Business Development Lead - Latin America

At W.F. Baird, you’re never just a number, you’re part of a global team that values your voice, ideas, and growth. For 40+ years, we have combined the stability of an established and trusted firm with the creativity of a niche engineering company, working where water meets land to design and deliver solutions that protect coastlines, strengthen ports, restore ecosystems, and more.

With offices across North America, the Caribbean, South America, and Australia, we offer global impact with a welcoming, people first culture. Here, you’ll find meaningful work, room to grow, and the chance to make waves alongside other talented people who share your passion.

This is a high-impact, client-facing role for a strategic sales professional who thrives on building relationships, identifying opportunities, and driving growth. As a Business Development Lead, you will lead strategic business development efforts across Latin America, expanding our presence in coastal engineering and infrastructure markets.

You will operate at the intersection of sales strategy, client engagement, and technical solutions—developing partnerships, shaping pursuits, and converting opportunities into long-term business. This role is ideal for someone who enjoys navigating complex markets, influencing decisions, and creating win-win outcomes for clients and the organization.

• Build, develop, and maintain strong relationships with clients, collaborators, and key stakeholders across government, private sector, and academia
• Serve as a trusted partner by understanding client needs and aligning tailored solutions
• Represent the firm at client meetings, conferences, and industry events across Latin America
• Maintain consistent communication and long-term engagement with partners

• Identify, qualify, and pursue new opportunities aligned with strategic growth priorities
• Lead pursuit strategy from early positioning through proposal development and close
• Develop and execute teaming strategies, including negotiating agreements, MOUs, and partnerships
• Maintain accurate, up-to-date tracking of opportunities, contacts, and pipeline activity

• Monitor market trends, funding sources, and emerging opportunities across Latin America
• Develop a strong understanding of regional regulatory, permitting, and funding environments
• Provide insights to leadership and technical teams to inform go-to-market strategies
• Help shape regional growth plans through proactive market engagement

• Partner with technical teams to develop compelling, client-focused solutions
• Translate complex technical capabilities into clear, differentiated value propositions
• Contribute to technical deliverables such as reports, presentations, and client communications
• Support QA/QC processes to ensure quality and consistency of deliverables
• Collaborate with project managers and multidisciplinary teams to support successful execution
• Provide project coordination support, including scheduling, budgeting inputs, and client communication as needed

• →Master’s degree in engineering, environmental science, or a related field (or equivalent technical sales experience)
• →10+ years of experience in business development, sales, client management, or partnerships within engineering, infrastructure, or environmental services
• →Proven success building pipelines, winning work, and growing client relationships
• →Experience working in or with Latin American markets, with an understanding of regional dynamics
• →Strong communication, negotiation, and influencing skills
• →Fluency in English and Spanish
• →Willingness and ability to travel

• Background in coastal engineering, resilience, or infrastructure markets
• Established network across Latin America within government, private sector, or development organizations
• Experience leading complex pursuits and multi-partner teaming arrangements
• Ability to position technical solutions for both technical and non-technical audiences
• Experience mentoring or guiding business development efforts across teams
  
  

We are committed to an inclusive, accessible recruitment and selection process. If you require accommodation at any stage of the application or interview process, please let us know and we will work with you to meet your needs.