Business Development Manager - USA

Inside Higher Ed•Washington, WA

About The Position

The Business Development Manager generates and converts new business opportunities across defined territories and target institutions, expanding the universities supported by Times Higher Education (THE) through its data and analytics, marketing, recruitment, and events solutions. The role focuses on proactive prospecting, opportunity creation, stakeholder engagement, and revenue generation from new customers and previously unexplored relationships. It is a scale role, driving new business across many institutions while engaging senior stakeholders and handing newly engaged institutions to Account Management for delivery, retention, and future growth.

Requirements

Typically 2–5 years of experience in B2B new business sales, ideally within a SaaS, data, or information business.
Track record of achieving new business targets and building pipeline through outbound activity across a high volume of institutions.
Strong multichannel prospecting skills, including LinkedIn Sales Navigator and sales engagement tools.
Familiarity with qualification frameworks such as BANT.
Confident Salesforce user.
Strong communication and presentation skills.
Willingness to travel.

Nice To Haves

Interest in higher education; understanding of university procurement is an advantage.
Additional languages are an advantage for international territories.

Responsibilities

Execute structured outbound sales activity across target institutions using phone, email, LinkedIn, events, and referrals.
Build and maintain a healthy pipeline of qualified opportunities.
Work with Marketing on campaign follow-up and lead conversion.
Identify decision makers, influencers, and users at target institutions, and map buying committees and procurement processes.
Conduct discovery meetings and qualification calls.
Present THE solutions in line with customer needs and objectives, and develop proposals and commercial recommendations.
Negotiate and close new business within agreed commercial guidelines.
Execute the regional go-to-market plan, including new segments and geographies agreed with the Business Development Director.
Record competitive intelligence and complete win/loss reviews on closed deals.
Maintain accurate stakeholder data in the CRM.
Qualify new opportunities within two business days of first contact and log discovery in the CRM.
Route bespoke or high-value deals through the Deal Desk for approval, involving delivery specialists in presales where needed.
Mark deals Closed-Won and record contract value and dates within 24 hours of contract, then hand over to Account Management with a strong brief.