Business Development Manager – Specification & New Accounts

Company DescriptionInnovative Lighting Designs Ltd. (ILDL) is a design-led architectural and decorative lighting company working with architects, interior designers, lighting designers, developers, consultants and project owners.

For nearly two decades, ILDL has combined lighting design, technical expertise, product specification and project execution to deliver lighting solutions across luxury residential, hospitality, commercial, landscape, façade, heritage and public-space projects.

Operating from New Delhi and Mumbai, ILDL represents leading international lighting manufacturers and has contributed to over 4000 projects. Our work extends beyond supplying products. We work with project stakeholders from the early design stage to understand the lighting intent, develop the correct technical approach, identify suitable solutions and support the project through specification and execution.

ILDL is strengthening its market-development organisation and is looking for a professional who can open new accounts, build meaningful relationships within the architecture and design community, and create qualified project opportunities for the company.

Role DescriptionThe Business Development Manager – Specification & New Accounts will be responsible for developing new relationships with architects, interior designers, lighting designers, developers, consultants and other project stakeholders.

The primary purpose of the role is to create access to accounts where ILDL currently has limited or no business, identify projects at an early stage and develop ILDL’s involvement before the product specification or BOQ is finalised.

The person will conduct presentations, understand project requirements, coordinate technical and design support, assist in developing specifications and convert initial relationships into qualified opportunities.

Once an opportunity becomes commercially active, it will be coordinated with the designated Sales Manager or commercial account owner. The Business Development Manager will remain involved to maintain the relationship, protect the specification and support conversion, but will not independently issue pricing, negotiate unauthorised commercial terms or create competing product proposals.

This is not a role measured merely by meetings, presentations or pipeline value. Success will be determined by the quality of accounts opened, specifications created and the eventual conversion of influenced opportunities into profitable business.

The position reports to the Business Head.

Key Responsibilities1. Identify and Develop New Accounts

- Identify high-potential architecture firms, interior-design practices, lighting-design studios, developers, hospitality groups, consultants and other relevant project organisations.
- Develop accounts where ILDL currently has limited, dormant or no meaningful business.
- Build relationships with principals, partners, design heads, senior architects, specification teams and project decision-makers.
- Understand the specialisation, project portfolio, client base and future business potential of every priority account.
- Map the important people within each account and develop relationships at multiple levels.
- Prepare a structured development plan for each assigned priority account.
- Convert initial introductions into regular engagement, active project discussions and repeat access.




- Re-engage dormant accounts and identify why they are not currently providing business to ILDL.
- Ensure that account development is systematic and does not depend only on social familiarity or a single contact.

2. Establish ILDL’s Position Within the Account
- Present ILDL’s company capabilities, lighting expertise, project experience and solution portfolio.
- Communicate ILDL’s value as a lighting-solutions partner rather than only as a product supplier.
- Understand how the account selects lighting partners, develops specifications and makes project decisions.
- Identify the design, technical, budgetary and service concerns that influence the account’s decisions.
- Arrange company presentations, technical sessions, product demonstrations, samples, mock-ups and showroom visits.
- Develop a planned engagement calendar for priority accounts instead of relying on occasional or unstructured follow-up.
- Build sufficient credibility for ILDL to be consulted during the early stages of relevant projects.

3.

Identify

Projects at an Early Stage
- Identify relevant projects during the concept, schematic-design or design-development stage.
- Avoid depending only on completed BOQs, general enquiries or projects that have already been commercially decided.
- Understand the project type, location, scale, design intent, expected timeline and budget direction.
- Identify the architect, interior designer, lighting designer, developer, PMC, electrical consultant, contractor, procurement team and final decision-maker.
- Map how the project is likely to be specified, approved, tendered, purchased and executed.
- Determine the expected lighting scope and ILDL’s realistic opportunity within the project.
- Confirm whether the project is genuine, active, commercially relevant and realistically influenceable.
- Avoid adding unverified enquiries, outdated projects or unsupported values to the official pipeline.

4.

Develop

Specifications and Design Influence
- Understand the architect’s or designer’s intended application, visual objective, technical requirements and budget expectations.
- Coordinate with ILDL’s lighting-design, product and technical teams to establish the appropriate solution direction.
- Arrange technical discussions, samples, mock-ups, calculations and product demonstrations where required.
- Assist the consultant or designer in preparing technically appropriate specifications, product schedules and application details.
- Ensure that recommended solutions are aligned with the design intent and commercial reality of the project.
- Monitor whether the specification remains active as the project progresses.
- Identify substitution risks, competing specifications and changing project conditions.
- Continue engagement after specification so that the opportunity does not disappear when it enters the commercial stage.
- Ensure that only one coherent ILDL solution is presented for each application unless an alternative has been internally approved.

5.

Qualify Opportunities Before Internal

Handover
- Confirm the project scope, stakeholders, budget direction,



decision process and expected timeline.
- Establish whether ILDL has access to the people who can influence and approve the decision.
- Record the expected value based on credible project information rather than assumptions.
- Identify competition and the likely reasons ILDL could win or lose the opportunity.
- Determine the next specific action required to advance the chance.
- Ensure that substantial technical, design or quotation resources are requested only for properly qualified opportunities.
- Prepare a clear opportunity brief before involving the designated Sales Manager.
- Avoid transferring incomplete enquiries to the sales team without stakeholder, project and specification information.

6.

Protect

Specification-to-Order Conversion
- Track whether specified solutions progress into quotations, commercial evaluation and orders.
- Work with the Sales Manager to understand why important opportunities are delayed, substituted or lost.
- Re-engage architects and designers when a specification is being changed or commercially challenged.
- Help defend the design and technical rationale behind the recommended solution.
- Record the actual reason when a specification does not convert into an order.
- Use loss information to improve future account selection, project qualification and specification strategy.
- Remain accountable for the conversion quality of the opportunities created, even though final commercial ownership rests with the Sales Manager.

7.

Develop Market

Intelligence
- Monitor important developments across architecture, interiors, hospitality, real estate and construction.
- Identify upcoming design practices, developers, hospitality projects and project segments relevant to ILDL.
- Track competitive brands, specification activity and market approaches.
- Share relevant account and market intelligence with management and the sales team.
- Identify recurring gaps in ILDL’s product, technical or presentation capabilities.
- Represent ILDL professionally at design events, exhibitions, presentations and industry forums.

Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in business, marketing, architecture, interior design, engineering or a related discipline is preferred. Relevant experience may compensate for a different educational background.
- Approximately three to eight years of experience in business development, specification sales, architect relations, project sales or account development.
- Experience in architectural lighting, decorative lighting, electrical products, building materials, furniture, interiors, automation, façade products or another design-led project category is preferred.
- Existing professional relationships with architects, interior designers, lighting designers, developers or consultants will be advantageous.
- Demonstrated evidence of independently opening accounts and creating project opportunities.
- Ability to understand design and technical information and communicate it clearly.
- Strong presentation, relationship-building, follow-up and written communication skills.
- Comfortable using CRM systems, spreadsheets and structured reporting tools.
- Willingness to travel regularly for meetings, presentations, mock-ups and project visits.
- Strong professional integrity and respect for account ownership, pricing confidentiality and approved internal processes.
- A stable professional record and the ability to explain previous achievements using specific examples.

📌 Business Development Manager - Architectural Lighting (Delhi)
🏢 Innovative Lighting Designs Ltd. (ILDL)
📍 Delhi