Director, Business Development (Design)
This role will be located by our office in NYC, working with our design studio, Aruliden.
About Aruliden & Material
Aruliden is an award-winning studio that builds purpose-driven brands, products, and experiences. A multi-disciplinary team of industrial designers, 2D designers, and strategists, we work together to bring brands to life, whether crafting their strategic DNA, developing a graphic identity, or developing their physical and digital products. We’ve delivered design solutions for: Verizon, Whoop, Google, Marc Jacobs, Calvin Klein, Fenty, Cecred, AG1, Seed, Movado, Bulgari, Supergoop, Simkhai, the MoMA store, Backdrop, Merit, and many more clients across a diverse range of sectors.
Aruliden is the design & innovation studio within Material, a global integrated marketing services company that specializes in uncovering deep, data-driven insights in order to create experiences for clients, transforming relationships between businesses and the people they serve.
About the Director, Business Development (Design) role
We’re seeking a NY-based Director of Business Development to partner closely with Design leadership to grow our business. This is a pivotal role that blends strategic sales, marketing partnership, and creative orchestration. You’ll manage the full business development lifecycle, from pipeline generation and qualification through proposal development and pitch execution, ensuring that Aruliden and Material show up as a best-in-class partner in every client interaction.
This role is ideal for a dynamic, strategic operator who thrives at the intersection of creativity, business, and relationships. You’ll help translate our capabilities into compelling stories, build repeatable go-to-market strategies, and ensure we’re pursuing and winning the right opportunities, for both Aruliden and the larger Material organization.
Key Responsibilities
Pipeline Management & Growth
- Partner with Design leadership to define and manage the studio’s new business pipeline, proactively identifying, qualifying, and advancing opportunities.
- Maintain a sharp lens on prioritization so that the studio is putting top effort into the highest yield opportunities.
- Define and track KPIs for opportunity conversion, win rates, and design revenue growth in partnership with leadership.
- Establish a disciplined rhythm of pipeline reporting, forecasting, and performance tracking in coordination with Material’s growth and revenue teams.
- Research and prioritize target clients and categories that align with Aruliden’s growth strategy (e.g., consumer lifestyle, technology, health & beauty, sustainability).
Pitching & Proposals
- Lead the coordination of RFPs, proposals, and pitch responses, from opportunity qualification through submission.
- Build and maintain a central repository of case studies, proposals, bios, and credentials that reflect our capabilities and impact.
- Partner with design and strategy leads to craft winning narratives, presentations, and supporting materials that convey the strength and ambition of our work.
- Ensure seamless handoff from business development to project delivery, with clear expectations and documentation.
Marketing & Campaign Collaboration
- Partner with Material’s marketing team to align campaigns, events, and thought leadership with our Design BD priorities.
- Help translate editorial, social, and PR moments into client-facing opportunities.
- Support the creation of portfolio updates, website content, and outbound marketing tools that showcase our evolving capabilities and impact.
Relationship Building
- Build strong relationships with current and prospective clients, internal growth partners, and cross-Material business units to drive referrals and collaboration.
- Represent Aruliden in client, partner, and industry conversations with the credibility and curiosity of a design leader.
- Maintain an up-to-date CRM and opportunity tracker to ensure visibility across leadership.
About You
- 8–12 years of experience in business development, marketing, or client partnerships within a design, innovation, creative, or consulting environment.
- Demonstrated track record of leading successful pursuits and pitches, ideally in brand, industrial, or experience design.
- Strong understanding of design and innovation processes and how design and creative translate into commercial impact.
- Exceptional written and verbal communication skills; ability to craft compelling narratives and lead teams through high-stakes pitches.
- Highly organized, proactive, and collaborative. Able to balance multiple fast-moving priorities with calm and clarity.
- Comfort navigating complex organizations and aligning multiple stakeholders toward shared goals.
Why work for Material?
- Material is a global company and we work with best-of-class brands worldwide. We also create and launch new brands and products, putting innovation and value creation at the center of our practice. Our clients are in the top of their class, across industry sectors from technology to retail, transportation, finance and healthcare.
- Material employees join a peer group of exceptionally talented colleagues across the company, the country, and even the world. We develop capabilities, craft and leading-edge market offerings across seven global practices including strategy and insights, design, data & analytics, technology and tracking. Our engagement management team makes it all hum for clients.
- A community focused on learning and making an impact. Material is an outcomes focused company. We create experiences that matter, create new value and make a difference in our clients’ lives and their customers’ lives.
Pay Range: $125,000.00 – 150,000.00
The range shown represents a grouping of relevant ranges currently in use at Material. Actual range for this position may differ, depending on location and specific skillset required for the work itself.
Equal Employment Opportunity
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability, or any other factors prohibited by law.
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