Project Manager - Business Development / Graduate and Early Career Starter
About the position The Business Development Project Manager role is an 18-month assignment within Franke’s Graduate and Early Career Program, designed for an early-career professional interested in sales, business development, and commercial leadership. The role supports business development initiatives for Home Solutions North America, including sales growth, market analysis, customer engagement, and strategic project execution. The successful candidate will be based in either the Chicagoland area or the Southeast region and will collaborate with cross-functional teams such as Sales, Marketing, Product Development, Finance, Customer Service, and Operations, while gaining exposure to senior leadership. This assignment provides the opportunity to contribute to meaningful projects, build practical commercial experience, and strengthen overall business acumen. Upon successful completion of the program, the individual may take on more responsibility, either in their current team, or in a different function/division/location based on the individual's performance and available opportunities.
Responsibilities
- Analyze sales data and market trends to identify growth opportunities and inform strategic decision-making for key accounts.
- Develop and execute strategic business plans aligned with sales, product, and brand objectives.
- Collaborate with Leadership and distributors to refine marketing strategies, including brand positioning, trade shows, and industry engagement.
- Partner with Product Development and Marketing teams to support new product and service initiatives that respond to market needs.
- Conduct trainings and presentations for customers and internal stakeholders based on business insights and project outcomes.
- Monitor and report on sales performance, profitability, and growth metrics to track success and support decision-making.
- Standardize measurement processes to evaluate impact on sales, profitability, and market share.
- Support ad hoc projects and initiatives that drive business development and organizational objectives.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s degree preferred.
- Degree in Business, Marketing, Sales, or another related field preferred.
- Strong academic performance and demonstrated achievement through coursework, projects, internships, leadership activities, or extracurricular involvement.
- Interest in building a career in sales, business development, commercial strategy, or general business leadership.
- Ability and willingness to travel significantly within the United States.
- Designed for candidates with 0–1 year of full-time professional experience after completion of degree.
- Analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to interpret information, identify trends, ask thoughtful questions, and translate data into practical recommendations.
- Strong communication and presentation skills, with the ability to share ideas clearly and engage professionally with internal teams, customers, and business partners.
- Commercial mindset, with an interest in customers, markets, products, sales growth, and overall business performance.
- Initiative, curiosity, and accountability, with a willingness to learn, take ownership, follow through on commitments, and adapt to changing priorities
Nice-to-haves
- Preferred location: Chicagoland area or East/Middle Tennessee region, or willingness to relocate to one of these areas.
Benefits
- A set of challenging projects to lead with continuous exposure to senior leaders
- Access to the FRANKE ACADEMY with a broad range of trainings to improve technical as well a soft skills and general knowledge of the company and products
- Individual coaching from our coaching partner
- Individual mentoring from a senior leader
- Shadowing a senior leader
- Support from a growing international GEC community