Business Development Manager

Industry: Advertising / Marketing / Creative Agency

Role Overview

We are looking for a driven Business Development Manager to lead new business initiatives and contribute to the agency's growth. The role involves identifying prospective clients, building strong relationships with decision-makers, generating leads, managing pitches, and taking opportunities through the complete business development cycle.

The ideal candidate should have strong knowledge of the advertising and marketing ecosystem, excellent communication skills, and a proven ability to convert opportunities into business.

Key Responsibilities

• Identify and develop new business opportunities across brands and industries.
• Build and maintain a strong pipeline of prospective clients.
• Research brands, categories, competitors, and market opportunities to identify potential leads.
• Connect with key decision-makers such as Marketing Heads, Brand Heads, CMOs, and Business Heads.
• Drive the end-to-end business development process, from prospecting and outreach to negotiation and closure.
• Develop and maintain strong relationships with prospective and existing clients.
• Understand client requirements and coordinate with creative, strategy, digital, media, and account management teams to develop relevant solutions.
• Lead and coordinate new business pitches, presentations, credentials, and proposals.
• Prepare commercial proposals, estimates, and pitch documentation in collaboration with internal teams.
• Track opportunities, follow-ups, conversion stages, and revenue projections.
• Stay updated on industry trends, competitor activity, emerging brands, and new business opportunities.
• Participate in industry events, networking forums, and relevant business meetings to expand the agency's network.
• Work closely with leadership to achieve business development and revenue targets.
• Ensure smooth handover of won accounts to the client servicing/account management team.

Requirements

• 4–8 years of experience in business development, new business, sales, or client acquisition, preferably within an advertising, creative, digital, media, or integrated marketing agency.
• Proven experience in generating leads and converting prospects into clients.
• Strong understanding of advertising, branding, digital marketing, social media, content, and integrated marketing solutions.
• Existing network among brand/marketing professionals will be an advantage.
• Excellent communication, presentation, negotiation, and relationship-management skills.
• Strong commercial acumen and ability to understand business requirements.
• Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively with internal teams.
• Target-oriented, proactive, and confident personality.

Key Skills

New Business Development | Lead Generation | Client Acquisition | Pitch Management | B2B Sales | Relationship Management | Negotiation | Proposal Development | Advertising & Marketing | Revenue Growth

Preferred Candidate

Candidates who have successfully handled end-to-end business development for an advertising/creative agency, with a demonstrated track record of bringing in new clients and closing business, will be preferred.