Business Development Manager

Overview

We’re Markham — a creative events agency built for impact. We design experiences that move people, spark ideas, and actually matter. From intimate gatherings to massive activations, we partner with brands, nonprofits, and political organizations to create moments that inspire action and connection.

We’re fast, creative, curious, collaborative, and a little obsessed with getting better every day. Headquartered in DC (with hubs in NYC, LA, and Bentonville and teammates everywhere), we believe great work happens when smart people are trusted to think boldly and execute beautifully. If you love momentum, thrive in organized chaos, and get excited about turning “maybe” into “let’s go” — keep reading.

The Business Development Manager is the heartbeat of our growth engine. You’re the person who keeps opportunities moving, proposals polished, and our new business machine humming. You’ll work closely with creative, production, events, operations, and leadership to help turn leads into wins — and ideas into real, exciting partnerships. This role is perfect for someone who loves systems, lives for deadlines (in a good way), and gets real satisfaction from seeing big opportunities come together behind the scenes.

• New Business Magic: Track and organize leads, RFPs, and opportunities like a pro
• New Business Magic: Keep our CRM and trackers clean, current, and actually useful
• New Business Magic: Monitor deadlines, deliverables, and follow-ups so nothing slips
• New Business Magic: Support research and qualification of new opportunities
• Proposal Power: Gather inputs from across the team and pull them into beautiful, compelling proposals
• Proposal Power: Format, finalize, and submit pitch decks and RFP responses
• Proposal Power: Maintain templates, case studies, resumes, and standard language
• Proposal Power: Make sure everything looks on-brand, buttoned-up, and client-ready
• Team Glue: Coordinate meetings and working sessions
• Team Glue: Prep agendas, notes, and action items
• Team Glue: Chase approvals (nicely) and keep projects moving forward
• Process Nerd (In the Best Way): Help refine our new business workflows and tools
• Process Nerd (In the Best Way): Track pipeline activity and generate reports
• Process Nerd (In the Best Way): Spot inefficiencies and suggest smarter ways of working

• Is wildly organized and secretly loves a good tracker
• Can juggle multiple deadlines without breaking a sweat
• Writes clearly, communicates confidently, and follows through
• Plays well with others and loves cross-team collaboration
• Is comfortable in Google Workspace and productivity tools
• Has experience with CRMs, databases, or reporting platforms
• Handles confidential info like a total professional

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience
• 3–5 years in business development support, sales ops, marketing coordination, events, or similar
• Bonus points for agency, events, or production experience