Director of Business Development-General Construction

Kimmel & Associates Inc.

$150K — $160K *
US-AnywhereRemote in Chicago, IL
Real Estate & Construction
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 7+ years of proven business development experience in commercial construction or design-build environments.
  • Success in generating business within retail, restaurant, hospitality, or food service sectors.
  • Strong existing relationships with commercial developers and decision-makers in national retail and restaurant brands.
  • Deep understanding of construction processes, project budgeting, and delivery methods.
  • Excellent presentation, negotiation, and communication abilities.
  • Entrepreneurial mindset with self-motivation to drive business initiatives.
  • Willingness to travel and flexibility for remote work options.

Responsibilities

  • Identify and secure new business opportunities across national retail and food service sectors.
  • Manage the entire sales cycle, from prospecting to contract execution.
  • Represent a range of company services including Construction Management and Design-Build.
  • Develop strategic account plans to enhance growth in existing and new markets.
  • Build and maintain trusted relationships with key industry stakeholders.
  • Collaborate with internal teams to create effective project strategies and solutions.
  • Monitor industry trends and maintain a robust business development pipeline.

Benefits

  • Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance provided.
  • 401(k) retirement plan with company matching.
  • Generous paid time off and holiday allowances.
  • Flexible work environment that supports remote work options.
  • National client exposure with significant career growth potential.
  • Opportunity to influence the growth strategy of a growing construction firm.
  • Supportive leadership team focused on innovation and teamwork.
Full Job Description
About the Position

The company is seeking a strategic and relationship-driven Director of Business Development to lead national growth initiatives focused on the Retail, Restaurant, and Food Service markets.

Reporting directly to the President, this individual will be responsible for identifying new business opportunities, cultivating executive-level client relationships, and securing partnerships with national retailers, restaurant brands, franchise organizations, hospitality groups, and commercial developers.

This is an outstanding opportunity for an experienced construction business development professional with an established industry network who enjoys opening doors, developing long-term partnerships, and helping clients successfully execute multi-site commercial construction programs across the country.

Key Responsibilities

Business Development & Client Acquisition
  • Identify, pursue, and secure new business opportunities with national retail chains, restaurant groups, franchise organizations, and commercial developers.
  • Manage the complete sales cycle from prospecting and relationship development through proposal presentations, negotiations, and contract execution.
  • Represent the company's full suite of services, including Construction Management, General Contracting, Design-Build, Value Engineering, and Program Management.
  • Develop strategic account plans to grow existing relationships while expanding into new markets and industry segments.

Relationship Management
  • Build trusted relationships with Directors of Construction, Real Estate Executives, Development Managers, Procurement Leaders, and Franchise Development teams.
  • Collaborate closely with estimating, project management, and operations teams to develop winning project strategies and customized client solutions.
  • Serve as the primary point of contact throughout the preconstruction and proposal process.

Market Strategy & Growth
  • Monitor industry trends, market activity, and emerging opportunities within retail, restaurant, and commercial construction.
  • Maintain an active business development pipeline using CRM tools while tracking forecasts, opportunities, and conversion metrics.
  • Partner with executive leadership to identify strategic target markets, client profiles, and long-term growth initiatives.
  • Represent the company at national industry conferences, networking events, and trade shows including organizations such as ICSC and RFMA.

Requirements
  • 7+ years of successful business development or sales experience within commercial construction, construction management, or design-build environments.
  • Demonstrated success developing business within the retail tenant improvement (TI), restaurant, hospitality, or food service construction sectors.
  • Established relationships with commercial developers, national retailers, restaurant brands, franchise organizations, and corporate real estate decision-makers.
  • Strong understanding of commercial construction processes, budgeting, scheduling, and project delivery methods.
  • Ability to review conceptual drawings, scopes of work, and project budgets while effectively communicating construction solutions to clients.
  • Outstanding presentation, communication, negotiation, and relationship-building skills.
  • Self-motivated, entrepreneurial mindset with a proven ability to develop new business opportunities.
  • Willingness to travel nationally to client meetings, project sites, and industry conferences.
  • Ability to work remotely or from the Phoenix, Arizona office.

Benefits
  • Base salary of $150,000-$160,000
  • Lucrative performance-based commission and incentive program
  • Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance
  • 401(k) retirement plan with company matching
  • Generous paid time off and holidays
  • Flexible work environment with remote work opportunities
  • National client exposure and significant career growth potential
  • Opportunity to help shape the growth strategy of an expanding commercial construction firm
  • Collaborative leadership team committed to innovation, teamwork, and delivering exceptional client experiences

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