Business Development Lead

Kids for the Future; Des Moines (IA); On-site; USD 80,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Des Moines Area Regional Transit Authority (DART) seeks a Business Development Lead to cultivate revenue-generating partnerships and expand access to public transit across Greater Des Moines.

Reporting to External Affairs, this role collaborates with Marketing, Communications, and Community Engagement to drive external engagement and advocate for transit. The position requires strong relationship management, initiative, and the ability to coordinate with diverse stakeholders.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent education and/or experience in business, public administration, marketing or related field.
• Minimum of three years’ experience in business development, nonprofit fundraising, or sales with proven results.

Responsibilities

• Manages DART’s Unlimited Access program to grow partnerships and revenue.
• Develops strategies to support revenue growth and evaluates new partnerships.
• Sets pricing structures, policies, and procedures with leadership.
• Builds relationships with community and business stakeholders and delivers presentations on DART’s value.
• Represents DART to increase transit access and awareness.
• Oversees bus advertising programs and contractor relationships.
• Identifies grant opportunities and manages grant lifecycle.
• Maintains Chamber of Commerce memberships and sponsorship opportunities.
• Collaborates with internal teams to remove barriers to service.

Skills

Sales & fundraising

Relationship management

Public speaking

Proposal writing

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Tools

CRM software

MS Office

Grant management tools

Job description

• Location 620 Cherry Street,Des Moines, IA, 50309,United States
• Employee Type Admin FT - Exempt

Description

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Business Development Lead will develop new and grow existing relationships that generate revenue and strengthen support for public transit across Greater Des Moines. Joining during an exciting time following the launch of DART’s reimagined bus network, the position will oversee programs and partnerships with businesses, community organizations and regional leaders, with a focus on increasing and diversifying revenue for DART while also expanding access to public transit.

As part of the External Affairs team, this role works closely with Marketing, Communications, and Community Engagement to ensure a coordinated approach to external engagement. The role operates in a collaborative, fast-paced environment and requires initiative, strong relationship management skills, and the ability to stay organized and communicate effectively with many diverse stakeholders.

POSITION RESPONSIBILITIES INCLUDE, BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO:

Essential Functions of this Position:

• Manages DART’s Unlimited Access program, seeking new partnerships and supporting existing relationships that increase access to transit and generate revenue for DART.
• Develops and implements strategies that support revenue growth and guides the organization in evaluating new partnership opportunities.
• Works with leadership to establish an effective framework for creating and maintaining business relationships, including pricing, structures, policies and procedures.
• Builds and strengthens relationships with community and business stakeholders to foster engagement with DART and support for public transit. Develops and delivers presentations on DART and the value of public transit to various groups.
• Represents DART in the community and works closely with the External Affairs Team to increase transit access, promote services, and raise community awareness of DART and the value of public transit.
• Oversees DART’s bus advertising programs and relationships with contractors who fulfill that work.
• Identifies new grant revenue opportunities with private and corporate foundations and works with staff to vet, write applications and manage grants.
• Manages DART’s membership in Chambers of Commerce, building relationships, identifying sponsorship opportunities and ensuring staff presence at events.
• Works with leadership and across internal departments to identify opportunities to reduce barriers to DART services in the community and improve the overall DART experience for external stakeholders.

Additional Responsibilities of this Position:

• Supports business development of the Caravan Rideshare program.
• Ensures proper records and procedures are maintained to comply with government regulations.
• Participates in cross-functional teams on various community and/or DART projects as needed.
• Analyzes data and statistical reports and presents recommendations to DART Leadership and/or the DART Commission.

QUALIFICATIONS

Education/Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent education and/or experience) from an accredited college or university with major coursework in business, public administration, marketing or a related field.
• Minimum of three years’ experience in business development, nonprofit fundraising, or sales required, with a proven history of fundraising, sales, or business development results.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

Knowledge of:

• Sales, marketing and/or fundraising principles and management.
• The Des Moines area business and/or non-profit community, as well as business locations, landmarks and towns in DART’s service area.
• Consumer behavior and motivation and how to translate that into communications and pitches to generate sales or donations.
• Principles and practices of providing excellent customer service in a tactful and effective manner.
• Personal computers and current office software programs for word processing, presentations, email, spreadsheets and databases at an advanced proficiency level, as well as working knowledge of email and social media applications.

Skills and Abilities:

• Demonstrate self-direction, high motivation and results-driven performance.
• Identify and discern ideas, make recommendations to leadership and staff, and guide an idea through execution.
• Communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing, with the ability to convey ideas, strategies, programmatic concepts and policies to a wide variety of audiences.
• Write and speak in a clear, persuasive manner, translating agency impact into winning proposals and asks.
• Produce presentations that are visually appealing and deliver a compelling message.
• Talk with and present to employers, interested customers and large groups of individuals regarding program benefits and features.
• Be highly organized, keeping records, coordinating action steps and following up in a timely manner with internal and external stakeholders.
• Develop and maintain effective working relationships with agency staff, the business community, and the public.
• Operate a personal or company vehicle and maintain insurability.

Most of the work is performed in an open office environment, with some ability to flex hours and work remotely. Work environment includes both indoor and outdoor conditions. This position will have to travel to conduct business and community partnership activities. During this travel, the worker may be exposed to adverse outdoor conditions, including heat, cold and precipitation. Occasional “on-call” and night and weekend hours are required.

Disclaimer:

This is not necessarily an exhaustive list of responsibilities, skills, duties, requirements, efforts, or working conditions associated with the position. While this list is intended to be an accurate reflection of the current position, the DART Commission reserves the right to revise the functions and duties of the position, or to require that additional or different tasks be performed when circumstances change (e.g., emergencies, staff shortages, workload changes, rush jobs, or technological developments).