Business Development Manager

PHOTOPANDITS PRODUCTIONS PVT. LTD.

Corporate Films • Brand Documentaries • International Co-Productions

Pune, India | Global Execution Network: UK · US · Canada · UAE · South Africa · New Zealand

JOB DESCRIPTION

Business Development Manager

Position

Business Development Manager

Department

Business Growth & Client Relations

Location

Pune, India — on-site

Travel : Mandatory across Maharashtra and pan-India; select international travel as required

Reports To: Founder & Executive Producer

Works Closely With: Creative Team, Production Team, Post-Production, External Vendors

Experience Required: Minimum 5 years in B2B sales, agency business development, or client-facing revenue

Employment Type: Full-Time

Compensation: Fixed base + performance-linked incentive on closed revenue (details within)

1. ABOUT PHOTOPANDITS

Photopandits Productions Pvt. Ltd. is a full-service film and content production house headquartered in Pune, with a high-capacity execution network spanning the UK, US, Canada, UAE, South Africa, and Turkey. Founded on the belief that every frame should carry cinematic intent, we have built a reputation for treating corporate and brand work with the craft usually reserved for feature film.

Our business operates across three verticals:

• Corporate, brand, and industrial films for Indian enterprise clients — including established relationships with names such as Chicago Pneumatic and Atlas Copco.
• Remote, AI-powered video and post-production for international partners — combining neural rendering and AI-presenter workflows with a human cinematic touch.
• International feature film co-production — a growing theatrical slate positioning Photopandits on the global stage.

We do not compete on price. We compete on cinematic quality, strategic thinking, and the credibility of a firm that executes across continents. The person in this role must be able to sell that difference.

2. ROLE SUMMARY

The Business Development Manager owns Photopandits' revenue pipeline. This is a senior, consultative, quota-carrying role — not an entry-level lead-generation function. You will identify the right accounts, open doors at the CXO and marketing-head level, translate client ambition into well-scoped projects, and convert conversations into signed, high-value production contracts.

You will be the commercial face of a premium brand. Every meeting, proposal, and negotiation must reflect the same standard of polish that defines our films. You will work shoulder-to-shoulder with the Founder and the creative team, so judgment, articulacy, and the ability to hold a boardroom matter as much as raw closing ability.

3. KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

A. Lead Generation & Prospect Profiling

• Design and execute a proactive lead-generation strategy from day one — multi-channel outbound across cold outreach, LinkedIn prospecting, email campaigns, warm referrals, and BNI / industry-network leverage. Inbound alone will not carry this role.
• Build and continuously refine an Ideal Client Profile (ICP) for each vertical, then research and profile individual prospects — decision-makers, budget authority, current agency relationships, and buying triggers — before first contact.
• Identify, research, and prioritise high-value target accounts across corporate, industrial, real estate, and brand-film segments — domestic (Pune/Maharashtra-led, pan-India capable) and international.
• Book qualified first meetings from week one and keep a steady flow of new conversations entering the pipeline every week.
• Qualify opportunities rigorously against fit, budget, decision-timeline, and strategic value before committing production resources.

B. Client Discovery & Solution Design

• Lead discovery calls and in-person meetings to understand each client's business objective — brand, lead-gen, investor relations, or internal training.
• Brief the creative and production teams accurately so proposals land on strategy, not guesswork, and so scoping reflects real client intent.
• Position Photopandits' technical edge (4K/6K capture, drone, VFX, 2D/3D animation, AI-avatar workflows) fluently enough to build client confidence without needing the creative team in every conversation.

C. Proposal, Negotiation & Closing

• Own the proposal-to-contract cycle end to end — coordinating scoping, premium pricing positioning, and the 50-25-25 client payment structure.
• Negotiate commercial terms directly with clients, protecting margin and defending value rather than discounting to win.
• Drive deals to signature and secure the first milestone payment to activate production.

D. Client Retention & Account Growth

• Nurture existing relationships to drive repeat business, upsell across verticals, and generate referrals — retention is weighted as heavily as new logos.
• Serve as the client's commercial point of contact through the project lifecycle, ensuring satisfaction translates into the next engagement.

E. Market Intelligence & Reporting

• Track competitor positioning, market pricing, and emerging client needs (AI-powered production, international co-production financing) to sharpen our pitch.
• Maintain accurate pipeline and client records; report weekly to the Founder on lead status, conversion rates, and revenue forecast.
• Represent Photopandits at industry events, BNI chapters, and client meetings with the polish expected of a premium production house.

4. SUCCESS METRICS (KPIS)

Performance in this role is measured on outcomes, not activity. Core metrics include:

Metric

What Good Looks Like

Qualified Meetings: A consistent weekly count of qualified first meetings booked from self-generated leads.

Pipeline Coverage: A qualified pipeline maintained at 3x the revenue target at all times.

Closed Revenue: Consistent achievement of an agreed quarterly revenue target against signed contracts.

Conversion Rate: Healthy proposal-to-signature conversion, improving quarter over quarter.

Deal Size: Average deal value at or above the studio benchmark; active pursuit of premium engagements.

Client Retention: Measurable repeat-business and referral revenue from existing accounts.

Sales Discipline: Accurate, up-to-date pipeline records and reliable weekly forecasting.

5. 30-60-90 DAY RAMP PLAN

This is a hit-the-ground-running role. We expect lead generation, prospect profiling, and first meetings to begin from day one — not after a passive onboarding period. Product and portfolio immersion happens in parallel with active outbound, not before it.

Phase

Focus

Expected Outcome :First 30 Days

Build the ICP and target-account map, start outbound, profile priority prospects, and book first meetings — while immersing in our portfolio, verticals, and pricing in parallel.

Active lead-gen engine running; first qualified meetings held within weeks, not months.

First 60 Days

Deepen the pipeline, convert meetings into discovery, and issue the first proposals with correct scoping and pricing.

A live, qualified pipeline at healthy coverage with proposals in play.

First 90 Days

Own discovery-to-close on active deals; establish a weekly forecasting and reporting rhythm.

First independently-closed contract and a self-sustaining pipeline.

6. CANDIDATE PROFILE — WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR

Non-Negotiables 

• Minimum 5 years in a direct, quota-carrying business development, B2B sales, or client-servicing role — agency, production house, media, or professional-services background strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to personally close deals of meaningful value (₹3-5L+), not merely generate leads or book meetings.
• Fluent, confident spoken and written English; comfortable presenting to and negotiating with CXO-level stakeholders.
• Based in, or willing to relocate to, Pune. Regular travel across Maharashtra and pan-India is mandatory; occasional international travel may be required.

Strong Positive Signals

• Experience selling intangible, high-consideration services (film production, advertising, consulting, events) rather than commodity products — the sales cycle and trust-building are fundamentally different.
• An existing personal or professional network in Pune's corporate, industrial, or BNI ecosystem — this shortens ramp-up dramatically.
• Enough technical fluency to discuss production concepts credibly without a creative crutch in every call.
• A portfolio of past deals the candidate can speak to specifically — numbers, context, and exactly what they did to win.

Competency

Why It Matters Here

Consultative Selling :Our sale is advisory. Clients buy a partner who understands their business, not a vendor quoting a rate card.

Commercial Judgement :Knowing which deals to chase, which to walk from, and how to defend price protects both margin and team bandwidth.

Executive Presence :You represent a premium brand in rooms with senior decision-makers. Polish is a job requirement, not a bonus.

Resilience & Drive: High-value sales cycles are long and rejection-heavy. Self-starting persistence is essential.

Cross-Team Fluency: You are the bridge between client and creative. Clear, accurate briefing prevents costly misalignment.

8. COMPENSATION & GROWTH

Compensation is structured as a competitive fixed base plus a performance-linked incentive on closed revenue, benchmarked to Pune's media and agency market and calibrated to the candidate's proven track record. Strong closers earn materially above base through incentive.

This is a build role with a clear path forward. As Photopandits scales its domestic and international verticals, the successful candidate is positioned to grow into a senior business-growth leadership mandate — owning a team and a larger revenue charter.

9. HOW TO APPLY

Interested candidates should email their CV, along with a short note (150 words or fewer) on the single largest deal they have personally closed — the client, the challenge, and precisely how they won it — to [email protected]. Applications without this note will not be reviewed; it is our first filter for the kind of specificity this role demands.

Send your application to: [email protected]

Jai Hind.