Business Development Manager, Projects

Location: Remote - New York, New York, Newark, New Jersey, or Boston, Massachusetts

Opportunity

The Business Development Manager – Projects serves as the primary regional leader driving Kohler, Sterling, and Kallista brand sales through project channels. This role is responsible for building and executing comprehensive regional strategies to achieve growth and market share expansion while influencing and indirectly managing sales teams. The Manager will focus on cultivating high-impact relationships with hotel flags, developers, hotel owners, engineers, mechanical contractors, and distributors to achieve measurable results in the project and specification space.

Specific Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership

• Develop, articulate, and execute a long-term strategic vision for Kohler Co. to achieve corporate project objectives across assigned MSAs.
• Define and prioritize market opportunities, aligning regional initiatives with national and corporate goals.

Regional Strategy Execution

• Lead the creation and implementation of tactical plans for project and specification programs at the regional level, in collaboration with Branch Sales Managers and extended vertical teams.
• Align regional strategies with broader organizational goals to maximize synergy across all sales verticals.

Executive-Level Relationship Management

• Own and oversee relationships with key decision-makers such as developers,  hospitality/hotel owners, general contractors, and mechanical contractors and other key influencers.
• Represent Kohler Co. as a trusted advisor to executive stakeholders, securing long-term partnerships that drive sustainable growth.

Project Pipeline Management

• Direct and oversee project pipelines ulitizing Salesforce, ensuring the sales team has visibility to projects and that our teams are effectively collaborating to ensure successful outcomes and secure wins.
• Optimize resource allocation and market focus to capitalize on active project pipelines in each MSA, driving results through strategic market prioritization.

Team Development and Leadership

• Indirectly manage and coach a high-performing team of sales associates, providing mentorship, training, and development opportunities to enhance their effectiveness in driving commercial and residential projects.
• Inspire collaboration and accountability across the team, setting clear performance expectations aligned with organizational objectives.

Market Analysis and Competitive Positioning

• Conduct in-depth analysis of project market trends, competitors’ products, and pricing strategies within the region.
• Develop and execute a differentiated market approach to position Kohler’s products as the preferred solution in competitive environments.

Forecasting and Budgeting

• Oversee and approve annual growth forecasts and sales plans for the region.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to recommend and implement pricing strategies to meet regional objectives.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with Channel and Product marketing, sales operations, customer service, and pricing teams to ensure seamless execution of strategies.
• Work closely with affiliated Regional Directors, Branch Sales Managers and other vertical managers to develop and align annual market development plans.

Business Prioritization and Innovation

• Identify and communicate critical business priorities, advocating for new products and programs that deliver a competitive advantage.
• Champion innovation by influencing advanced development teams and new product development (NPD) initiatives.

Executive Reporting and Planning

• Prepare and present regional sales forecast reports and strategic market development plans.
• Implement and monitor field sales action plans, ensuring alignment with regional and national objectives.

Industry Leadership

• Represent Kohler Co. at industry associations and events, building relationships with C-level executives and industry influencers.
• Serve as a thought leader, positioning Kohler as a market innovator and driving brand visibility within key project channels.