Director of Business Development, Higher Education

Are you fueled by a passion for turning your client’s dreams into reality and creatively tackling their most challenging obstacles? Do you seek to join a team committed to providing an extraordinary experience for every client? If your answer is a resounding “Yes!”, then an exciting, long-term career opportunity is on the horizon for you.

We are seeking a dynamic and visionary Director of Business Development to spearhead and generate our approach to the Higher Education business on a national scale. This pivotal role involves identifying and seizing new business opportunities, cultivating strong client relationships, and driving transformative growth within the thriving Higher Education industry. Join us in shaping the future of this exciting market!

This role can be located in White Plains, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Raleigh, Baltimore, or Atlanta.

We are dedicated to the well-being of our associates and are proud to be consistently recognized as a Best Place to Work. Our compensation and benefits package not only supports our associates and their families but benefits local communities and communities around the world.

• Industry-leading performance-based bonus program
• Employee Stock Ownership Program (ESOP)
• Traditional and Roth 401k
• Tuition reimbursement for associates
• Scholarship for associates’ children up to $28,000 per child
• 1-month paid sabbatical after every five years of employment, plus $5,000 for travel
• 15 business days of PTO + 8 paid holidays + 1 floating day
• 1-week paid volunteer leave each year
• Family Planning support
• 12 weeks of paid Maternity leave
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance

At ARCO, our first core value is to treat people fairly and do the right thing. We are committed to building and sustaining a culture that supports diversity and inclusion. We are proud to be a drug-free workplace and an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment.

From recruiting, training, and hiring practices to selecting our subcontractors, we understand that diversity of all those involved in the construction process enhances our ability to deliver the best solutions to our customers. We hire the best and the brightest from across the country – constructing a team of experts in architecture, design, engineering, project management, and business services.

• Market Expansion: Identify and evaluate new business opportunities within the Higher Education sector, leveraging market trends like automation, material handling, and sustainable practices.
• Strategic Partnerships: Cultivate relationships with key stakeholders, including alumni, faculty, and University/Collegiate specific construction departments, to drive collaborative growth.
• Sales Leadership: Develop and execute creative sales strategies to meet revenue goals, including overseeing proposals, contracts, and negotiations.
• Team Collaboration: Work closely with internal project manager teams to align business development strategies with our design-build capabilities and project execution goals.
• Teaching Skills: Understand our customer's business and be able to teach for differentiation, offering perspectives the customer hasn't considered. Manage and create a Higher Education Business Development plan for specific Universities/Colleges that currently align with ARCO's design/build implementation.
• Tailoring Abilities: Tailor your messaging to resonate with individual customer needs, addressing their specific pain points and value drivers.
• Taking Control: Lead conversations, discussing sensitive topics like pricing, and creating constructive tension to push customers towards new ways of thinking.
• Critical Thinking and Research: Evaluate customer needs, identify economic drivers, and craft compelling solutions.
• Communication Skills: Display clear, assertive, and respectful communication to steer conversations and convince customers while maintaining professionalism.
• Resilience and Courage: Debate ideas, pushing customers out of their comfort zones, and maintaining control of complex sales processes involving multiple stakeholders.

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Construction Management, Engineering, Supply Chain or related field.
• Over 10 years of extensive experience in business development and project management within the AEC industry, specifically focused on the Higher Education Sector.
• Proven ability to identify opportunities, build strategic partnerships, and execute growth strategies.
• Demonstrated history of successfully securing and managing transformative, large-scale projects.
• Exceptional leadership, negotiation, and relationship-building skills.
• Ability to analyze market trends and translate insights into actionable strategies.
• Proficiency in CRM tools (e.g., Salesforce), data analysis, and presentation software like Excel and PowerPoint.

We are proud to be one of the fastest-growing, privately-owned companies in America, celebrating over 30 years of experience as design-build experts. We have completed over 6,300 design-build projects across 48 states and 48 major cities nationwide. We ranked #4 out of the top 100 design-build companies in the U.S. and #17 on ENR's Top 400 Contractors list of 2024. Most importantly, our clients like us, trust us and want to do business with us. We are looking for people with the same enthusiasm, passion, and respect for the hard work that brought us to where we are today. Are you a person that can make a difference at ARCO? If the answer is, “Yes!” we look forward to meeting you.

ARCO does not accept unsolicited resumes from individual recruiters or third-party recruiting agencies without pre-approval from ARCO’s Human Resource team. Pre-approval is required before any external candidate can be submitted. ARCO will not be responsible for fees related to unsolicited resumes and for candidates who are sent directly to our hiring managers.

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EOE, including disability/vets