Principal, Business Development

Operations · Chicago, United States

Job description

We continue to revolutionize the creation of workplace to meet the needs of today’s ever-changing global brands. Our agile, end-to-end experience, delivered seamlessly across borders, is powered by strong client partnerships and enabled by sound workplace intelligence and transformational technology.

We believe that everyone should work in an environment that inspires productivity, peak performance and delivers wellbeing. Across our 48 global studios we see that positive work environments foster open, collaborative and supportive cultures populated by highly independent, motivated people. While our core business is strategising, designing and building workplaces for some of the biggest brands in the world, we know our people are our #1 asset. We look after them with an extensive Employee Value Proposition program which includes rewards and recognition, career development and a focus on wellbeing.

Role Profile: 

As Principal, Business Development, you will be building client pipeline in your region. You will be a strategic and tactical leader, creating opportunity for the team to delivery top notch design-build work and elevating Unispace’s brand in Boston. 

What you’re responsible for:

Business/Financial

  • Developing and executing the local Business Development strategy including forecasting in line with our 80/20 methodology 
  • Developing local insights and analytics in collaboration with Client Relations to support the continuous evolution of our strategy
  • Creating a local opportunity pipeline in accordance with agreed strategic plan and budget/targets 
  • Handovers in line with region’s local targets 
  • Local strategy result deployed result in high conversion rate with target clients 
  • Opportunity pipeline meets regionally agreed targets 
  • Target opportunities fit within our 80/20 methodology 
  • Undertaking lead source analysis and driving lead management 
  • Collaborating with Regional Marketing & Communications to ensure brand alignment with client approach 
  • Collaborating with Strategy, Design and Delivery to identify key industry or client relationships

Client/Stakeholder

  • Undertaking 80/20 Conversion analysis locally to support business planning 
  • Implementing global strategies around research projects in conjunction with marketing and strategy teams within the location 
  • Implementing within the region globally agreed event strategies and budgets 
  • Developing fresh and innovative approaches to identify and attract target clients 
  • Participate in local studio planning to identify local or regional specific opportunities and client types 
  • Mapping and following key local client relationships (new, existing and previous contacts and firms) 
  • Demonstrates creativity to achieve results 
  • Business development initiatives reflect a high alignment to our brand 
  • Local studio plan deployed reflects high potential opportunities with target clients 
  • Agreed number of effective research projects implemented within the location 
  • Agreed number of effective events executed within the location 
  • Demonstrated success at supporting and driving cross regional client opportunities
  • Collaborating with Global Business Development Team to identify and drive cross regional opportunities with target clients  

People/Team

  • Collaborating across disciplines, regions and within studios 
  • Developing and managing Business Development expertise in the three key areas of Networking/Cold calling/Research and Client Intelligence 
  • Clear goals set for team and delivery managed against these 
  • Openness and effectiveness of communication across disciplines/teams 
  • Extent and quality of collaboration in developing solutions affecting other teams/disciplines 
  • Effectiveness and quality of relationships across teams within the Discipline and Studio 
  • Extensive local market and industry knowledge
  • Utilizing cold calling techniques as a method to build relationships with potential leads
  • Client facing relationship management
  • Lead management
  • Clear goals set for team and delivery managed against these
  • Openness and effectiveness of communication across disciplines/teams
  • Extent and quality of collaboration in developing solutions affecting other teams/disciplines
  • Effectiveness and quality of relationships across teams within the Discipline and Studio

Job Specific – Operational Excellence, Risk. Etc.

  • Drive Business Development methodology, standards/practices, processes and technology solutions with partnership from the Head of Strategic Accounts to enhance the capability and effectiveness of the organization
  • Drive a culture of accuracy in research and intelligence for handover
  • Developing and implementing local risk management plan in collaboration with RPBD, ensuring appropriate action is taken when risks arise e.g. Legal, reputational and financial risks
  • Drives input of accurate, timely information into CRM system
  • Local risk management plan implemented with evidence of appropriate action taken
  • Consistency of standards, technology solutions and process across local studio to achieve global brand capability, drive best practices and achieve efficiencies
  • Implementing and supporting Corporate Social Responsibility program
  • Collaborating with Marketing & Communications for continual improvement of events
  • Evidence of lessons learnt and adjusting of strategy
  • Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives implemented in line with regional vision

The statements on the job description are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by the person(s) assigned to do this job.  The job description is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities and duties required.

*External and internal applicants, as well as position incumbents who become disabled must be able to perform the essential job functions (as listed on the job description) either unaided or with the assistance of a reasonable accommodation to be determined by management on a case by case basis.

Unispace is committed to inclusion and diversity in all aspects of our business. We are proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and will evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, religious creed, color, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, ancestry, marital status, medical condition as defined by state law (genetic characteristics or cancer), physical or mental disability, military service or veteran status, pregnancy, childbirth and related medical conditions, genetic information or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state or local law. We enable our teams to provide diverse, fresh perspectives and to be courageous in challenging conventions of the way we work, collaborate, and learn.