Client Development Manager Jobs in Washington, DC

Description

At Streetsense, we believe in the power of place. As a leading creative consultancy, we bring bold ideas, strategic insight, and design excellence to the real estate and hospitality industries. Our Interior Architecture and Design (IA) studio, EDIT, partners with developers, owners, and operators to create high-impact environments - most notably within the multifamily sector.

We are seeking a Business Development / Client Development Director dedicated to growing the EDIT studio. This role is critical to achieving the team's revenue goals and will focus on originating, nurturing, and closing work aligned with EDIT's core strengths, with a primary emphasis on multifamily residential projects.

Your Impact

In this role, you will lead business development efforts for the EDIT Interior Design & Architecture team, owning the pipeline from early relationship-building through proposal, pitch, and close. You will work closely with IA leadership, design teams, and company leadership to secure opportunities that align with EDIT's strategic focus areas and elevate the studio's market presence.

This position complements existing business development coverage across Place Consulting and Agency, with a clear mandate to drive material, repeatable work for the Interior Architecture practice.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and grow a robust pipeline of qualified opportunities for the IA studio, with a strong focus on multifamily residential and related sectors (mixed-use, residential conversions, senior living, student housing, etc.).
• Originate new client relationships and expand existing ones with developers, owners, architects, and real estate partners.
• Speak fluently in the language of interior architecture and interior design - demonstrating credibility with technical teams, principals, and C-suite stakeholders.
• Proactively identify, qualify, and pursue outbound opportunities aligned with EDIT's business goals and market positioning.
• Collaborate closely with IA leadership to shape growth strategy, target clients, and priority markets.
• Lead and support proposal development, including strategy, narratives, fee structures, and pitch presentations.
• Represent Streetsense and EDIT at industry events, conferences, and networking forums to build visibility and long-term relationships.
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date pipeline reporting and forecasting in HubSpot CRM.
• Conduct research on prospective clients, projects, and market trends to inform outreach and positioning.
• Partner cross-functionally with Place Consulting and Agency business development leaders as needed, while maintaining clear ownership of IA-focused pursuits.

Who You Are

• A connector and closer with the ability to open doors, build trust, and convert relationships into signed work.
• Deeply fluent in interior architecture and interior design, with the confidence to engage meaningfully on scope, process, and value.
• Strategically minded, able to identify the right opportunities and position EDIT as the best-fit partner.
• Entrepreneurial and self-directed, with a strong sense of ownership and accountability for results.
• Collaborative by nature - energized by working alongside designers, architects, and leadership to win work together.

Requirements

• 7+ years of experience in business development, client development, or sales within interior architecture, interior design, or design-focused real estate sectors.
• Demonstrated experience driving work in the multifamily residential market strongly preferred.
• Existing industry network across developers, owners, operators, and consultants.
• Proven track record of generating leads, closing deals, and growing a design-focused practice.
• Exceptional written, verbal, and presentation communication skills.
• Experience managing pipelines and forecasting in HubSpot or a comparable CRM.
• Bachelor's degree in Architecture, Interior Architecture, Business, Real Estate, Marketing, or a related field.
• Willingness to travel as needed based on client opportunities.

What We Offer

• Competitive compensation with performance-based bonus structure.
• Opportunity to play a pivotal role in shaping the growth of a highly respected Interior Architecture studio.
• Exposure to leadership across a multidisciplinary creative consultancy.
• A collaborative, design-forward culture that blends hustle, heart, and creativity.

Streetsense is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.

Base salary is just one component of Streetsense's total rewards philosophy. We offer a wide range of benefits and perks that appeal to the variety of needs across our diverse employee base. This may include Medical Dental & Vision Insurance, paid time off, 401k match, wellbeing resources, and more.