Business Development Lead

AKS Engineering & Forestry; Vancouver (WA); On-site; USD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health coverage

401(k) match

Paid holidays

Weekly team lunches

PTO

Job summary

AKS Engineering & Forestry is seeking a Regional Business Development Lead to drive regional BD and marketing initiatives within an assigned region. You will work with leadership to identify opportunities, develop pursuit strategies, and strengthen client relationships to position AKS for success.

The role involves coordinating BD activities, developing market intelligence, and guiding pursuit teams to win and deliver high-quality, client-focused proposals. AEC industry experience preferred.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in business development, marketing, sales, client development, or a related role, preferably within the AEC industry.
• Strong understanding of business development and pursuit processes within architecture, engineering and construction.
• Excellent written and verbal communication with multiple stakeholders.
• Strong relationship-building and collaborative skills across disciplines and levels.
• Ability to research market intelligence and translate into actionable strategies.
• Experience with CRM platforms and tracking tools.

Responsibilities

• Lead and coordinate regional business development and marketing activities, including lead generation and pipeline development.
• Develop actionable market intelligence on budgets, trends, and client opportunities.
• Partner with leaders to identify, prioritize, and advance opportunities that align with AKS’s goals.
• Develop an annual regional business development strategy and provide updates.
• Assign and support Client Managers for priority clients and opportunities.
• Monitor client relationships and follow up on planned activities.
• Organize regional BD meetings with clear agendas and follow-through.
• Coordinate go/no-go decisions and ensure alignment with AKS strategy and resources.
• Develop capture strategies and lead proposal preparation with pursuit teams.
• Maintain regional pipeline information and track win/loss results.

Skills

Business development

Marketing

Sales

Client development

AEC industry

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Tools

CRM platforms

Microsoft Office

Job description

At AKS, we are growing and building for the future. We bring together multidisciplined experts across the land development, energy, and infrastructure markets to take on bigger challenges and deliver solutions that make a real difference. Our teams combine creativity, technical excellence, and a collaborative, hands‑on approach to solve complex problems and deliver results our clients and communities can count on. We take pride in our work and our ability to provide opportunities for our teams, support each other’s growth, and look ahead to what’s next. When you join AKS, you will find opportunities to take ownership of meaningful projects, learn, lead, and make an impact from day one.

We are excited to share that AKS has an opening for a Regional Business Development Lead. This full-time position will play a key role in driving business development and marketing activity within an assigned region. Working closely with our Business Development Manager, Market Sector Leaders, Regional Technical Leaders, Operations Leaders, and Marketing and Proposal teams, you’ll help identify and prioritize opportunities, develop pursuit strategies, strengthen client relationships, and position AKS for success.

As a Regional Business Development Lead, you’ll serve as the organizer, driver, and connector for regional business development activity. You’ll bring market intelligence, structure, accountability, and follow‑through to our pursuit efforts while supporting our technical and operational leaders in developing relationships and winning the right work for AKS.

What You’ll Do

• Lead and coordinate regional business development and marketing activities, including lead generation, pipeline development, pursuit strategy, proposal and interview preparation, post‑selection debriefs, and win/loss analysis.
• Develop and communicate actionable market intelligence, including capital improvement plans, agency budgets, bond measures, procurement forecasts, industry trends, competitor activity, and client‑specific opportunities.
• Partner with Market Sector Leaders, Regional Technical Leaders, and Operations Leaders to identify, prioritize, and advance opportunities that align with AKS’s strategic goals.
• Develop an annual regional business development strategy and plan, and provide regular updates based on market conditions, pipeline activity, and sales performance.
• Assign and support Client Managers (CMs) for priority clients and opportunities, helping them understand client needs, upcoming opportunities, competitors, client priorities, contractual requirements, and other factors that influence pursuit success.
• Monitor client relationship activities and proactively follow up to ensure planned client contacts and business development activities are being completed.
• Manage and actively pursue opportunities through existing on‑call contracts, master service agreements, and agency rosters.
• Organize and lead regional business development meetings with clear agendas, preparation, action items, accountability, and follow‑through.
• Coordinate regional go/no‑go decisions and ensure pursuits align with AKS strategy, sales goals, client positioning, available resources, and our ability to win.
• Develop and manage capture strategies for priority pursuits, including client intelligence, competitor analysis, teaming strategies, win themes, client engagement plans, and action items.
• Lead and coordinate proposal preparation with pursuit teams and Marketing and Proposal staff to ensure submissions are high‑quality, compliant, client‑focused, differentiated, and delivered on time.
• Maintain accurate regional pipeline information, including CRM updates, pursuit status, next steps, action items, client activity, and sales forecasts.
• Track and communicate win/loss results and use lessons learned to improve future pursuit strategies.
• Maintain accountability for regional business development activity and follow up with leaders and Client Managers to keep priority pursuits and relationship‑development activities moving forward.
• Partner with regional and market leaders to achieve established sales and growth goals.

Who You Are

• 5+ years of experience in business development, marketing, sales, client development, or a related role, preferably within the AEC industry.
• Strong understanding of business development and pursuit processes within the architecture, engineering, construction, land development, energy, or infrastructure industries.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple opportunities, deadlines, priorities, and stakeholders simultaneously.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to work effectively with technical professionals, operations leaders, executives, clients, and internal teams.
• Strong relationship‑building and interpersonal skills with the ability to work collaboratively across multiple disciplines and levels of an organization.
• Ability to research and interpret market intelligence and translate information into actionable business development strategies.
• Strong understanding of proposal development, capture planning, client positioning, and competitive analysis.
• Ability to facilitate meetings, establish accountability, track action items, and drive follow‑through.
• Highly self‑motivated and proactive, with the ability to identify opportunities and take initiative without waiting for direction.
• Comfortable working in a fast‑paced environment with changing priorities and multiple active pursuits.
• Strong attention to detail and commitment to producing accurate, high‑quality work.
• Proficient with Microsoft Office and CRM/business development systems.
• You have a "Do what needs to be done" mindset, taking ownership beyond assigned tasks and stepping in wherever needed to keep projects, teams, and customers supported and moving forward.
• Must have a valid driver's license and a clean driving record; must be insurable to operate an AKS vehicle.

Nice to Have

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, Communications, Engineering, or a related field.
• Experience working in an AEC, consulting engineering, environmental, planning, surveying, or construction organization.
• Experience developing regional business development strategies and sales plans.
• Experience managing public‑sector pursuits and understanding public procurement processes.
• Established relationships with municipal, county, state, utility, or other public‑sector clients.
• Experience with CRM platforms and business development tracking tools.
• Familiarity with capital improvement programs, agency budgeting, bond measures, procurement forecasts, and public‑sector purchasing processes.
• Experience developing capture plans, win themes, competitor assessments, and teaming strategies.
• Experience coordinating proposals and interviews for complex professional services pursuits.

Why AKS?

• Meaningful Growth: Whether you're just starting out or looking to advance, we offer hands‑on training, mentorship, and clear paths for professional development so you can grow with purpose.
• Real Collaboration: Join a team that brings diverse perspectives together to solve complex challenges with creativity, curiosity, and a shared commitment to quality.
• Respect for Your Time: We value work‑life balance and offer generous PTO and a supportive environment that helps you manage both personal and professional responsibilities.
• Benefits That Care: You’ll have access to health coverage that supports your total well‑being, plus a 401(k) match, paid holidays, and more resources to help you thrive.
• Weekly Team Lunches: Take a break and recharge with your teammates, we believe food brings people together.
• Culture That Connects: We invest in experiences that build strong teams and strong communities.
• A Place People Love to Work: We’ve been named one of the Top Workplaces year after year.

Join us and be part of a team that values your contributions, celebrates initiative, and is committed to doing things the right way for our employees, clients, and communities.