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DC Design redesigns America’s social systems like our criminal justice, foster care, healthcare, education, and housing systems to work better for everyone, especially low-income people of color. We’re looking for a Business Development Coordinator, which is a leader of business generation, proposal-writing, contract negotiation and closing. 

ROLE:​ ​ Business Development Coordinator- Full Time

LOCATION:​ United States

Note: This position is largely remote. In-person travel once safe is occasionally required.

SALARY:​ ​$45,000-$55,000/ year plus 5% commission

COMPANY: DC Design

COMPANY OVERVIEW

WHO ARE WE? DC Design is a social impact strategy & design consulting firm. Using Human-Centered Design, our cross-disciplinary team engages the key stakeholders affected by a problem, especially those who have been through that problem themselves, to develop solutions that are validated and long-lasting. We partner with social impact entrepreneurs, foundations, nonprofits, governments and companies to address complex social problems and teach them our methods. We have extensive experience redesigning aspects of poverty-related social systems such as criminal justice, education, foster care, healthcare, and housing.

VISION: Design lasting solutions that reduce systemic inequality in America and help people thrive.

MISSION: To advance the well-being of all people by developing strategies, products, services and curricula that benefit those most negatively affected by flaws in America’s social systems.

PRODUCT OFFERINGS

STRATEGY: We guide social innovators and organizations to create more effective and long-lasting social impact. All of our work is powered by the belief that we can only create consistent positive change by being in community with those we aim to serve. Through our framework of Multi-Stakeholder Human-Centered Design, we help organizations deepen their community ties and more confidently choose how to apply their limited resources. Our strategy work includes helping organizations better understand the needs of the people they serve through in-depth interviews, surveys, user testing, journey mapping, stakeholder mapping and other methods. We bring expertise in crafting strategic plans, updating missions and visions, and developing action plans alongside our clients, such as Santa Clara County’s Office of Reentry Services, to execute on their ideas.  

DESIGN: Once a strategy has been identified, we co-develop customized services that are aligned with the needs of the people an organization serves. The apps and services we design are tailored through iterative prototyping rounds to ensure functionality. Apps like the one we developed for Grail Family Services work in both iOS and Android, and stand the test of time because of our user testing methodology.

EDUCATION: Through our education arm, DC Design University, we offer Design Thinking and social impact education to innovators who want to ingrain the tenets of Multi-Stakeholder Design into their practice. We’ve been trusted by the Obama Foundation, BUILD.org, Central Valley Foundation, and others to teach their stakeholders. Additionally, we offer online courses for social impact innovators interested in entering social impact/design thinking fields or incorporating those methodologies in their work.

ROLE OVERVIEW

The Business Development Coordinator will play a pivotal role in the company, working to bring a human-centered design lens to challenging social issues. Through their ability to represent DC Design as a leader in the social impact consulting sphere and win contracts that enable us to create social impact, they will greatly impact the trajectory of our company. 

The Business Development Coordinator will be responsible for the following:

  • Writing proposals in response to RFPs or incoming leads, whether from RFP databases or company networks
  • Interfacing with potential clients to develop the scope of work for consulting projects
  • Writing and negotiating contracts after proposals are accepted
  • Managing the execution of all contracts and modifications
  • Performing activities after contracts are awarded to include regulatory compliance monitoring, salary allocations, charges, projections, and closing processes
  • Navigating RFP databases such as the System for Award Management
  • Cultivating relationships with potential clients
  • Leading initiatives for new market development
  • Prospecting potential clients
  • Researching our target markets for new avenues of business
  • Acting as a through-line between the design team and clients
  • Maintaining data of current caseloads in order to properly quote fee schedules and deadline expectations to clients

The Business Development Coordinator will plan and lead all aspects of developing proposals for prospective clients, seeking out new clients and building our business development channels. They will develop a deep understanding of DC Design’s work and values, our prospective clients’ work, and how our strengths would best suit their needs. This requires the ability to navigate ambiguity and communicate clearly.

DC Design is a small and growing firm in a burgeoning field, and everyone at the company wears different hats at different times. The Business Development Coordinator will be integral to expanding DC Design offerings and adapting to new and exciting needs as the company grows. This might include developing and supporting operational needs as we implement new internal systems, or otherwise addressing needs that arise. 

Finally, this person has passion for social impact. Maybe your passion is rooted in a particular cause, or maybe it is because of the people you’ve met and grown up with. Either way, we want to know where your passion comes from and why this work matters to you on a personal level. We work with communities of color, especially Black communities, as well as other communities who have historically been excluded economically and socially. Our work impacts people of color, low income communities, those with disabilities, and a diversity of other communities in need of opportunity. For each member of our team we ask, what lived experience do you have that can contribute to our understanding of America’s most challenging issues? What drives you to do this work? And how are you hoping to make a difference with your life?

RELEVANT SKILLS, EXPERIENCE, AND MINDSETS:

  • You have a bachelor’s degree or higher in communications, pre-law, non-profit management, business, marketing, public relations, or other relevant field and at least 1-3 years professional experience.
  • You have a deep understanding of the human-centered design / design thinking process and feel comfortable explaining its nuances. 
  • You have experience with contract negotiation. 
  • You have developed responses to written requests for proposals that have resulted in contract work for your firm or company. You have a demonstrated ability to supervise a written request for proposal response process, and you have a demonstrated track record of winning clients based on a verbal request for proposal.
  • You have a strong sales background and are willing to do the detailed work necessary to follow-up with and close clients. You are skilled at starting and fostering relationships.
  • You can work well independently and in a collaborative, team-based environment. You are flexible, able to “keep up” with shifts in priority inherent to a small company. You are a team player, demonstrating a growth mindset and the desire to learn new skills, engage in planning and strategy discussions, voice concerns, take initiative to support team members and ask for help when needed.
  • You can manage up, as our requests for proposals often involve input from upper management. You also take instruction well from management and can incorporate feedback into your process. 
  • You are a strong writer, and your writing is concise, grammatically correct, and compelling without the need for excessive review.
  • You are responsible, punctual, detail-oriented, and you meet deadlines.You are self-driven and proactive, with the ability to look ahead and be prepared for the next step—to notice areas where support is needed and take initiative.
  • You can keep a bird’s eye view while writing proposals, balancing convincing the client that they should engage our services with signing the team up for a manageable workload.
  • You are curious, with a mind for research and for choosing the best of our past projects to highlight in proposals and conversations with clients, and strong data analysis skills. 
  • You will excel in a remote work environment, with the ability to work independently in an off-site environment with minimal supervision. You are self-disciplined with excellent time management skills. You​ ​are​ ​self-motivated,​ self-directed,​ ​and​ ​willing​ ​to​ ​go​ ​above​ ​and​ ​beyond​ ​to​ ​learn​ ​new skills,​ ​even​ ​if​ ​they​ ​are​ ​not​ ​in​ ​your​ ​educational​ ​background.
  • You have passion for addressing deeply ingrained social problems, and applying the principles of design thinking to solve said problems.   

SAMPLES OF OUR WORK

  • CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM: DC Design worked with Santa Clara County to redesign aspects of their criminal justice system and create their 3-year strategic plan, applying our human-centered design approach to reduce jail recidivism rates. 
  • REMOVING BARRIERS TO EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION: DC Design worked with a California foundation to understand and address barriers to enrolling in Pre-K among English Learner families. 
  • EDUCATING YOUNG SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURS: 
  • DC Design created and taught a curriculum for Obama Foundation’s Community Leadership Corps around how to make social change lasting. 
  • DC Design helped BUILD improve college and career success for highschoolers from under-resourced communities by developing a social impact curriculum teaching them entrepreneurship skills.
  • CHANGING THE APPROACH TO EDUCATION: 
  • DC Design team members frequently teach at Stanford University and around the world. We have created new educational models that demonstrate how learning can directly serve as a tool for good. 
  • In 2021, we expanded our award-winning Design the Future program from a solely in person program to virtual, with our Design the Future Digital curriculum reaching over 100 students.  
  • FOCUSING ON FOSTER CARE: DC Design designed and facilitated Hack Foster Care Summit and meetings of the Joint Foster Youth Task Force commissioned by Supervisor Cindy Chavez. 
  • REDESIGNING HEALTH: 
  • In collaboration with the American College of Emergency Physicians and the Facility Guidelines Institute, DC Design consulted seasoned architects, doctors, and nurses to redesign emergency departments.. 
  • DC Design put on a nationwide convening hosted by CDC & the CDC Foundation on the topic of veteran suicide prevention, sparking collaboration between organizations dedicated to the cause.
  • AND MUCH MORE!

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