Business Development Manager

About the role

The Business Development Manager role is suited to a commercially grounded hunter who has built and monetised a genuine network within the property sector, and who is as comfortable opening a cold relationship with a developer as they are running a design pitch through to a signed order. This is an autonomous, individual-contributor role reporting to, and working in close partnership with, the General Manager, FF&E & Design, while drawing on the design, operations and delivery teams to convert opportunities into orders. The role is built around B2B opportunities across development display homes, common and amenity areas, external spaces, Build to Rent, Purpose-Built Student Accommodation, co-living and serviced apartments. These opportunities come through two channels: direct relationships you build with property developers and commercial clients, and referred relationships through agents, architects, builders and other industry partners who bring you into a project.

Key responsibilities

• Proactively identify and open new B2B relationships across property developers and commercial clients, targeting opportunities in display homes, common and amenity areas, external spaces, Build to Rent, Purpose-Built Student Accommodation, co-living and serviced apartments

• Prospect daily, prioritising phone contact and face-to-face networking over email as the primary channel for opening new relationships

• Build and actively leverage a network of direct client relationships alongside referral relationships with agents, architects, builders and other industry partners who introduce new opportunities

• Represent BOWERBIRD at industry events, functions and networking opportunities to build brand presence and pipeline

• Cover the entirety of Sydney daily, with occasional interstate travel as opportunities require

• Take ownership of each opportunity from first conversation through to signed order, acting as the client's primary point of contact throughout

• Coordinate with the design, operations and pricing teams to prepare compelling design pitches, business presentations and accurate quotes

• Manage the commercial negotiation and closing process, working with internal stakeholders to protect margin and delivery timelines

• Maintain a disciplined, accurate and up-to-date pipeline in Salesforce, reflecting real-time status of every opportunity and client relationship

• Report on activity and revenue performance against agreed targets, using Microsoft Office and Salesforce reporting tools

About you

• Proven business development or sales experience within the interior design, FF&E, product manufacturing or broader property sector, ideally from a design or supply background

• An existing network within the property development world that you can put to work from day one

• Demonstrated history of hitting both revenue and activity targets in a target-driven sales environment

• Comfortable discussing design concepts, presenting business propositions and building trust with senior stakeholders on the client side

• Work independently to open doors, back your own ability to network, and do not wait to be handed opportunities

• Able to run a deal from pitch to close, balancing client relationship, design outcome and commercial terms

• Represent yourself and BOWERBIRD smartly, with the polish expected in front of developers, agents and commercial clients

• Valid Australian driver's licence and access to a car, or the ability to obtain one

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office; Salesforce experience and familiarity with design specification software both advantageous

About us

BOWERBIRD is an independently owned interiors group delivering furniture-led solutions across four service lines: Property Styling, Residential Interior Design, Commercial Interior Design, and FF&E. We operate at the intersection of design and commercial performance, creating spaces that connect people while delivering measurable value for homeowners, agents, developers and capital-backed residential platforms. Property Styling operates in Sydney; Residential & Commercial Interior Design and FF&E operate Australia-wide from our Caringbah headquarters and 4,000sqm distribution centre. The business is on a defined growth path, supported by a founder-led leadership team. BOWERBIRD is founder-led and independently owned. We care deeply about what we build, how we build it and who we build with. The business brings together ambitious and capable people who value integrity, creativity and commercial clarity. We are values-led, with bravery, integrity, innovation and kindness guiding how we operate and how we grow.