Head of Growth – Commercial Design & Build

About the Opportunity

• A confidential client of Talentsquare is seeking an exceptional, industry-savvy growth leader to drive its next phase of market expansion, enterprise business development, and commercial fit-out pipeline volume.
• Our client specializes in full-scale workplace transformations, turnkey spatial fit-outs, and environmental branding—integrating creative architecture and design with complex technical execution including MEP, partition systems, ELV & security solutions, and smart energy systems.
• This opportunity is designed for a commercially astute, entrepreneurial leader who knows how to navigate the Commercial Real Estate CRE ecosystem, engage C-suite decision-makers, and convert massive spatial project requirements into signed turnkey design-build contracts.
• This is not a conventional sales management position. We are looking for a highly credible operator from the commercial interiors, architecture, or construction services sector who can personally win major workspace projects while building a scalable pipeline system to sustain growth.
• The client’s identity and additional organizational information will be disclosed to shortlisted candidates at the appropriate stage of the selection process.

The Mandate:
Enterprise Project Acquisition and Pipeline Generation:

• Origination: Identify, target, and pitch massive corporate relocations, office consolidations, retail expansion plans, and asset repositioning projects.
• Ecosystem Networking: Map and aggressively network with commercial real estate brokers, property developers, project management consultancies PMCs, and workplace strategy heads to secure early bidding seats.
• Deal Ownership: Lead opportunities through the entire design-build commercial lifecycle—from initial spatial discovery and RFP qualification to the final design pitch, contracting, and closure.
• Pipeline Visibility: Maintain absolute clarity over high-value fit-out bids, probability of award, project timelines, and margin expectations.

Commercial Strategy & Sector Development:

• Market Mapping: Identify high-growth corporate sectors e.g., tech hubs, banking headquarters, co-working, retail brands that require immediate spatial restructuring or modernization.
• Value Proposition: Translate our client’s technical and creative capabilities from aesthetic spatial branding to MEP and renewable energy solutions into high-impact pitches that sell productivity, safety, and brand value to tenants.
• Strategic Partnerships: Establish formal referral channels and joint-venture strategies with external architectural firms and commercial developers to scale project inflow.

Executive Engagement & Spatial Advisory:

• C-Suite Advisory: Act as a trusted advisor to Chief Human Resources Officers CHROs, Chief Operating Officers COOs, and Procurement Directors, steering their vision for workplace culture and real estate optimization.

• Deep Discovery: Lead sophisticated consultations that uncover long-term corporate real estate needs rather than just responding to basic technical tender lists.

• Account Expansion: Cultivate relationships with major corporate tenants to ensure multi-phase project awards, repeat fit-out business, and ongoing asset management contracts.

Estimating, Proposals, and Deal Structuring:

• Proposal Leadership: Orchestrate the development of highly visual, commercially tight design pitches, technical tender responses, and statements of work.
• Cross-Functional Sync: Collaborate directly with internal interior design teams, MEP estimators, and project managers to ensure proposed solutions are both stunning and operationally deliverable.
• Commercial Discipline: Lead high-value contract negotiations on pricing, payment milestones, material margins, and project scopes while minimizing delivery risks.

Growth Operations & Performance Metrics:

• Operating Systems: Implement a structured commercial operating system tailored to long-cycle design-build tenders, ensuring strict CRM discipline.
• Win/Loss Analysis: Analyze lost bids and delayed projects to continually refine pricing strategy, design positioning, and competitive edge.
• Executive Reporting: Provide senior leadership with accurate forecasts on project pipelines, expected project margins, resource utilization flags, and market trends.

Growth Team Leadership:

• Team Building: Recruit, lead, and mentor a high-performing business development and estimation support team as the company's regional footprint expands.
• Coaching: Train team members in technical discovery, architectural broker relations, contract economics, and executive pitch delivery.
• Culture: Foster an ownership-driven, competitive, yet deeply collaborative culture centered on winning high-profile spaces.

What Success Looks Like:
Performance will be assessed against clear B2B real estate metrics, including:

• Substantial growth in the qualified commercial design-build and fit-out pipeline.
• Direct personal contribution to winning flagship turnkey office or commercial projects.
• Improved bid conversion rates and shorter sales cycles through early-stage project discovery.
• Strengthened relationships with top-tier CRE brokers, PMCs, and developers.
• Maintenance of healthy project margins during competitive bidding and contract structuring.

Candidate Profile:

• We are looking for a dynamic growth driver who blends an understanding of physical architecture and corporate environments with a killer instinct for closing enterprise deals.

The ideal candidate will demonstrate:

• A proven track record in B2B enterprise sales, specifically within Commercial Real Estate, Fit-Outs, Design-Build Construction, or Architecture Services.
• Deep existing connections with real estate brokers, developers, and corporate workplace leaders.
• The ability to confidently navigate complex corporate procurement processes and multi-million dollar construction tenders.
• A strong grasp of project financials, construction contract dynamics, and design-to-budget estimation.
• Exceptional executive presence, with the ability to articulate how beautiful, functional spaces drive business performance.

Requirements

• A Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration, Marketing, Economics, Management, Engineering or a related discipline, or equivalent relevant professional experience.
• Approximately eight or more years of relevant commercial, enterprise sales or business development experience is preferred.
• Demonstrable experience managing complex B2B sales cycles and engaging senior corporate stakeholders.
• Evidence of personally contributing to substantial contract wins, supported by clear explanations of deal value, individual responsibility and outcomes.
• Experience with CRM systems, pipeline reporting, sales forecasting and structured commercial processes.
• Strong written and verbal communication, presentation and negotiation skills.
• An MBA or relevant professional qualification may be advantageous but is not a substitute for demonstrated commercial results.

Preferred Industry Exposure:
Experience in one or more of the following would be advantageous:

• Architecture, interior design, fit-out or workplace solutions.
• Creative, design-led or project-based professional services.
• Enterprise services, business solutions or complex B2B offerings.
• Other sectors involving high-value contracts, long sales cycles and multiple decision-makers.
• Candidates from adjacent industries will be considered where their enterprise selling experience is demonstrably transferable.

What Will Differentiate Strong Candidates?
We will place particular weight on candidates who can clearly explain:

• The largest or most complex contracts they personally helped win.
• How the opportunity was originated and developed.
• The decision-makers involved and the challenges encountered.
• Their precise contribution to the negotiation and final outcome.
• The commercial results achieved, including contract value and, where relevant, revenue or margin contribution.
• Candidates whose experience is limited to account maintenance, lead generation, team supervision or sales administration without demonstrable deal ownership may not be suited to this mandate.

The Opportunity:

• This is an opportunity to shape a commercial growth agenda, work closely with executive leadership and take meaningful ownership of business development and revenue outcomes.
• The successful candidate will have the opportunity to build valuable enterprise relationships, influence commercial strategy and develop the systems and team capability needed to support sustained growth.

Application Requirements:

• Interested candidates should submit an updated CV and a concise cover note addressing the following:
  • Describe two or three significant B2B contracts you personally originated, developed or closed.
  • State the approximate contract value, sales-cycle duration, customer segment and your specific contribution.
  • Explain how you have built or improved an enterprise sales pipeline.
  • Describe a challenging commercial negotiation and how you achieved the outcome.
• Shortlisted candidates should expect a structured assessment of commercial judgement, deal ownership, enterprise sales capability and evidence of results.

Confidentiality:

• This is a confidential executive search managed by Talentsquare. The client’s identity will be shared with shortlisted candidates at the appropriate stage. Applicants are expected to exercise discretion and treat all information relating to the opportunity as confidential.
• Talentsquare is an equal-opportunity talent solutions firm. Applications will be assessed on relevant capability, evidence of performance and suitability for the mandate.

Method of Application

Interested and qualified? Go to TalentSquare on talentsquare.zohorecruit.com to apply