Director/VP of Business Development

The Director / VP of Business Development will manage the company's growth strategy and develop new revenue stream pipelines. The ideal leader will identify new market opportunities, build strategic partnerships and lead the sales and estimating function to win contracts in municipal, state, federal and commercial opportunities. The candidate will need experience in landscaping management including commercial, state and utility projects.

This is not a desk role. The right person knows the industry, is known in it, and can walk a job site with a crew lead as comfortably as they sit across from a DOT procurement officer. They understand what it takes to staff, price, and deliver work with labor crews and they bid to win profitably, not just to win.

Key Responsibilities

Growth Strategy & Pipeline

• Build and execute a business development strategy that grows revenue across public-sector, utility, and commercial markets.
• Identify, qualify, and prioritize opportunities that fit the company's capabilities, crew capacity and margin goals.
• Track and manage a disciplined pipeline with clear forecasts, win rates, and go/no-go decisions.
• Provide pipeline and business development updates and report to CEO and Head of Operations.
• Develop long-term sales strategies to expand footprint in regional or national markets.
• Identify and target high-value clients, including commercial property developers, utility companies, municipalities, and state DOTs.
• Analyze market trends and competitor landscapes to leverage the company’s reputation as a premier service provider.

Contract Acquisition, Bidding & Relationship Management

• Lead the full bid process for municipal, state (DOT), and federal contracts from RFP/IFB review through submission and award.
• Cultivate and maintain strong relationships with key decision-makers, such as facility managers, procurement officers, and civil engineers.
• Negotiate master service agreements (MSAs), pricing structures, and complex contract terms to ensure maximum profitability.
• Read, interpret, and negotiate contract terms, scopes of work, specifications, insurance, bonding, and prevailing wage requirements.
• Partner with operations and finance to build accurate, competitive estimates based on labor, equipment, materials, mobilization, and risk.
• Register and maintain the company on procurement portals and vendor lists (e.g., SAM.gov, state DOT and municipal systems).
• Manage relationships with prime contractors and pursue subcontracting and teaming opportunities where strategic.

Industry Relationships & Networking

• Build and leverage relationships with DOT officials, public works directors, municipal leaders, utility vegetation managers, and general contractors.
• Represent the company at industry associations, trade shows, pre-bid meetings, and community events (as needed to support business development).
• Serve as a trusted, visible face of the company in the markets we serve.

Operational Partnership

• Understand how large field crews are staffed, scheduled, and deployed so bids are realistic and deliverable.
• Collaborate with Operations and Program Manager leaders on project handoff, kickoff, and client expectations after award.
• Monitor contract performance and client satisfaction to drive renewals, extensions, and repeat work.

Leadership & Reporting

• Report on pipeline, bid results, and market intelligence to the President/CEO and leadership team.
• Build the business development function over time, including estimators or proposal support as the company grows.
• Manage and mentor the business development, sales, and estimating teams to meet or exceed quarterly revenue targets.
• Collaborate with operational VPs and regional managers to ensure proposed service solutions are logistically feasible and accurately priced.
• Oversee the integration of CRM systems to track the sales pipeline and accurately forecast revenue

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Engineering (Civil, Construction, or Forestry), Finance, Construction Management, or a related field. (Preferred not required)
• 8+ years of business development, sales, contracting, or estimating experience; Director level typically 8–12 years, VP level 12+ years with leadership scope.
• Proven track record winning government contracts at the municipal, state, and/or federal level.
• Deep working knowledge of public bidding and procurement: RFPs, IFBs, RFQs, sealed bids, bonding, insurance, DBE/MBE requirements, and prevailing wage.
• Established network in at least one of: highway maintenance, vegetation management, utility right-of-way, or large-scale commercial construction.
• Ability to read and interpret contracts, specifications, and scopes of work, and to spot risk before it becomes a problem.
• Hands-on understanding of how large labor crews and equipment fleets are planned, priced, and managed in the field.
• Strong estimating and pricing judgment; comfortable working with cost models and margins.
• Excellent relationship-building, presentation, and negotiation skills.
• Valid driver's license and willingness to travel regionally.

Leadership Competencies

• Hunter with a long game: Opens doors fast and builds relationships that last for years.
• Commercial discipline: Knows the difference between a good bid and a profitable contract and walks away when the numbers don't work.
• Field credibility: Earns respect from crew leads and foremen as easily as from agency directors.
• Detail and risk awareness: Reads the fine print and protects the company from costly surprises.
• Integrity and trust: Operates with transparency in a public-sector world where reputation is everything.
• Self-led and accountable: Builds structure, owns results, and leads with steadiness under deadline pressure.

What success looks like in the first 12–18 months

• A qualified, tracked pipeline across public, utility, and commercial markets.
• Measurable growth in bid volume and win rate, with healthy margins on awarded work.
• New multi-year or renewable contracts secured with agencies and utilities.
• Clear go/no-go process and smooth handoffs from award to operations.

Pay: $125,000.00 - $150,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• Health insurance
• Paid time off

Work Location: In person