflect our core values and technical excellence.
The BD&M Leader is responsible for providing overall leadership of the business development lifecycle within a complex regional or national business group structure. Substantial resource management, workload management and prioritization, strategic research and writing, assessment of potential client and teaming opportunities; and direct interface with key roles in the business to achieve growth (Regional Sales Leaders, Business Growth and Sales Leaders, Market Sector Leaders, Client Service Leaders, and Capture Managers, etc.).
Business Development & Marketing

Provide strategic planning, business development, and marketing initiatives for assigned business groups, regions, or areas.
Contribute to BD collateral development, support internal and external meetings, and attend relevant industry events to maintain visibility and alignment with growth strategies.
Act as a proactive partner in all stages of the Business Development Lifecycle Process (BDLP), staying informed on team-wide BD activities to provide strategic insight and continuity across functions.
BD Data/Processes/Practices

Lead and approve process improvements, tool adoption, and innovations within the BD function on collaboration with BD leaders, directors, and the Chief Growth Officer (CGO).
Champion the implementation and consistent use of AI tools across the BD group and lead evaluations of new technologies as needed.
Responsible for data accuracy within their team, ensuring effective use of databases and promoting continuous improvement in systems and processes.
Lead business development and marketing (BD&M) strategy in alignment with client action plans (CAPs), business plans, and organizational strategic plans.
Help identify and develop new target clients and often serves as the initial BD Partner.
Participate in Client Service Teams (CSTs) for select Tier I or intended Tier I clients, advising on cross-sell opportunities, client tier validation, and resource allocation in collaboration with Business Group Leaders (BGLs), Regional Sales Leaders (RSLs), and Business Growth and Sales Leaders (BGSs).
Mentor CSTs and aligned BD staff, and help develop client-specific campaigns, strategies, and engagement materials in collaboration with MarCom.
Serve as a strategic driver of capture planning across Top Corporate Pursuits (TCPs), top business group (BG) priorities, and regional efforts.
Mentor BD Managers, BD & Proposal Managers, and Senior Proposal Managers on major and priority pursuits, and provide ongoing guidance to BD staff in supporting pursuit efforts.
Proposal Management

Provide oversight of TCPs and priority-level pursuits, offering strategic guidance to ensure high-quality, compliant, and competitive proposals.
Perform peer compliance reviews across all levels of proposals
Serve as a key advisor and reviewer for top pursuits, providing feedback on content strategy and positioning.
Directly contributes to elevating the quality and competitiveness of all major proposal efforts.
Interview Development

Coach teams to align presentation content with established win themes and strategy.
Verify consistency in messaging and help shape presentation narratives, guiding teams through content creation, presenter selection, and strategic alignment.
Provide coaching and mentorship to BD Managers and others involved in interview strategy, ensuring both message delivery and team confidence are aligned with client expectations and firm standards.
Serve as a model of emotional intelligence and adaptable leadership.
Communicate effectively with regional BD teams, area and regional leaders, and BG stakeholders, adjusting their style to meet the needs of various audiences—from small team settings to executive leadership discussions.
Facilitation skills should support conflict resolution, solution development, and cross-functional collaboration across all levels of pursuit
Coach team leads—such as BD Managers, BD & Proposal Managers, and Senior Proposal Managers—on leadership development and pursuit strategy.
Help establish and implement best practices in people management and collaborate closely with BD&M leadership on organizational strategy and team development.
Responsible for the overall management, mentoring, oversight, quality and performance of their team.
Managing through other managers (Business Development Managers/BD & Proposal Managers).
Responsible for managing workload through resource planning tools, balancing priorities while maintaining quality and performance.
Lead high-visibility projects, provide strategic direction and oversight, and serve as a key liaison between leadership and their team.
Develop training initiatives that enhance skills, foster career growth, and elevate overall team performance.
As a people manager, they are accountable for the growth, development, and performance of their team, fostering a positive, inclusive, and high-performing culture.
Normally, a 4-year degree in English, Marketing, Journalism, Communications, or applicable field - or comparable experience - is required.

Training, Skills, Knowledge and/or Experience

• 10 years in the areas of developing and implementing best practices and business processes; participating in and/or leading all phases of the business development lifecycle
• Understanding of company's respective business lines and geographical reach