Business Development Lead

The short version

Towering Stairway is a Florida-based video game studio building original games. We are looking for a founding-team business development lead to become the studio's primary revenue driver - securing publishers, investors, grants, sponsorships, and partnerships.

This is a founding-partner opportunity rather than a salaried job. There is no cash salary at the outset. Compensation is equity plus performance bonuses tied directly to the capital you bring in. That section sits near the top of this listing on purpose. If the structure does not work for your situation, we would rather you know now than four paragraphs from now.

How compensation works

• Equity: A real ownership stake in the studio.
• Deal bonuses: A cash share of every funding deal, grant, publishing advance, or sponsorship you close, paid as the money lands.
• Path to salary: First consideration for a salaried executive role - Chief Business Officer or equivalent - once the studio is funded.
• Flexibility: Fully remote, flexible hours, part-time or full-time. We measure outcomes, not attendance.

On the specific numbers

We are not publishing an equity percentage or a bonus rate here. The right figures depend on scope and commitment, and we would rather set them with you than announce them at you.

What we will commit to: specific terms get discussed in the first substantive conversation, not the last. You will not spend weeks in a process before finding out what the deal is.

About Towering Stairway

Towering Stairway is an ambitious Florida-based video game studio dedicated to creating original games meant to awe and inspire. We strive to be at the crossroads of technological innovation and artistic talent, believing that exploring our humanity and providing entertainment with substance is more important than ever. Alongside our expert co-development services, we are currently developing our debut title, Welcome Home John, a psychological horror pet simulator.

What you would own

• Revenue generation: Bring capital into the studio through publishers, angel investors, crowdfunding, sponsorships, and brand partnerships.
• Grants: Identify applicable industry and government grant programs, write compelling applications, and manage submissions end to end.
• Pitching and networking: Represent the studio in meetings, pitch our projects to prospective financial partners, and build a durable network across gaming and tech investment.
• Co-development pipeline: Source and close co-development work, including with clients in sectors such as healthcare and education where interactive and game-based work has real application.
• Strategy: Work with leadership to design funding approaches suited to the gaming market as it exists now, not the one that existed five years ago.

Who we are looking for

• A proven track record: Real results in business development, fundraising, sales, or strategic partnerships. We care about what you have closed, not how long you have been employed.
• Exceptional communication: Strong verbal and written skills, able to build a persuasive pitch and a proposal that survives scrutiny.
• A self-starter: Entrepreneurial by instinct, able to operate independently and generate momentum without micromanagement.
• Fluency in games: A real love for the medium and a working understanding of the current market, player behaviour, and gaming culture.
• Comfort with risk: You can take on uncompensated work up front, and you are motivated by ownership and upside.

Bonus points

• A history of grant applications awarded, not only submitted.
• Direct experience in the video game industry. Ambitious people from tech, entertainment, or startup backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply.
• Existing relationships with decision-makers in healthcare or education.

Who this is not for

We would rather be direct than waste your time.

• If you need income from this role in the near term, this is not the right fit right now. Write to us anyway - we would like to talk when we are funded.
• If you want a defined territory, warm inbound leads, and an existing playbook, this role has none of those yet. You would be writing the playbook.
• If you want the title without the build, we are not a match.

How to apply

Send a resume and a short note to carlos@toweringstairway.com.

In the note, we want one thing above all: your approach to securing funding for a pre-revenue game studio. Specific beats polished. If you have closed something you are proud of - a grant, a publishing deal, a partnership - tell us what it was and what you personally did to land it.