Business Development Associate

Object Construction; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 52,000 - 76,000; Full time

Job summary

Object Construction in Los Angeles seeks a Business Development Associate to support the team through opportunity evaluation, proposal development, and cross-functional coordination across Production, Design and Sales.

You will learn the commercial, technical and client-management aspects while growing into ownership of smaller accounts and early-stage opportunities, with mentorship from senior staff.

Qualifications

• Background in carpentry, fabrication, or scenic construction; hands-on experience preferred.
• Comfortable with budgets, estimates and numerical information.
• Willing to travel and work non-standard hours as needed.
• Strong written and oral communication skills.
• Interest in moving from production/field work into a client-facing role.

Responsibilities

• Participate in client calls, take notes, capture goals, budget ranges, schedule constraints, and technical requirements.
• Translate inquiries into a standardized format for estimating and planning.
• Coordinate with Production and Design teams for pricing and proposal development.
• Prepare estimates, proposal documents, and presentation materials using templates.
• Maintain pipeline records, project tracking, and CRM data.
• Independently manage a portfolio of smaller or earlier-stage accounts.
• Represent the company at client meetings as needed.

Skills

Client communication

Interpersonal skills

Detail-oriented

Organizational skills

Budget and estimates

Travel flexibility

Job description

The Business Development Associate supports the business development team by helping evaluate new opportunities, develop proposals, coordinate with internal teams, and manage projects throughout the sales cycle. Reporting to the Business Development Manager, the role is designed as a growth opportunity for someone with a background in fabrication, construction, carpentry, or production who is interested in transitioning into a client-facing, business development role.

The Associate will gain hands-on experience supporting projects from initial client inquiry through proposal development while learning the commercial, technical, and relationship management aspects of the business. As experience grows, they will take ownership of smaller accounts and earlier-stage opportunities, ultimately managing projects independently from initial inquiry through contract award.

Key Responsibilities

Participate in client calls alongside the Business Development Manager, take detailed notes, and capture creative goals, budget ranges, schedule constraints, and technical requirements

Translate inbound inquiries and call notes into a standardized format that Business Development and Production can use for estimating and planning

Coordinate with Production, Technical Design, and other internal teams to gather information needed for pricing, feasibility reviews, and proposal development

Prepare estimates, proposal documents, and presentation materials using established templates, standard language, past project references, and pricing structures

Maintain accurate pipeline records, project tracking, and CRM data to support forecasting and capacity planning

Independently manage a portfolio of smaller or earlier-stage accounts, handling client communication, proposal development, and pipeline tracking for those projects

Represent the company at client meetings as needed, particularly for accounts under direct management

Qualifications

Background in carpentry, fabrication, or scenic construction; hands-on experience in the experiential or scenic fabrication industry preferred

Comfortable working with budgets, estimates, and numerical information, with the ability to adapt to fabrication projects of varying size and complexity

Strong interpersonal skills and comfort talking with clients, including in early or unstructured conversations

Organized and detail-oriented, able to manage multiple opportunities simultaneously

Interest in moving from production/field work into an office-based, client-facing role

Strong written and oral communication skills

Willing to travel and work non-standard hours as needed

This position is intended as a development path into Business Development or Account Management. The Business Development Associate will receive direct mentorship from senior team members while building the technical, commercial, and client management skills needed to independently lead projects from initial inquiry through contract award.