Senior Manager, Business Development & Production

New York City, NY (On-site)

$100K/yr – $130K/yrFull time

Posted 9 days ago

Top 1% of applicants do these two things.

The other 99% submit and hope. You're about to do something different.

Job Description

The Senior Manager, Business Development & Production is a cross-functional role responsible for fielding and managing inbound business opportunities and developing winning proposals, while providing strategic production support on select projects. This person serves as the primary point of contact for incoming RFPs and client inquiries, coordinating internally across design, production, and leadership to develop competitive proposals and ensure smooth handoffs to execution.

The majority of the role is dedicated to business development intake, proposal strategy, and pipeline management. The remainder is focused on production support and internal operational coordination where production expertise adds value to the sales process.

This role is well-suited to someone with a solid background in production or a related field who is ready to step into a client-facing, commercially driven leadership role — working closely with Partners and directors to identify, pursue, and convert new business opportunities rather than leading productions day-to-day.

Key Responsibilities:

BusinessDevelopment&Opportunity Intake

Serve as the first point of contact for all inbound new business inquiries from prospective and current clients

Qualify and evaluate incoming opportunities, summarizing scope, fit, and feasibility for the company

Manage RFP processes from receipt through submission, keeping all internal stakeholders on track

Coordinate between design, production, and executive leadership to align on proposal direction and capacity

Maintain client communication throughout pitch cycles, ensuring timely follow-up and a professional experience

Track pipeline activity and provide regular status updates to Partners

Identify opportunities to expand existing client relationships and generate repeat business

Support outbound business development efforts, networking opportunities, and strategic partnerships as needed

Proposal Development & Coordination

Lead the assembly of pitch materials, including:

Strategic outlines and positioning

Creative references and location recommendations

Production timelines and preliminary budgets

Ensure proposals reflect company positioning, available capacity, and profitability targets

Support Partners in deal structuring and commercial review

Help navigate vendor onboarding and procurement requirements for new clients

Develop compelling client presentations and proposals that effectively communicate Prodject's creative capabilities

Production Support

Provide strategic production guidance on select projects to ensure successful delivery and continuity between the development, design and execution teams

Assist with vendor coordination, scheduling, and logistics on active projects as needed

Contribute to post-project reviews to help refine systems and improve profitability

Vendor & Resource Coordination

Help source and vet vendors, creatives, and production resources as needed

Assist in maintaining company brand materials including pitch decks, website, and social media

Support the ongoing development of business development materials, case studies, and proposal templates

Qualifications & Experience

5–8 years of experience in business development, in live event production, experiential marketing, or a related field

Familiarity with production processes, budgets, and vendor management enough to credibly guide proposals and communicate with clients

Experience supporting or managing RFP processes and proposal development

Demonstrated ability to build client relationships and manage opportunities from initial inquiry through contract execution

Strong organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple workstreams simultaneously

Clear, confident communicator comfortable interfacing with clients and senior stakeholders

Financially literate; comfortable working with budgets and reviewing commercial terms

Based in New York and comfortable working full-time in-office

Compensation

Basesalary:$100k-130k

Bonus:Goal-based performance bonuses tied primarily to business development outcomes, and overall company growth with consideration for production delivery support

Compensation expected to grow with expanded impact and company scale

Prodject embraces and celebrates diversity, inclusivity, and equal opportunity. We are committed to building a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills. Prodject provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression.

We aspire to have a diverse and inclusive workplace and strongly encourage qualified applicants from a wide range of backgrounds to apply and join our team!

The Independents logo

The Independents

The Independents is a global ecosystem of 21 best-in-class partner agencies crafting extraordinary brand experiences that captivate audiences worldwide. In collaboration with its clients across the luxury and lifestyle industries, The Independents creates meaningful connections between people and the brands they love.The Independents’ curation reflects an expansive roster of industry pioneers, including 2 x 4, Atelier Athem, Atelier Lum, Bureau Béatrice, Bureau Betak, Bureau Future, Ctzar, Inca Productions, k2, Karla Otto, Kennedy, Kitten Production, Kitty Events, Lefty, Lucien Pagès Communication, MA+Group, Prodject, Sunshine, Terminal 9 Studios, The Qode and We Are Ona. The group’s capabilities span research, core strategy, communications strategy, design, production and distribution, a scope that adapts to every creative challenge.The group translates strategic insights into creative concepts, which are developed into personally relevant experiences that engage local and global audiences by way of its presence in Milan, Paris, London, Munich, Barcelona, New York, Los Angeles, Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai, Singapore, Tokyo, Seoul, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Doha and Riyadh.In March 2025, The Independents launched L’Incubateur, a pioneering initiative conceived to identify, support and accelerate the next wave of talent, entrepreneurs and creative agencies on a global scale. Since June 2023, The Independents has been backed by Banijay Group and TowerBrook Capital Partners.

Founded in 2017
Paris, Île-de-France, FRA
78 employees (7 in marketing)