Strategic Pursuit Leader

Step into a role where strategy meets creativity, and every day brings new opportunities to shape the future of the built environment. As a Strategic Pursuit Leader for SSOE's architecturally led Building Design Group, you'll be at the forefront of our most important pursuits - collaborating with technical experts, guiding marketing professionals, and crafting strategies that resonate with clients and communities alike. Your day might start with a coffee and a brainstorming session on how to position a new healthcare facility proposal, followed by a networking lunch with a regional AEC organization, and end with leading a proposal review that could land a transformative project. This is more than a marketing role-it's a strategic position where your insights, relationships, and storytelling skills directly influence our growth and impact. If you thrive in a fast-paced, collaborative environment and love connecting with people, ideas, and opportunities, we'd love to meet you!

As part of our commitment to innovation, all team members will be trained on Microsoft Copilot and empowered to use it as a core tool in their everyday work.

The Strategic Pursuit Leader acts as an internal client manager for all business development and proposal-related activities within the assigned business unit. This role involves facilitating the creation of business development strategies, overseeing project pursuits, and leading proposal efforts for strategic projects. The ideal candidate will integrate strategic leadership capabilities, marketing message development, and strong writing abilities. The Strategic Pursuit Leader will engage in community and professional activities, research industry trends, and tailor proposal responses to client needs. Additionally, they will interact with staff at all levels, including project specific oversight of the marketing team supporting specific proposal efforts. Occasional travel to regional offices and networking events is required.

The following duties are typical of the position but are not all encompassing. Responsibilities include those required to deliver quality service on schedule and within budget in a team environment.

Acts as internal client manager for all business development and proposal related activities for assigned business unit.
• Collaborates with regional hub/practice group and operations leadership to support yearly business development plans.
• Facilitates business development and capture planning strategy. Includes regular meetings with seller-doers to strategize, schedule, and drive accountability for business development and account management activities.
• Develops strategy for community and professional engagement in assigned business units and region. This includes personal participation in relevant professional organizations, networking opportunities, and trade shows as well as identifying and assigning the same to relevant seller-doers. Able to speak knowledgeably of the firm's capabilities and areas of expertise to external audiences.
• Regularly researches news and trends in assigned sectors and for specific targeted accounts and applies these findings to pursuit strategies.
• Oversees project pursuit and proposal efforts for large/strategic projects for assigned sectors. This could include but is not limited to:
  • Facilitating discussions with operations leadership and a multidisciplinary project team necessary to identifying a winning strategy and SSOE differentiators specific to a project.
  • Researching client needs/culture to provide a tailored response.
  • Attending pre-bid presentations and conferences.
  • Outlining comprehensive proposal, presentation, or qualification deliverable required to meet client needs.
  • Authoring the project approach, cover letter, executive summaries, and other documentation as needed.
  • Tailoring boilerplate materials to ensure alignment with value proposition.
  • Project-specific oversight of the marketing team members responsible for the creation of a full proposal.
  • Participating in client presentations to observe and provide feedback to the BD and technical teams and incorporate into future efforts.
• Develops sector-level messaging and contributes to the development of collateral to support the client pursuit process (sell sheets, project profiles, etc.)
• Regularly reviews activity and opportunity pipeline reporting and win/loss ratios help inform client/pursuit strategies.
• Interacts with staff at all levels of the organization, including but not limited to, executive and senior leadership, business development staff, project managers, and discipline leads.
• Participates in regular operations department meetings and leads marketing/BD report outs.
• Reports up through a centralized corporate marketing department to ensure consistency of corporate messaging and brand throughout all communications.
• Requires occasional travel to regional office locations and networking events, including some after-hours commitments.

• Bachelor's Degree required in Communications, Marketing, Business Development, Architecture, or Interior Design; Master's Degree preferred.
• 5-10 Years Experience, AEC Industry preferred

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Ability to lead technical teams in identifying differentiators and developing strategic messaging and positioning.
• High-level understanding of business development and account management strategy.
• Broad understanding of the markets and clients in assigned business unit and understanding in the field of architecture/ engineering.
• Ability to translate strategy into tactical action plans.
• Must be well-versed in simplifying and clarifying complex ideas into compelling marketing messages.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, detailed and deadline-oriented environment with demonstrated organizational skills.
• Knowledge of prevailing software applications- such as Adobe Creative Suite (particularly InDesign), and Microsoft Office (PowerPoint, Excel, Word, Outlook).

Additional Information:

• SSOE offers a hybrid work arrangement. This position would require proximity to one of our office locations
  • Columbus, OH
  • Toledo, OH
  • Troy, MI
• Salary Range: $110,000-$130,000/year depending on location, education, experience, and any certifications that are directly related to the position.
  
• Bonus and Incentives: Eligibility for our annual target bonus/incentive program based on company and individual performance and goals.
• Ownership Opportunities: As an employee-owned firm, being a shareholder provides an additional level of earning and investment. We offer ownership opportunities to all employees at the Associate level and above. This Senior Associate level role will allow you to become a shareholder.
• Benefits include health, dental and vision insurance, life insurance, 401K, PTO & paid holidays.

Physical Demands:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to sit, talk, hear, use hands or fingers, handle or feel objects, tools or controls, reach with hands and arms. The employee is occasionally required to stand and walk. Rarely, but may, be required to stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl. May rarely lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, depth perception and the ability to adjust focus.

Although the aforementioned physical demands are representative of what is required, modifications may occur which are client specific. Training for subsequent physical demands will be given or arranged for on a project-by-project basis for those going to a unique environment. Likewise unique physical demands, e.g. use of respirators, would be identified and handled in full compliance with regulatory requirements.