Sr. Business Development & Marketing Manager at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP in San Francisco, California

Job Description:

At SOM, we are a collective committed to shaping a better future for our clients, communities and planet. We aspire to create the most sustainable, impactful work through creative, interdisciplinary teams with all the resources and diversity of a global firm. We value those who are passionate about excellence, innovation, integrity, inclusivity, and collaboration. Together we can achieve great things.

Success at SOM Means   

• Ideas: We believe in a meritocracy of ideas. We look to everyone to actively contribute to the discourse in the firm.




• Knowledge: We believe that expertise is the result of lifelong learning. We are not expected to know everything, but rather to passionately pursue answers, develop new skills and deepen our knowledge.  




• Product: We strive for excellence in the concept, quality, and delivery of our work.  




• Individual: We value individuals who bring the highest standards of professionalism and personal integrity in the way they work. Each person can develop and contribute their wealth of attributes, skills and knowledge to support the overall health of the firm. 




• Team: We value the power of interdisciplinary integration. A positive team culture in which everyone collaborates openly toward common goals is essential.  




• Firm: We have a history of making transformative contributions to the profession and our communities. We are constantly innovating and attempting to bring new approaches, solutions and processes to our work.

Position Responsibilities 

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  Business Development (50%)

  
  
  
  

  • Focuses on the Commercial, Residential, Interiors, and Adaptive Reuse practices on the West Coast.

  
  

  • Collaborates with local leadership on business development strategies and the evaluation of potential clients and projects, ensuring regular decision-making. 

  
  

  • Collaborates with Practice Leaders and local Leadership on pipeline management, including ensuring data accuracy, in order to meet practice- and firm- goals 

  
  

  • Is a strong contributor to business plan creation and implementation, by identifying trends and growth areas in the market, and how to best strategically position SOM, interpreting historical data, identifying target clients, keeping groups/leaders on target, providing research, etc. Researches, interprets, and shares market intelligence, including specific client research.

  
  

  • Regularly communicates and meets with new/existing clients to discover project information, alongside Leadership. Regularly represents SOM to clients, potential clients, and consultants as another "face" of the firm, including at conferences and events. 

  
  

  • Leads regular business development Leadership meetings and participates in firmwide practice calls. 

  
  

  •  Collaborates with Global Marketing & Business Development Leader and other colleagues to develop and implement business development practices and strategies.   

  
  

  • Coaches and mentors Marketing and Design Disciplines staff on business development strategies and techniques. 

  
  

  • Develops and maintains a strong business network. 

  
  

  • Maintains a profile in professional and community organizations. 

  
  
  
  

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  Marketing (50%)

  
  
  
  

  • Oversees the development of proposal materials created by local marketing team and provides strategic input  

  
  

  • Advises on the development of general marketing collateral

  
  

  • Team Management Manages a local marketing team, including their professional development  

  
  

  • Leads business development portion of regular Leadership meetings and participates in firmwide practice calls. 

  
  

  • Collaborates with Global Marketing & Business Development Leader and other Managers to develop and implement firmwide business development strategies. 

  
  

  •  Collaborates with Global Marketing & Business Development Leader to develop and manage the annual marketing budget, resources and staffing efforts. 

  
  

  • Tracks opportunities, business plans, and business development initiatives using Salesforce, and effectively uses Salesforce to manage work and communicate with others through reports.

  
  

  • Acts as a key resource in the office for Salesforce training and quality assurances 

  
  

  •  Liaises with local and global Communications Team, both with content and ideas to support marketing and business development efforts. 

  
  

  • Performs other tasks and responsibilities as may be required. 

  
  
  
  

Leadership Responsibilities - Associate 

• Actively leads a project team. 




• Directly supervises, trains, and mentors team members. 




• Engages in talent strategy to find specialists, leaders, and future professionals for the firm through resume review and interviews. 




• Demonstrates leadership in the implementation of sustainable strategies in all project assignments and the associated development of staff knowledge. 




• Creates and drives new ways of working through contributing to the development of services, standards, procedures based in an understanding of the business principles that protect SOM from financial and legal risk. 

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Architecture, Urban Design, Marketing, Communications, or related field.




• 10 years of professional services business development experience (A/E/C industry preferred), with a minimum of 2 years in a management role. 




• Exceptional written, oral, interpersonal, and presentation skills and the ability to effectively work within a matrix organization 




• Strong people and project management skills 




• Strong storytelling skills 




• Enthusiastic collaborator and team player 




• Proactive, detail-oriented and committed to achieving tangible results in a fast-paced environment    




• Ability to coach and mentor others, including peers 




• Self-reliant, creative problem solver, results-oriented 




• Must have Salesforce or other CRM software experience 




• Strong Microsoft Office and Google Workspace skills 




• Adobe Creative Suite skills preferred 




• Fluency in English; other languages a plus. 

Are you ready to join a team of creative professionals working on transformational projects around the world? Take advantage of this exciting opportunity to build a better future with SOM. 

Our Benefits:

Health and Wellness: Medical, dental, vision, disability, and life & accident insurance

Savings: 401K matching, pre-tax spending accounts, and employee discount programs

Work/Life Balance: Hybrid/Flexible schedules, paid family leave, paid vacation, backup child and elder care, and an employee assistance program

Professional Development: Reimbursement for professional licenses, associated renewals, and exam fees as well as specialized in-house career development 

Compensation for this role is based upon experience, qualifications, location, and education and typically ranges from $120,000 to $150,000. 

Our Culture:

Our creative, interdisciplinary teams work like small, dynamic studios, with all the resources and diversity of a global firm. Here, you’ll collaborate with industry experts on some of the most exciting and transformative architecture, engineering, and planning projects in the world.

We believe an inclusive environment improves our teams, our firm, and our communities and are passionate about Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Our DEI Action Plan was created to bring meaningful change to our profession, starting with our own culture and practices. 

We are proud to be an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer. Visit this page to learn more about SOM's employment policy as well as additional information such as a privacy notice for California residents and how to apply offline.

For more about SOM: www.som.com