Business Development Manager

Business Development Manager – Fort Wayne, IN

Design Collaborative | Full-Time | Architecture & Planning

About Us

At Design Collaborative, we’re passionate people delivering remarkable results. We’re a team of people who care deeply about making a positive impact through our people-first design approach. As a multidisciplinary firm, we bring together architects, engineers, interior designers, and graphic designers to help create spaces that improve people’s worlds.

Our culture is grounded in five core values—Put People First, Love What You Do, Own It, Give Back, Have Fun, and Live Up to Our Name. These values guide everything we do with our clients, inside the communities we work in, and within our organization.

The Opportunity

We’re looking for an experienced Business Development Manager to join our Fort Wayne, Indiana office. In this role, you’ll play a critical part in expanding our presence in IN/OH/MI area, forging strong client relationships, and driving new business opportunities across the architecture, engineering, and design space.

If you're a strategic thinker with a passion for people and a strong understanding of the building design landscape, this could be the perfect next step in your career.

What We're Looking For

• Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Business, Communications, or a related field preferred.
• CPSM certification (Certified Professional Services Marketer through SMPS) preferred.
• 5+ years of industry experience in Architecture, Engineering, Interior Design, Construction, or related Building Design required.
• 5+ years of business development experience in a professional services environment
• Existing network and relationship base established in Indiana, Ohio, and/or Michigan strongly preferred.

What You'll Do

• Identify and pursue new business opportunities through networking, outreach, events, and community involvement
• Build and maintain a robust, qualified pipeline leveraging our CRM tools
• Research potential clients and markets to uncover key opportunities
• Schedule and lead discovery meetings with both new and existing clients
• Collaborate with technical teams to develop proposals and scopes of work
• Maintain an active presence in industry and community organizations
• Track and meet defined business development goals and metrics
• Work closely with Marketing and BD teams in regular huddles and strategy sessions
• Foster strong internal relationships with technical staff, Market Leaders, and Relationship Managers
• Contribute to company culture by participating in firm events and weekly meetings

Skills & Strengths

• Understanding of A/E/C industry terms and project delivery methods
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
• Strong organizational and time management skills
• Confident working independently and collaboratively
• High attention to detail and ability to prioritize under pressure
• Familiarity with CRM platforms and data-driven pipeline tracking

Travel

Developing strong relationships with our design team, Market Leaders, the Business Development & Marketing team, as well as externally with current & prospective clients is essential to succeed in this role. This role generally includes travel within the Indiana, Ohio, and Michigan area up to 3 days a week and in-office presence typically 2 days week. Overnight travel is not anticipated on a regular basis but may be required when participating in conferences, which typically occur 8-10 times a year.

Join a team that’s building something great—together.

If you’re ready to bring your expertise and energy to a team that values growth, collaboration, and purpose, we’d love to hear from you.