Economic Development Project Manager Jobs in Columbus, OH

Description

Who We Are

Colliers | Columbus is committed to hiring the top talent committed to SERVICE, EXPERTISE, COMMUNITY, and FUN. Our workplace culture facilitates learning, collaboration, teamwork, and growth with a shared passion for being the #1 provider of commercial real estate services in Central Ohio. We believe there are as many versions of success as there are people, and we're committed to empowering you to become a better you, no matter what you do. We promote a culture of continuous learning and will encourage you to set challenging goals for yourself, while supporting you in achieving them. 

Position Summary

As our Project Management New Business Development Manager, you'll be the driving force behind expanding our market presence. You'll identify untapped opportunities, forge strategic relationships, and craft tailored solutions that help our clients succeed. Your work will directly shape our growth trajectory and open doors to exciting new ventures. Additionally, you will initially devote approximately 50% of your time the actual oversight of construction projects within our growing Project Management Service Line.

What You'll Do

• Research and identify high-potential targets, including owners and users of commercial real estate.
• Develop and execute outreach strategies to engage decision-makers and influencers.
• Build and nurture relationships with prospective clients, from first contact to signed agreement.
• Collaborate with marketing to create compelling proposals, presentations, and campaigns.
• Assist in the negotiation of contracts and close deals that align with our business goals and values.
• Track market trends, competitor activities, and emerging opportunities to inform strategy.
• Partner with internal teams to ensure smooth onboarding and long-term client satisfaction.
• Allocate approximately 50% of time to manage projects.

Core Responsibilities

Project Management Plan, develop and manage full-scale project plans including scope of work, budget, scheduling, resource allocation, value engineering, coordination and critical path identification. Track milestones, deliverables, and costs against established plans, reporting status and variances throughout the project lifecycle.

Space Planning & Workplace Strategy Develop space programming and provide recommendations on furniture and components based upon current market availability. Remain current on space utilizations and collaboration methodologies to deliver relevant, forward thinking workplace solutions.

Stakeholder & Client Engagement Build and maintain strong relationships with corporate users, clients, partners, and vendors. Develop and execute outreach communication and aggressively engage through industry networking.

Business Development & Market Intelligence: Identify new business opportunities by researching market trends, analyzing competitors, and evaluating potential clients and partnerships. Leverage data analytics and CRM tools to support informed decisions and develop value propositions that differentiate the company.

Strategic Planning & Growth Development and execution of strategies aligned with the company's long-term goals, including defining KPIs and establishing targets. Translate business needs and collected requirements into actionable plans that support sustainable revenue growth.

Sales, Negotiation & Contract Management Present solutions to prospective clients, assist in the negotiation of contracts, and close deals that contribute to organizational growth. Manage client  relationships to provide seamless engagement with the project management team and drive repeat business.

Cross-Functional Collaboration Coordinate across internal teams - including marketing, sales, product development, and executive leadership - to ensure strategic alignment and successful execution of projects and business initiatives.

Reporting, Documentation & Continuous Improvement: Prepare and present business plans, growth strategies, project status reports, and post-project evaluation reports for leadership and stakeholders. Use findings to drive continuous improvement.

Culture & Core Values Support and carry out activities aligned with the company's core values of Service, Expertise, Community, and Fun. Perform other duties assigned to aid in the successful and profitable operation of the organization. 

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in technical area of study or business plus a minimum of five years' related experience.
• Previous Project Management experience preferred.
• Previous experience in the commercial real estate space working with tenants/users and assisting with their design/build is preferred. 
• Previous experience with space planning/furniture and furnishings/collaboration spaces preferred. 
• Proven record of sales success and the ability to develop relationships which result in new business.
• Active networking involvement.
• Ability to develop space programming and be up to date on various space utilization/collaboration methodologies. 
• Proven track record of meeting or exceeding revenue targets.
• Strong communication and negotiation skills, with the ability to influence at all levels.
• Experience using CRM tools (e.g., HubSpot, Salesforce) to manage pipelines and track progress.
• A proactive, entrepreneurial mindset with the resilience to navigate challenges.
• Curiosity  about market trends and a knack for spotting opportunities others might miss.
• Strong  written and verbal communication skills with the ability to produce polished, client-ready materials.
• Expert analytical skills with proven experience in developing strategic solutions.
• Ability to read and understand architectural drawings and plans. 
• Must have a passion for customer service excellence.
• Ability to produce results within an autonomous environment, within company guidelines, and have the flexibility to identify and respond to changes in priorities. 
• Self-motivated with an exhibited sense of urgency. 
• Ability to calculate complex figures.
• Ability to make presentations in clear language on complex topics to a variety of audiences.
• Ability to forecast and estimate costs as well as prepare budgets. 
• Belief and demonstration of the Company's core values of Service, Expertise, Community, and Fun.