Proposal and Business Development Manager

Maternity Leave Role

Location: Toronto (Hybrid, 3-days minimum in office)

Reports To: Senior Director

About the Role

The Proposal and Business Development Manager is a focused and strategic role that leads the firm’s global growth efforts and is responsible for managing all phases of the business development lifecycle, from strategic planning and pipeline development to proposal execution and performance tracking.

This is a senior, outward-facing role requiring management of a small production team, excellent relationship-building skills, and analytical rigor.

Core Responsibilities

Strategic Business Development Planning

• Refine and evolve Lord’s BD Strategy, integrating:

• Performance insights and sector trends
• Impact of internal reorganization and Chargeurs partnership
• Market research on viable new service areas, clients, and geographies
• Competitive landscape and ecosystem intelligence

• Collaborate with Managing Partners and Senior Directors to establish revenue targets for FY26 and beyond, aligned by service, region, or “constellation”

Pipeline Development and Management

• Identify new client leads and cultivate relationships in core and emerging markets
• Lead all phases of the pipeline process:

• Pre-positioning and outreach strategies
• Bid/no-bid decisions
• Case-making, team assignments, and proposal production
• Direct and delegate tasks to Business Development team members, ensuring timelines and deliverables are met

Performance Reporting and BD Intelligence

• Establish and manage a BD dashboard to monitor and report on:

• Total contract value and win rates
• Progress against annual revenue goals
• Market growth and new client acquisition
•  Conference activity and conversion rates

• Develop clear KPIs and reporting structures for monthly, quarterly, and annual performance reviews
• Collaborate with finance, project management, and marketing teams to ensure visibility and alignment

External Positioning and Sector Engagement

• Attend networking events and represent Lord’s BD interests
• Build external networks and partnerships that support client development and brand positioning
• Track and improve lead-to-conversion rates from conferences and events

Collaboration with Marketing and Internal Leadership/Management

• Serve as a strategic partner to the Company's leadership to support marketing efforts by:

• Sharing insights from BD activity to inform content, messaging, and thought leadership
• Ensuring alignment between BD goals and marketing plan execution
• Supporting the creation of tools and collateral tailored to priority markets and client segments

• Motivate, coach and lead team members for high quality delivery. Ensure high levels of employee engagement. Establish objectives and expected deliverables with team members and provide regular check-ins and ongoing communication.
• Foster a work culture of high trust and collaboration. Actively work across the business, seeking out and realizing opportunities for improved project delivery, and enhanced client experience, ensuring fully integrated solutions and project delivery.
• Role model and “walk the talk” of Lord’s values:

1. We believe creativity, adaptability, and continual innovation are fundamental to the resilience of our organization and all cultural organizations
2. We welcome voices that have historically been excluded, and work to eliminate implicit and explicit biases.
3. We value collaboration and proactive communication and view our colleagues and clients as partners with whom we learn, plan, discover, and create together.
4. We empower visitors, staff, volunteers, supporters, and the public to experience joy, pride, and self-recognition through their interactions with cultural organizations.
5. We support excellence in knowledge creation, research and preservation, and scientific exploration.

General Performance Metrics (KPIs)

• Efficiency and effectiveness of tracking methodology, BD reporting and team management
• Overall % increase/decrease in total contract value (year-over-year)
• Overall condition of firm’s win/loss ratio vis a vis health of business and its growth and sustainability
• Overall condition or % increase/decrease in pipeline value by stage and service type vis a vis health of business and its growth and sustainability
• New client and/or new market penetration
• Proposal volume and success rate
• Developing strategy and accompanying performance metrics for conference lead conversion rates

Qualifications

• 7+ years’ experience in business development, sales strategy, or client relationship management, ideally in consulting or professional services
• Proven success in lead generation, revenue growth, and pipeline management
• Strong analytical skills and fluency in BD reporting, performance metrics, and dashboards with sufficient competency in Excel and/or CRM systems to effectively and dynamically provide data points to inform insights and strategy (Excel, CRM systems, etc.)
• Highly proficient in MS Office Suite, including advanced layout experience in MS Word and MS PowerPoint and comfortable working with Microsoft Excel
• Excellent communication, delegation, and team leadership capabilities
• Familiarity with the cultural, nonprofit, or public sectors strongly preferred
• Collaborative spirit with a strong sense of initiative and accountability
• A genuine interest in culture, museums and the arts

Interested candidates are invited to submit their application to hr@lord.ca. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Lord Cultural Resources is an equal opportunity workplace and we welcome cultural diversity in our workforce. In accordance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005, Lord Cultural Resources will provide a reasonable accommodation to employees and prospective employees to the point of undue hardship upon request and as required in respect of the individual’s particular restrictions and limitations. If you require a specific accommodation because of a disability or a medical need, please advise us in your application.

Compensation/Salary Range: $90,000 - $95,000

The advertised pay scale reflects the good faith minimum and maximum salary range for this role. The advertised pay scale is not a promise of a particular wage for any specific employee. The specific compensation offered to a candidate may be dependent on a variety of factors including, but not limited to, the candidate's experience, education, and special qualifications.

Candidate management processes at Lord Cultural Resources are handled by humans.