Principal/Director, Client Development

Business Talent Group (BTG) is the leading talent marketplace that connects independent management consultants, subject matter experts, project managers, and interim executives with the world’s best companies. BTG provides the right on-demand talent needed—remote or on‑site, part‑time or full‑time, individuals or teams. More than 50% of the Fortune100 and hundreds of other leading companies trust BTG to curate, vet, and compliantly deliver talent who fuel growth, innovation, and performance improvement. BTG is a Heidrick & Struggles company.

Who We Are

Heidrick & Struggles is a premier provider of global leadership advisory and on‑demand talent solutions, serving the senior‑level talent and consulting needs of the world’s top organizations. We partner with clients to develop future‑ready leaders and organizations, integrating services such as executive search, diversity and inclusion, leadership assessment, organization and team acceleration, culture shaping, and independent talent solutions.

Position Overview

BTG, a subsidiary of Heidrick & Struggles, seeks a Director/Principal to advance commercial efforts in key target accounts. The successful candidate will develop and manage account‑based strategies for client engagement, lead and build senior client relationships, cultivate and manage project evaluations, collaborate with client service teams on talent placements and active projects, and share best practices across the client development team.

Responsibilities

Business Development

• Create targeted business plans that include account‑based engagement strategies and market intelligence gathering aligned to key functional areas and buying centers in target accounts.
• Continuously hone sales techniques, deepen understanding of the full sales cycle, and utilize sales enablement tools.
• Proactively prospect to identify and target potential leads through various channels, assessing and qualifying new leads to ensure they meet criteria.
• Execute high‑volume outbound top‑of‑funnel activity to engage prospects in discovery calls, drive new business development, opportunity creation, and follow‑up.
• Prepare tailored demonstrations of BTG services for specific accounts and relationships, considering past and existing work streams.
• Develop and manage new business‑development materials and collateral.
• Manage quarterly, half‑yearly and annual revenue goals and other key commercial metrics (meetings, new opportunities, etc.).

Ongoing Client Management

• Anticipate customer needs based on market activity and guide firm investment in new areas; conduct market intelligence to understand and position against key competitors.
• Establish and maintain contact with key decision makers at target accounts, facilitating buy‑in on proposed solutions from top management levels.
• Serve as a senior advocate for client needs—working as a trusted advisor to help clients navigate the industry and support solution development in collaboration with BTG experts.
• Partner with client success and delivery teams, advising and directing project scoping, talent search processes, proposal development, pricing, contracting strategy, and project economics.
• Maintain 100% project and talent oversight on active projects to ensure client satisfaction and engagement, supporting extension and expansion of BTG opportunities with existing clients and new referrals.

Internal Collaboration

• Maintain open communication with all departments, regularly updating and sharing information, and leveraging departmental strengths through teamwork and cooperation to achieve common goals.
• Promote a positive and supportive work culture by encouraging colleagues, recognizing contributions, and ensuring everyone feels valued.
• Demonstrate a solution‑oriented mindset focused on achieving better outcomes by working harmoniously across departments.

Qualifications

• BA/BS degree (required). Preferably a mix of business development, commercial relationship management, or related experience, with exposure to large, complex, multi‑site accounts.
• Experience selling into the industrial industry and building broad client relationships across key influencers, serving as a trusted advisor and consultant.
• Superior verbal, written and presentation skills; comfort engaging with and presenting to board‑level and C‑level executives.
• Ability to spend significant time (60%+) “in‑market” with clients—mostly virtual with some in‑person as relevant.
• Proven contract negotiation and management skills, able to work collaboratively with both client and internal teams (procurement, legal, finance) to balance needs of BTG and the client.
• Familiar with developing and maintaining sales plans, managing multiple initiatives/work streams simultaneously.
• Ethical, confident and creative, with a persistent “can‑do” attitude.
• Ability to navigate ambiguous and complex organizational structures to resolve customer issues and internal roadblocks.
• Strong multitasking, prioritization and teamwork skills; ability to collaborate without ego.
• Proactive mindset, anticipating teammates’ needs and suggesting process improvements.
• Willingness to adapt and embrace criticism, continually seeking feedback and making improvements.
• Approaches work with generosity, serving colleagues, clients, partners beyond expectation.

Compensation and Benefits

Salary range: $100,000 to $180,000USD. Compensation is based on education, experience and skills. BTG offers discretionary bonuses (subject to eligibility) and a comprehensive benefits package.

• Medical, dental, vision and disability leave
• Parental leave
• Paid time off
• 401(k) contribution

Equal Opportunity Employer

BTG is an equal‑opportunity employer committed to hiring qualified protected veterans and individuals with disabilities. All qualified applicants will be considered for employment without regard to race, color, religion, creed, age, sex, national origin, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, disability, marital status, veteran or military status or citizenship status. Qualified consultants with arrest or conviction records will be considered in accordance with the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers and the California Fair Chance Act.

BTG is committed to providing reasonable accommodations and/or adjustments during our recruitment process. If you are selected for an interview and require an accommodation or adjustment, please inform your Talent Acquisition professional.