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. You will lead complex, multi-disciplinary pursuits, guide proposal and interview teams, and support regional growth initiatives that strengthen GFT’s market position and client relationships. 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. This position may be based in any of our Florida offices. 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. What you’ll be challenged to do: 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.). In this capacity, the successful candidate will be responsible for the following: Business Development & Marketing Support BGLs, RSLs, and other regional leaders 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. Client Service Team Support 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. Capture Planning Serve as a strategic driver of capture planning across Top Corporate Pursuits (TCPs), top business group (BG) priorities, and regional efforts. May serve directly as Capture Manager for TCPs or advise Capture Managers and their teams on strategic positioning and pursuit execution. Active contributors to all priority-level capture efforts and serve as key members of capture teams within their assigned BG or region. Determine the level of effort and capture budgets (estimate of hours, estimate of costs when requested) for pursuit teams, collaborating with leadership to ensure strategic alignment. 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. Serve as Red Team members for TCPs and priority-level pursuits. Perform peer compliance reviews across all levels of proposals Review proposal budgets across BGs, regions, and areas to ensure resource alignment with pursuit scope. Mentor others in proposal leadership roles and supports teaming strategies, client engagement, and cross-functional collaboration throughout the proposal lifecycle. Instrumental in setting proposal standards, ensuring consistency and excellence across teams. Writing Identify and develop compelling differentiators and value propositions for priority pursuits and TCPs through in-depth knowledge of the market, industry, and competitors. Serve as a key advisor and reviewer for top pursuits, providing feedback on content strategy and positioning. Actively research and analyze competitor proposals, participate in industry events to inform proposal best practices, and critique technical sections to enhance clarity, alignment, and strategic focus. 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. Communication/Collaboration/Culture 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. Navigate complex problem-solving across client, capture, and proposal phases and build relationships with internal and external stakeholders, including CSLs, market executives, and teaming partners. 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. Supervisory 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. What you will bring to our firm: EDUCATION AND LICENSING REQUIREMENTS 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 Normally requires a level of complexity in responsibility based on combined geographic coverage and size of operational responsibility or accomplishment in relevant operations Normally 5+ years of experience directly managing teams of multi-discipline marketing, communications, and proposal support staff on-site and remotely or a combination thereof 5+ years of experience providing capture planning support on large, complex opportunities; managing complex, large, multi-volume proposals; coaching interview teams Completion of a professional sales training program preferred (e.g. Shipley Winning Proposals, Capture Planning, and/or Interview Strategies or industry equivalent ADDITIONAL NOTES Other duties may be assigned. Office work environment. Must be able to sit or stand for extended periods of time. Must be able to independently travel and be physically present in the office when needed. Compensation: The salary range for this role is $125,000 - $145,000. Salary is dependent upon experience and geographic location. Featured Benefits: • Hybrid (in-person and remote) work environment.• Comprehensive benefits package including wellness programs, parental leave, and pet insurance, in addition to medical, dental, vision, disability, and life insurance.• Tax-deferred 401(k) savings plan.• Competitive paid-time-off (PTO) accrual.• Tuition reimbursement for continued education.• Commitment to professional development, access to internal and external training programs, and support of active participation in professional organizations• Incentive compensation for eligible positions. At GFT, a privately held AEC firm, we innovate where transportation, water, power, and buildings converge. We call this the Infrastructure of Life. We measure our success by the strength of our relationships – that’s why we’re the employer of choice for 5,000+ of the industry’s brightest engineers, planners, architects, inspectors, designers, and more. Our clients choose us for our expertise and prefer us for our nimble approach, creativity, and personal touch. Backed by over a century’s experience, together we’re building a lasting legacy for future generations: stronger communities, a healthier planet, and better lives. GFT: Ingenuity That Shapes Lives™ is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified candidates will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veterans’ status or other characteristics protected by law. Unsolicited resumes from third party agencies will be considered the property GFT. GFT does require the successful completion of a criminal background check for all advertised positions. Location: Florida ; Georgia ; South Carolina ; North Carolina Core Business Hours: 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM Employment Status: Full-Time