Business Development Project Manager

Get an business development job where you get to do a lot of different things...with nice people that have your back.

Open Gates Group is a family of companies located near Kalona, IA. We care about our employees and take pride in our community. To help our community's farmers, we built a creamery and then 10 other food industry related businesses. Today, we help source, produce, sell & transport Midwestern products to 3,500+ stores nationwide.


The Business Development Project Manager will execute projects pertaining to the growth of business at Open Gates Group. This individual will assist in building, launching, and optimizing partnerships that drive value to our customers within existing and new business segments, while also driving meaningful business for Open Gates.

What you get...
  • Opportunities to learn to apply your skills in 10 different industries.
  • Super fun and supportive team members who always have your back.
  • Managers who respect you and listen to your ideas.
  • Career boost by being responsible for many different areas.
  • Great pay and benefits.
  • Medical/Dental/Vision/Life Insurance, STD & LTD after 60 days of employment.
  • Matching 401k after 6 months.
  • Benefit Bonus/Stipend Paid Holidays, Paid Time Off (PTO), & Birthday PTO.
  • Paid Holidays, Paid Time Off (PTO), & Birthday PTO.
  • Opportunity for advancement.
  • Discounted employee purchases.
  • Unique, entrepreneurial culture!
What you will get to do...
  • Lead the process of defining new project objectives. This involves meeting with external business partners, collaborating with all relevant teams and ensuring internal alignment to required schedules.
  • Communicate with internal teams to ensure availability and allocation for new partnerships.
  • Work closely with production teams and external partners in conjunction to train team members on specific processes required to ensure successful execution and launch of new products.
  • Work collaboratively with all teams to ensure projects are delivered by deadline and within the scope that has been communicated to the external business partner.
  • Cultivate new business relationships.
  • Develop strategies for successful entry into new markets.
  • Generate leads from networking and industry connections.
  • Write and develop business proposals.
  • Develop costing models to ensure profitability for new and existing products or projects.
  • Travel as required.
  • Additional duties as assigned.
What you will need...
  • Degree in appropriate field of study or equivalent business experience.
  • Excellent client-facing and internal communication skills.
  • Demonstrated follow-through skills and the ability to manage multiple projects.
  • Detail oriented and able to establish priorities, coordinate schedules and meet deadlines.
  • Enthusiastic and personable with the ability to assist in closing new business and retaining existing accounts.
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
  • Open to change, innovation and process improvements.
  • Highly self-motivated and able to work effectively with minimal supervision.
  • Team-oriented with a focus on working in a collaborative environment.
  • Willingness to adhere to the Open Gates Guiding Principles and continually embrace personal and professional development.
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Who you'll work with...

Bill Evans, the CEO, is great to work with. He's an entrepreneur and leaves space for ambitious people to create new businesses. You couldn't ask for a more supportive leader. 

Monte is always a friendly face to see at Open Gates. He is willing to go the extra mile to serve internal and external customers, is an effective team leader and has worked to grow the Kalona Direct business. He is a team player for all Open Gates entities and understands the various pressures on each of them. He is always busy but takes the time to talk to others, answer questions and be available to those who need him. I enjoy each day that I get to see him onsite.

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