Business Development Manager

Deadline: September 30, 2026
District/Organization: Nature Plays capes
Position/Type: Other, full time
Salary: $54,000+

At Nature Plays capes we create inspiring outdoor spaces where children learn, explore, and develop through playful connections with nature. We are a Michigan-based design-build company specializing in nature play environments, outdoor classrooms, and custom learning spaces for communities across Michigan. Our clients include municipal parks departments, school districts, and early childhood education centers. Every project is built to align with stringent safety and accessibility standards while delivering engaging, one-of-a-kind experiences.

We’re a small, entrepreneurial company experiencing strong growth and making a lasting impact across the state.

This is a rare opportunity to join a growing company in a pivotal, ground-floor role and help shape our next chapter of growth. As our first dedicated Business Development Manager, you’ll be responsible for building the relationships, opportunities, and project pipeline that drive our success. You’ll identify and cultivate new opportunities, connect with key decision-makers, and develop compelling proposals that transform ideas into built projects.

While business development experience is valuable, we’re equally interested in candidates who understand our customers and mission. We’ll provide the training, industry knowledge, and support needed to become an expert in nature play environments, playground safety standards, and our consultative approach to project development.

Success in this role comes from identifying opportunities early, cultivating the vision of our clients, and guiding projects from initial concept through proposal and award.

• Monitor, identify, and respond to Requests for Proposals (RFPs) from municipalities, school districts, and public agencies. Research where organizations publish opportunities and track capital improvement plans, bond initiatives, and master plans to identify projects before they reach the bidding stage.
• Develop and maintain relationships with landscape architects, planners, and other industry partners who regularly encounter nature play opportunities and benefit from our specialized expertise.
• Represent Nature Plays capes at industry conferences, trade shows, and networking events. Consistently follow up on leads and cultivate relationships that may take years to develop into projects.
• Reconnect with past clients to generate referrals, secure testimonials, and uncover future opportunities.
• Collaborate in the visioning, design, and proposal development process for projects ranging from $50,000 to more than $500,000, helping deliver solutions that meet client goals while achieving target profitability.
• Establish the foundational systems that support business development, including a comprehensive contact database of Michigan municipalities, school systems, and key stakeholders, along with organized tracking of all active opportunities and pursuits.

We’re more interested in hiring someone who understands our customers, industry, and mission and can be taught our sales process than someone with extensive sales experience but little connection to our world.

Strong candidates may come from backgrounds such as:

• Parks and recreation or conservation professional (municipal, schools, nonprofit, university, or nature center settings, etc.)
• Early childhood education, administration, or program leadership
• Landscape architecture, planning, construction, or a related design-build field

Beyond industry experience, we’re looking for someone who is:

• Detail-oriented and organized. RFP responses frequently range from 40 to 150 pages and require…