Senior Business Development Associate

2 weeks ago


Chicago, IL, United States CKL Engineers LLC Full time

Senior Business Development Associate – Construction

Are you a seasoned business development professional looking to drive growth in the transportation and infrastructure industry? CKL Engineers, LLC is seeking a Senior Business Development Associate to lead strategic pursuits, build relationships and secure new opportunities for our expanding firm.

What You’ll Bring

We’re looking for a strategic business development leader with deep industry connections and a proven track record of securing major contracts in the transportation and infrastructure sectors. The ideal candidate has 15-20 years of on-site experience, and is a proactive, skilled strategist who understands procurement processes and public-sector partnerships.

What You’ll Do

As Senior Business Development Associate, you will drive CKL’s growth through relationship-building, opportunity identification and strategic pursuit management. Responsibilities will include:

Lead Business Development Strategy

Develop and maintain a robust pipeline of transportation and infrastructure projects.

Identify, pursue and capture new business opportunities in public and private sectors.

Lead the Go/No-Go process and develop strategic capture plans for key pursuits.

Build and Maintain Industry Relationships

Cultivate relationships with state DOTs, transit agencies, municipalities, contractors, and engineering firms.

Engage in industry events, conferences and professional organizations to boost CKL’s market presence.

Maintain ongoing client relationships beyond project acquisition to foster long-term partnerships.

Develop Winning Proposals

In partnership with Marketing:

Lead teams in RFQ/RFP development, interview preparation and proposal strategy.

Collaborate with technical staff to extract compelling data points to include in project approaches and value propositions.

Ensure CKL’s competitive positioning in major infrastructure procurements.

Stay Ahead of Market Trends

Monitor funding opportunities, industry trends and emerging transportation initiatives.

Provide market intelligence and strategic insights to CKL leadership.

Maintain accurate CRM data to track pursuits, client interactions, and opportunities.

Required Qualifications

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Engineering, Construction Management, Business, Marketing, or a related field.

15-20 years of experience in business development within transportation engineering and construction.

Proven understanding of public procurement, transportation funding, and government contracting.

Ability to develop and execute successful pursuit strategies.

Exceptional communication, negotiation and relationship-building skills.

Experience leading teams in proposal development, capture planning and client engagement.

Proficiency in CRM tools and sales tracking systems.

WHO WE ARE

CKL ENGINEERS, LLC is one of the fastest growing engineering services providers in the Midwest. Our company of engineers, construction management professionals and material technicians work on a variety of aviation, tolls and highway projects for multiple municipalities.  Our talented and capable engineers work with our clients to deliver projects that are locally impactful. 

CKL ENGINEERS, LLC provides a hybrid workplace environment while meeting client needs. We offer benefits that include medical, dental, vision, disability, and life insurance, as well as a 401k and Flexible PTO – which benefits employees both in the short and long term.

THIRD PARTY ADVISORY

CKL Engineers will not accept unsolicited resumes from recruiters, employment agencies, or other staffing services. CKL will assume the rights of any unsolicited resumes submitted to hiring managers or our leadership team, and we will have the right to hire that candidate without any compensation being owed to the recruiter, employment agency, or other third party.



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