Back to jobs

Business Development Leader, Professional Sports

Chicago, Illinois, United States; Colorado Springs, Colorado, United States; Denver, Colorado, United States; Los Angeles, California, United States; Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States; New York, New York, United States; Riverside, California, United States; Sacramento, California, United States; San Diego, California, United States; San Francisco, California, United States; Seattle, Washington, United States; Washington, D.C.

DLR Group is an integrated design firm with a promise to elevate the human experience through design. This fuels the work we do around the world and inspires our mission to improve the lives of our clients, our communities, and our planet. If this sparks your interest, you’re in the right place.

DLR Group has an opening for a Pro Sports Business Development Leader within our Sports Sector. DLR Group has a network of 30+ studios across the United States. For this role, we encourage exceptional applicants across the ecosystem.

About Sports at DLR Group

The DLR Group Sports practice designs facilities to recruit and develop the best athletes, attract and retain top coaches, and to create memorable experiences for today’s fans. Our solutions support our client’s mission, promote their culture, and elevate their brand. The Sports Studio strives to be a valued partner while creating a vision that elevates our client’s organization to a championship level through design.

Position Summary:

We are seeking a motivated Business Development Leader to drive growth in the professional sports market across the United States. This role is ideal for someone who excels at identifying decision-makers and building lasting relationships while collaborating with a talented team of designers.

The ideal candidate is socially fearless, entrepreneurial, and ready to lead initiatives to uncover new opportunities, while also nurturing existing client relationships alongside Our Sports Global Sector Leader, Professional Sports Leader, National Sports Business Development Leader, as well as our Sports Regional Sector Leaders and Client Leaders. Join our employee-owned firm and be part of a culture that values diverse design voices and a passion for impactful work both locally and globally.

The successful candidate will:

  • Communicate and collaborate at a very high level with the entire DLR Group Sports Team in all phases of the business development process
  • Collaborate with Global Sector Leader, Professional Sports Practice Leader, and National Sports Business Development Leader to identify, develop, qualify, and manage a pipeline of potential clients for project opportunities in the professional sports marketplace
  • Create and execute a strategic approach to win new business and expand market presence through innovative outreach, networking, partnerships, industry events and identifying client and project needs.
  • Coordinate with Pursuit Teams to craft client-centric statements for effective responses to RFPs, sales proposals and presentations.
  • Cultivate and manage long-term client relationships, partnering with our Sports Team to maintain connections with current and former clients.
  • Actively participate in industry organizations, committees, conferences and events while familiarizing targets with DLR Group's Sports portfolio, experts, design ethos, and shifts in fan experience, athlete development, and venue design
  • Collaborate on sector marketing strategies and annual business planning while achieving new fee targets and ROI goals each fiscal year.
  • Meet or exceed growth and fee targets as outlined in DLR Group’s Business Plan, each fiscal
  • Lead and manage business development efforts for our Professional Sports practice, providing mentorship and guidance to the team.
  • Stay informed on national market trends, key publications, and industry associations
  • Build and nurture relationships with key partners, including contractors, developers, and consultants
  • Lead and prepare quarterly marketing reports, participate in weekly strategy meetings, and maintain CRM and BD Tracking Report.

Required Qualifications:

  • Interpersonal Skills: Outgoing and personable, adept at quickly building rapport and effective relationships, both internally and externally.
  • Interpersonal Communications - Must be able to convey ideas, concerns, challenges, and opportunities via strong written and oral communication skills; ability to analyze and improve materials written by others.
  • Business Development Connections & Resilience: Enthusiastic about reaching out to prospects and resilient in facing rejection, with a strong sense of urgency and consistency in meeting deadlines.
  • Professional Demeanor: Polished and capable of representing the firm at all levels, with keen attention to detail, especially in marketing materials and communications.
  • Receptive & Eager Learner: Open to feedback and constructive criticism, demonstrating a commitment to continuous learning.
  • Organizational & Collaborative Skills: Excellent at prioritizing and managing multiple tasks efficiently; comfortable in both leadership and team-player roles with diverse personalities.
  • Self-Starter & Knowledgeable: Motivated to work independently with minimal supervision, committed to understanding the firm’s practices, services, and goals.
  • Strategic Leadership - Creates, leads, nurtures, builds, activates and manages mutually beneficial relationships internally and externally resulting in design commission fees.

Preferred Qualifications:

  • Bachelor’s degree
  • 7+ years of experience working in sales, business development, or client management roles in professional sports and/or A/E/C industry, Preferably with background and knowledge of professional sports venue operations, event management, facilities planning and design, revenue development, team/business operations or sports marketing.
  • Possesses a network of decision-makers in executive and senior level positions in professional sports and/or Sports AEC industry.
  • Proficient in business planning and presentation software (e.g., Excel, PowerPoint)
  • Proficiency with Microsoft Office products and experience utilizing CRM software
  • Involvement in sports or relevant industry organizations
  • Strong oral, written communication, meeting facilitation, and presentation skills
  • Strong ability to collaborate with institutions, organizations, and internal project teams
  • Strong organizational skills with the ability to multitask, prioritize, and work under pressure
  • Skilled in marketing strategy, relationship development, and business development processes
  • Self-starter with an entrepreneurial mindset, able to solve problems independently. 

Our comprehensive Benefits at DLR Group include medical, dental, vision, disability, wellness programs, flex spending, paid holidays, and paid time off. We also offer a 401(k) plan, employee stock ownership, and bonus opportunities. Compensation considerations are based on location, experience, and skills. The suggested pay range for this position is:

Pay Range

$115,000 - $145,000 USD

DLR Group is an integrated design firm delivering architecture, engineering, interiors, planning, and building optimization for new builds, renovations, and adaptive reuse projects.

We are 100% employee-owned: every employee is literally invested in our clients’ success. At the core of our firm are interdisciplinary teams engaged in every step of project lifecycles. Our teams champion true collaboration, open information sharing, shared risk and reward, value-based decision making, and proficient use of technology to deliver exceptional design. We are pursuing the goals of the 2030 Challenge, the ME2040, and the SE2050, and are an initial signatory of the China Accord and the AIA 2030 Commitment.

Through our values – commitment, creativity, environmental stewardship, fun, integrity, ownership, sharing, teamwork – we elevate the human experience through design, together.

DLR Group follows a four-day in-office work model, with employees having the flexibility to work somewhere other than the office on Fridays.

We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action/M/F/Veteran/Disabled employer.

 

Create a Job Alert

Interested in building your career at DLR Group? Get future opportunities sent straight to your email.

Apply for this job

*

indicates a required field

Resume/CV*

Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf

Cover Letter

Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf

Education

Select...
Select...
Select...
Select...

Example: https://www.linkedin.com/in/username

Enter N/A if you do not have a LinkedIn Profile

Portfolio/Work Samples (PDF Preferred)

Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf

Please list your current primary residence 

Please list your current primary residence

Please list your current primary residence

Select...

Please list your current primary residence

Please list your current primary residence

Select...

Please list your current primary residence

Select...

If yes, please list their name and your connection to the employee.

Select...
Select...

This includes, but is not limited to, F-1 (OPT, CPT, STEM OPT), H-1B, or TN.

Select...

(Note that such restrictions may be found in different types of agreements, including, but not limited to, employment contracts, stock awards, and sales incentive plans. Indicating that you are subject to a restrictive covenant will not disqualify you from consideration for this position. You should disclose any such restrictive covenant and  be prepared to provide a full, signed copy of the restrictive covenant if requested.)

Select...

If yes, please specify in next question

Select...
Select...
Select...

Voluntary Self-Identification

For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey. Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiring process or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in a confidential file.

As set forth in DLR Group’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy, we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

Select...
Select...
Race & Ethnicity Definitions

If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection. As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measure the effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categories is as follows:

A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.

A "recently separated veteran" means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.

An "active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.

An "Armed forces service medal veteran" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.

Select...

Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability

Form CC-305
Page 1 of 1
OMB Control Number 1250-0005
Expires 04/30/2026

Why are you being asked to complete this form?

We are a federal contractor or subcontractor. The law requires us to provide equal employment opportunity to qualified people with disabilities. We have a goal of having at least 7% of our workers as people with disabilities. The law says we must measure our progress towards this goal. To do this, we must ask applicants and employees if they have a disability or have ever had one. People can become disabled, so we need to ask this question at least every five years.

Completing this form is voluntary, and we hope that you will choose to do so. Your answer is confidential. No one who makes hiring decisions will see it. Your decision to complete the form and your answer will not harm you in any way. If you want to learn more about the law or this form, visit the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) website at www.dol.gov/ofccp.

How do you know if you have a disability?

A disability is a condition that substantially limits one or more of your “major life activities.” If you have or have ever had such a condition, you are a person with a disability. Disabilities include, but are not limited to:

  • Alcohol or other substance use disorder (not currently using drugs illegally)
  • Autoimmune disorder, for example, lupus, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, HIV/AIDS
  • Blind or low vision
  • Cancer (past or present)
  • Cardiovascular or heart disease
  • Celiac disease
  • Cerebral palsy
  • Deaf or serious difficulty hearing
  • Diabetes
  • Disfigurement, for example, disfigurement caused by burns, wounds, accidents, or congenital disorders
  • Epilepsy or other seizure disorder
  • Gastrointestinal disorders, for example, Crohn's Disease, irritable bowel syndrome
  • Intellectual or developmental disability
  • Mental health conditions, for example, depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, PTSD
  • Missing limbs or partially missing limbs
  • Mobility impairment, benefiting from the use of a wheelchair, scooter, walker, leg brace(s) and/or other supports
  • Nervous system condition, for example, migraine headaches, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis (MS)
  • Neurodivergence, for example, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder, dyslexia, dyspraxia, other learning disabilities
  • Partial or complete paralysis (any cause)
  • Pulmonary or respiratory conditions, for example, tuberculosis, asthma, emphysema
  • Short stature (dwarfism)
  • Traumatic brain injury
Select...

PUBLIC BURDEN STATEMENT: According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. This survey should take about 5 minutes to complete.