Business Development Manager (Workplaces & Offices)

Open the Swiss market

You'll win new business for a firm that designs and builds the office interiors companies move into when they relocate or refit. You start with your own network, build the trust, close the deal, then own the relationship while a dedicated delivery team runs the actual build.

Tasks

What you walk into

A clean slate: an open market, yours to build. The first meetings come from people you already know, not from a marketing queue. You shape your patch your own way, with leadership behind you rather than a script in front of you.

What you'll do day to day

• Find and approach new clients yourself: through your contacts, direct outreach and follow-ups. You run the process end to end.
• Carry a deal from first conversation to signed contract, then keep the client relationship while delivery takes the build.
• Learn your patch cold: who decides, what moves them, why this firm beats whoever they use now.
• Keep your live-deal list current, so leadership can plan around real numbers.

Requirements

What we need to see

• A real tie to commercial real estate. You've sold into, brokered, furnished or run projects for corporate office space.
• A track record in the Swiss market. You're based in Switzerland and have already sold and won business here. You know how Swiss companies buy and how long it takes. Broader DACH experience can count too, as long as the relationships you bring are Swiss.
• New B2B clients you won yourself. Companies or projects you personally brought in and closed - not a set of accounts you were handed and grew.
• A network you can name. Current, contactable decision-makers (e.g. Head of Real Estate/Workplace/Facilities/Office Management; in at least one target segment). These relationships are the role's starting capital, so they need to be active, not historical.
• Deals worth 250,000 CHF or more.
• Fluent German and English (both required). French is a big plus, but not a must.
• You can work on your own steam. You've sold without a manager feeding you leads and you're happy to travel around Switzerland to meet clients.

Backgrounds that tend to fit

People who do well here usually come from commercial-property or tenant-rep brokerage (helping companies find and move into office space), office fit-out or workplace design-&-build sales, office-furniture sales into corporates or leading office refurbishment projects.

The honest part

In Switzerland this kind of business is built on relationships and takes time - the first signed deal won't come overnight. If that sounds like a challenge you'd enjoy and have handled before, the pay and bonus are built to reward it. If you'd rather look after a list of clients someone hands you, this isn't the right seat.

Who you'll be working with

• International companies with offices in Switzerland
• Banks, insurers, law firms, and other professional services firms
• Mid-sized Swiss companies

Compensation

• Base salary: 150,000–180,000 CHF, set on demonstrated track record.
• Performance bonus: based on the new business you close.

How the process works

This search is run by placementist together with an executive search partner, for the company that's hiring. At every step you'll know who you're talking to and why - each stage is there to give you more information, not less:

• Short call (about 20-30 minutes). A quick check that the role and your experience line up.
• Personality questionnaire + 1h F2F conversation with the search partner. The partner knows the role inside out and will be straight with you about it.
• A talk with the company's HR team. Terms, how things are set up, and the team.
• One/two final rounds with the team and company's leadership. The people you'd report to and work with.

Confidential search. We'll tell you the company's name once there's interest on both sides. We're reviewing applications as they come in and moving fast: strong candidates hear back within 48 hours.