Director of Pre-Development Services - Global Facilities

A Brief Overview:

The Director of Pre-Development Services will be responsible for identifying, developing, and structuring new business opportunities for Burns & McDonnell within the Global Facilities Group. This individual will work directly with C-suite executives, business owners, investors, developers, and strategic clients to understand their business objectives, evaluate potential development and investment opportunities, and help determine how complex projects can be structured, financed, and delivered. By combining strategic consulting, market intelligence, financial and development expertise, and executive-level relationship building, this leader will position Burns & McDonnell to engage with clients earlier in their decision-making process — helping them understand their options, navigate complex development challenges, and turn emerging opportunities into viable projects. The ultimate goal is to originate new opportunities for Burns & McDonnell, expand our strategic consulting capabilities, and create a pipeline of projects that leverage our engineering, design, and construction expertise.
 

Primary Responsibilities

1. Identify and Originate New Business Opportunities

• Proactively identify opportunities for Burns & McDonnell by understanding client business objectives, market conditions, industry trends, investment activity, and emerging development needs.
• Develop new opportunities by connecting client needs with potential solutions, partners, investors, and project delivery strategies.
• Take an entrepreneurial approach to creating opportunities rather than simply responding to existing project pursuits.
   

2. Advise Clients on Development and Investment Strategies

• Serve as a strategic advisor to executive-level clients, helping them evaluate development opportunities, capital investments, facility strategies, and potential project approaches.
• Help clients understand their options, including financial considerations, development feasibility, leasing strategies, project delivery methods, and potential risks before committing to a course of action.
• Apply knowledge of real estate markets, development economics, tenant demand, and investment structures to provide informed recommendations.

3. Structure and Assemble New Business Deals

• Lead the early-stage development and structuring of opportunities, bringing together the appropriate clients, investors, developers, financial partners, and internal Burns & McDonnell resources.
• Evaluate potential deal structures, financing strategies, investment models, development fees, and project delivery approaches.
• Identify how Burns & McDonnell can strategically participate in opportunities and position our capabilities to support the successful execution of projects.

4. Expand Strategic Client Relationships and Market Penetration

• Establish relationships with C-suite executives, business owners, investors, developers, and other key decision-makers within Burns & McDonnell's strategic client base.
• Partner with client managers and business development leaders to expand relationships within our top strategic accounts by introducing expertise and consulting services beyond our traditional engineering and construction offerings.
• Position Burns & McDonnell as a trusted strategic partner involved in clients' earliest business, development, and capital planning decisions.

5. Build and Expand Burns & McDonnell's Pre-Development Capabilities

• Develop the strategy, processes, relationships, and internal resources necessary to establish a sustainable pre-development and deal origination capability within Global Facilities.
• Recruit, develop and lead team members to grow the capacity to assemble opportunities.
• Collaborate across Buildings, Global Facilities, Real Estate Investments, and other internal business units to understand and leverage the company's broader capabilities.
• Establish a repeatable approach to identifying, evaluating, structuring, and advancing opportunities that generate long-term business growth for Burns & McDonnell.

Additional Responsibilities:

• Develop the strategy, processes, relationships, and internal resources necessary to establish a sustainable pre-development and deal origination capability within Global Facilities.
• Recruit, develop and lead team members to grow the capacity to assemble opportunities.
• Collaborate across Buildings, Global Facilities, Real Estate Investments, and other internal business units to understand and leverage the company's broader capabilities.
• Establish a repeatable approach to identifying, evaluating, structuring, and advancing opportunities that generate long-term business growth for Burns & McDonnell.
• Additional Responsibilities:
• Develop and increase customer awareness of the capabilities within Burns & McDonnell Engineering by continually contacting new clients and maintaining existing client relations.
• Review and approve trendsetter ideas by researching industry and related events, publications, and announcements; tracking individual contributors and accomplishments.
• Screen potential business deals by analyzing market strategies, deal requirements, potential, and financials; evaluating options; resolving internal priorities; recommending equity investments
• Protect the organization's value by keeping information confidential.
• Enhance the organization's reputation by accepting ownership for accomplishing new and different requests; exploring opportunities to add value to job accomplishments.
• Manage new, non-traditional and compelling solutions to a customer's stated project scope of work to differentiate Burns & McDonnell.
• Identify synergies internal to the Burns & McDonnell organization in other Global Practices and Regional Offices. Develop relationships to leverage one another's skills, abilities, and client contacts to further the marketing effort in GFS.
• Contribute to the annual marketing and sales planning process.
• Manage department budget and expenditure of funds.
• Recruitment, development, training, and retention of staff.
• Responsible for collaborating with business development managers, business line leads, project managers, and proposal production staff on proposals to secure work for the staff.
• Responsible for overall QA/QC process adherence.
• Ensure compliance with company and site safety policies.
• Responsible for maintaining compliance with equal employment opportunity initiatives.

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, business, marketing or related degree from an accredited program, and 13 years relevant experience, preferably in A/E/C industry is required.

   

• Advance experience in client and business development.
• Advance experience in managing business development efforts, which includes proposal development, contract negotiations, project planning, budgeting, and client coordination.
• Advance facilitation, collaboration, organization, and problem solving skills.
• Demonstrated success as to budget, savings and/or profit margins in completed projects.
• Ability to thoughtfully and positively influence, lead and manage.
• Excellent planning and analytical skills.

• Must demonstrate excellent oral and written communication skills; strong interpersonal skills; and the ability to clearly and effectively present complex information to all levels of employees, management, and clients.

   

• Professional Engineer (PE) License preferred.