Position Title: Director of Business Development

Client Company: Austin Industrial

Job Scope: Austin Industries and its operating companies engaged in almost every type of civil, commercial, and industrial construction. They wanted to double their revenue and were particularly looking for someone with business development experience pitching $1 billion projects who had managed teams of salespeople and was a degreed engineer. The Director of Business Development was to direct the development and successful implementation of both the long-range strategic plans and short-term tactics and programs aimed at the achievement of customer, market, and revenue growth, and profit objectives.  

Candidate Placement: White Hat Executive Search successfully placed a degreed engineer with Over 34 years’ experience with the Engineering, Construction and Maintenance industry for projects in the Refining, Chemical, Plastics, Petrochemical, Power, and Consumer Products industries. Experience ranges from actual field construction and maintenance to the monitoring of progress through quantity surveying and implementing project controls associated with cost engineering, industrial engineering, planning, and scheduling for Project management. Current experience includes managing and directing the sales and marketing efforts for major Engineering, Construction and Maintenance firms with primary focus in the process industries. Most recent experience includes managing the sales efforts for key client accounts in the refining and petrochemical industries. This individual brought with him the core belief that: “You can go as far as you want to go, if you don’t care who gets the credit.”

Key Accountabilities:

• Responsible for achieving successful profitable growth in the business.
• Manages and improves the performance of business development staff who oversee the day-to-day project activity, perform cost analysis, and provide P&L projections. 
• Works closely with executive management in a fast-paced, highly visible role.
• Prepares long-term forecasts in terms of volume and profit. 
• Conducts and prepares project and marketing information, which supports the strategic plans.
• Directs the activities of competitive analysis studies and research involved in the identification of market potential, trends, research, analysis of sales records, and problem identification and resolution, which are in support of the business development staff.
• Communicates with operations and customers to determine new market potential and pricing necessary to expand market penetration.
• Develops and maintains a current and potential client “database” to provide insight into exploitable segments of the marketplace.  The database will include contact information; pertinent information concerning current performance and trends; proposed new ventures; and future prospects of the targeted companies.
• Directs and coordinates the budget for trade shows, industry conferences, conventions, and meetings to align with marketing strategies.
• Responsible for the development of a business development budget and compliance with that budget.

Skills, Qualifications & Competencies:

• Bachelor’s degree
• 10 – 15 years’ experience in a business development, marketing, or related role.
• Specific, relevant industry experience consistent with “Markets” above.
• Ideally has a background in construction and/or maintenance, and not all engineering

• A business executive who is results oriented. A disciplined individual who can set aggressive targets and develop a plan and process to meet them and can break down complex problems and put them into manageable goals.
• A high energy, flexible, self-starting leader who leads by example. One who requires little oversight day-to-day and can move broadly across the organization with cross-functional interactions.  One who can influence people and lead a team in a strategy in adherence to goals, objectives, and processes. One with a high sense of urgency with commitment to achieve.
• A financially savvy individual with solid business acumen; understands financial metrics and business case investment return.
• Exhibits strong leadership, time management, interpersonal and organizational skills, who can multi-task and manage/handle multiple “balls in the air.”
• Skilled in overcoming obstacles using positive facilitation, teamwork, and influence through building and maintaining relationships. A friendly and open individual who is perceived as credible, competent, and trustworthy.
• One who is an independent strategic thinker with an eye on the future. One who can implement strategy and courses of action, gaining tactical, day-to-day results.