Vice President, Business Development

Description

Fourth Economy is seeking candidates for a new position, Vice President of Business Development, to lead business development and contribute to our consulting work. This person will help drive the organization’s growth by identifying and securing new opportunities, strengthening client relationships, and expanding awareness of our work. In addition to business development, this role includes direct contributions to client projects and organizational strategy, with a focus on advancing the firm’s national profile and aligning with global capabilities through our parent company, Steer.

We are seeking a motivated and organized professional with deep expertise in one or more areas that intersect with equitable economic growth, such as economic development, workforce and talent development, housing, innovation-based economic development, entrepreneurship, planning and placemaking, workforce and talent development, community development, or resilience planning. Ideal candidates will bring a track record of thought leadership, entrepreneurial initiative, and a commitment to advancing non-traditional or systems-based approaches to community and economic development. They should be passionate about making a tangible impact through analytical, collaborative, and challenging work that drives long-term change.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Business Development (55% of time)

• Strategic Positioning and Prospecting: Identify and pursue new business opportunities that align with Fourth Economy’s mission and capabilities, with a focus on growing our portfolio in areas such as, placemaking, housing, innovation, resilience, workforce, and economic mobility. Work closely with the CEO to define the scopes of work that align with organizational priorities and emerging market opportunities.
• Revenue Generation and Pipeline Management: Take ownership of revenue targets by developing a robust pipeline of qualified opportunities across sectors and geographies. Track and report on business development metrics to leadership, including win rates, conversion points, and revenue forecasts. Collaborate with the CEO and North American Leadership Team to ensure alignment with annual and long-term growth goals.
• Proposal Development and Coordination: Lead or support the development of high-quality, timely proposals. Responsibilities include reviewing RFPs, designing approaches, structuring scopes and budgets, assigning internal and external roles, and ensuring submissions are responsive and competitive.
• Client and Partner Relationship Management: Build and maintain strong relationships with past, current, and prospective clients and partners, including those from local government, philanthropy, and nonprofit sectors. Leverage relationships to generate repeat and referral business and identify partnership opportunities for joint work.
• Market Analysis and Opportunity Scanning: Regularly monitor industry trends, funding shifts, competitor positioning, and regional developments to identify future opportunities and anticipate client needs. Translate insights into actionable strategies for growth.
• Product and Service Expansion: Identify market gaps and lead internal discussions on expanding service offerings, adapting existing products, or entering new regions or client types in a way that supports long-term growth. Partner with the CEO to evaluate strategic opportunities and make recommendations that support sustainable growth and differentiation.
• Internal Coordination and Reporting: Use firm-wide tools and systems to track leads, submissions, and partnerships. Share updates during regular business development check-ins and contribute to firm-wide planning around resources and revenue strategy.
• Network Development and Visibility: Represent Fourth Economy at conferences, webinars, and through written thought leadership. Focus outreach efforts in line with your subject-matter expertise and our strategic priorities, and contribute to building the firm’s national reputation.
• Marketing and Communications Collaboration: Partner with the communications team to refine our messaging, promote new services or insights, and create materials (such as case studies and pitch decks) that support business development efforts.

Consulting & Leadership (45% of time)

• Project Leadership: Serve as Project Director, Manager, or Advisor on select projects where your expertise is most aligned. This may include leading strategy development, conducting policy and market analysis, overseeing implementation planning, managing cross-sector partnerships, designing evaluation frameworks, or guiding community and economic development initiatives. Depending on the project, responsibilities may also involve stakeholder facilitation or public engagement.
• Cross-Firm Collaboration: Coordinate with colleagues at Steer to identify shared opportunities, align resources, and facilitate knowledge sharing. Help integrate Fourth Economy’s economic development expertise into broader planning or infrastructure efforts when appropriate.
• Team Leadership, Mentorship, and Staff Development: Support the growth of Fourth Economy’s business development capacity by mentoring junior and mid-level team members and modeling effective scoping, writing, and client relationship skills. Provide coaching to colleagues involved in proposal development or sector-specific prospecting, and help foster a team-wide culture of responsiveness, curiosity, and shared accountability for growth and development. This role may include direct supervision of staff, depending on experience and organizational needs.

DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION STATEMENT

We welcome all candidates regardless of race, color, ancestry, gender identity or expression, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, Veteran status, or any other legally protected status. Any other human expressions and experiences not mentioned here are equally welcome. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer and will provide reasonable accommodations to qualified applicants, unless such accommodation would cause an undue hardship for the company.

LOCATION

We are generally location-agnostic for this role and welcome applicants from across the U.S. However, we are especially interested in candidates based in regions where we have active or growing project work and client relationships. These include: Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, New York, New England, Illinois, Georgia, Virginia and California. We work primarily on Eastern Time, but have employees across all time zones. Travel will be required for business development, client meetings, and conferences.

Requirements

• 10+ years of experience in consulting and/or business development in one or more of our focus areas. Experience securing contracts with private, public sector or philanthropic clients preferred.
• Recognized subject-matter expertise in one or more of Fourth Economy’s key focus areas, such as:
• Economic development strategy
• Planning and placemaking
• Workforce and talent development
• Housing development strategy
• Innovation ecosystems and entrepreneurship
• Resilience and sustainability planning
• Community wealth building
• Proven ability to manage and win competitive bids for complex, multi-stakeholder projects.
• Demonstrated experience collaborating across teams and disciplines to pursue opportunities and deliver client work.
• Familiarity with Fourth Economy’s client base, including local and regional governments, community-based nonprofits, economic development organizations, and philanthropy.
• Strong writing and communications skills; ability to frame work in ways that resonate with both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Existing relationships or networks in our focus areas are highly preferred.
• Advanced certification in planning or economic development will be beneficial

WHO SHOULD APPLY

This role is best suited for professionals with 10 or more years of relevant experience in consulting and/or business development in one or more of our focus areas. We value a range of lived and professional experiences and welcome applicants who bring deep subject matter expertise, strong writing and relationship-building skills, and a precise alignment with the type of work we do. If your background aligns with most of the qualifications and you can contribute meaningfully to our mission, we encourage you to apply.

Benefits

This is a full-time remote position with a salary range of $140-180k/year plus benefits (location agnostic), which include:

• Health, dental, vision & life insurance
• Short-term & long-term disability
• 3% of salary is automatically contributed to the employee's 401K retirement plan
• Monthly phone stipend
• 20 Days PTO, 9 holidays, 3 floating holidays, and 10 sick days annually
• Paid parental leave
• Workplace ergonomic assessment and resulting accommodations
• Professional development funds for training and pursuit or maintenance of a recognized credential.

Be advised that the salary listed is an estimated benchmark salary of good faith. All compensation, regardless of location, may be subject to change as skills, abilities, and internal equity are considered.

In addition to base salary, all employees will be eligible for an annual discretionary performance bonus.

Fourth Economy reserves the right to ultimately pay more or less than the posted range and offer additional compensation.