Design & Development Manager (Chicago)

Cohera was born from the merger of 360 Destination Group and CSI DMC and brings together decades of destination management experience under one name. As a company that values innovation, creativity, and excellence, we pride ourselves on utilizing a unique and customized approach to deliver unforgettable events that leave our clients speechless. We now find ourselves seeking a hospitality-oriented individual with a passion for design and events to be the next Design and Development Manager for our Chicago office!

As a member of our rockstar team, you’ll bring to life a variety of corporate events ranging from carnival-themed seminars to Latin nightclub receptions all while collaborating with professionals who are equally as passionate about creating memorable experiences as you! Health insurance coverage including medical, vision, and dental. ~ Discretionary PTO for vacation and personal time, paid holidays, and paid sick leave accrued based on hours worked. ~Company-paid short term and long term disability insurance coverage. ~ Company-paid $50,000 basic life insurance. ~ Voluntary life insurance. ~ As a Design and Development Manager, you will... Independently lead the full proposal process—from concept to delivery—for custom, high-impact programs, ensuring alignment with client goals, budget, and brand identity.

Own all aspects of proposal development, including ideation, narrative writing, pricing, formatting, and presentation delivery. Write and adapt creative descriptions for client-facing materials such as activities/tours, venues, and restaurants, customizing standard content when necessary. Conduct initial vendor outreach to confirm availability and collect service information aligned with proposal and contract parameters.

Maintain direct communication with Sales team and Strategic team (if applicable) throughout the pre-sale phase, including discovery calls, meetings, site visits, and presentations, both virtual and in-person. Maintain holds for venues and vendors during the sales process, ensuring timely release or confirmation based on program stage. Coordinate site inspections based on Sales team direction, including vendor bookings and payment logistics.

Proactively manage workload and role responsibilities in order to meet deadlines and stakeholder expectations; Attend and contribute to turnover meetings with the Event Management and Sales teams to ensure seamless handoffs and clear program documentation. Position requires flexibility to work late hours and weekends as needed to meet tight deadlines and ensure timely project completion. Introduce vendor vetting process and initiate onboarding through Vendor Manager. into the company tariff library for future use and executing tariff projects, including formatting, auditing, and the enhancement of category offerings, in alignment with departmental direction.

Support ECS inventory maintenance and accuracy as directed by management. Align proposal content with client expectations, destination opportunities, and pricing parameters. Support familiarization tours, hotelier events, and other sales-related activations by assisting with logistics, vendor coordination, and on-site presence as needed.

Collaborate with Marketing to contribute destination-specific content, photos, and service descriptions for client-facing materials such as Weekenders, Area Guides, and Photo Pages. Stay informed on new venues, experiences, and trends in the local market to help inform proposals and teamwide inspiration. Manage internal paperwork including deposit invoices, vendor payments, Ramp expense submissions, and reconciliation per company procedures for site inspections. serve as a resource for department troubleshooting.

Proactively manage timelines, consistently meet internal and client due dates, workload, and cross-functional coordination with minimal oversight. Join and actively participate in client meetings (calls, sites, and presentations) as needed. Attend networking and industry events, based on deadlines and availability.

Work well in a fast-paced team environment, work overtime when required, and deliver quality service to our clients. Recognize essential elements of a challenge and develop creative solutions. Respond quickly to changing circumstances and anticipate new developments where possible.

Minimum of six years work experience with a minimum of three years in hospitality. At least one year work experience in proposal writing, event design, creative marketing, or destination management. Proficiency in client relations, detailed budget management, event design, contract management, and vendor relations.

Strong pricing, formatting, and creative storytelling abilities required. Advanced writing and creative storytelling skills. Ability to develop customized, client-specific content.

Exceptional project management and organizational skills. Knowledge of the local destination offerings such as restaurants, clubs, festivals, tours, and venues. Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Canva.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Frequently required to perform administrative and professional work using writing tools and electronic media. Occasionally exposed to fumes or airborne particles and toxic or caustic chemicals associated with office work.

The need for accuracy and effective utilization of accepted policies and procedures is high. Errors in judgment and execution will waste time and resources, adversely impacting unit performance. Employees operate independently but work is verified by supervision.

Cohera is an Equal Opportunity-Affirmative Action Employer / Disability / Veteran. Until that date, all employment-related documents including offer letters, agreements, and payroll records will reference 360 DG OCLA LLC dba 360 Destination Group.