Business Development Specialist

Human Capital Education•Chicago, IL

7d•$60,000 - $80,000

About The Position

Human Capital Education (HCE) provides colleges and universities with systems, expertise, data, and strategy to help attract, enroll, and support students. Its services span undergraduate, graduate, online, and adult programs. Following its January 2026 acquisition of Kennedy & Company Education Strategies, HCE and Kennedy & Company serve more than 300 colleges and universities nationwide, with services spanning research, enrollment management, financial analysis, institutional strategy, and technology implementation. The Business Development Specialist supports and accelerates go-to-market efforts across sales, marketing, and delivery teams. This entry-level role provides exposure to the full revenue lifecycle in a complex, mission-driven environment. The specialist helps generate sales opportunities, coordinates engagement with prospective university partners, and supports deals from initial interest through proposals, contracting, and close. The role works closely with sales leaders, operating team members, and institutional partners, with opportunities for growth into more senior go-to-market, sales, or account leadership roles. The position is remote-friendly in the U.S. or hybrid where HCE operates in Washington, D.C., Denver, or Chicago. It is full-time and offers compensation of $60,000–$80,000 plus performance-based incentives. The position reports to the Vice President of Business Development or Chief Revenue Officer.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree required.
0–3 years of experience in business development, sales, consulting, marketing, or a related role; internships and relevant project work are included.
Strong written communication skills, particularly for proposals and client-facing materials.
Comfort working with CRM systems and standard business tools, including Salesforce, HubSpot, and Microsoft Office.
High-energy and proactive, with initiative and follow-through.
Strong communication skills, including comfort writing, presenting, and engaging with internal teams and external partners.
Organized and detail-oriented, with the ability to manage multiple workstreams and deadlines.
Coachable and growth-oriented, with an interest in building a long-term business development career.
Comfortable with ambiguity and able to adapt in a fast-moving environment.

Nice To Haves

Strong interest in higher education, education services, or mission-driven organizations.
Prior exposure to colleges, universities, or education-related organizations.

Responsibilities

Follow up on inbound leads generated through the website, events, thought leadership, webinars, and other campaigns.
Coordinate outreach, schedule meetings, and track engagement in support of inbound and outbound business development efforts.
Help drive attendance and participation in meetings, presentations, and discovery conversations with prospective partners.
Draft, coordinate, and manage responses to RFPs, RFIs, and proposals using internal tools, templates, and content libraries.
Work with sales and operating leaders to understand client needs and align proposals with HCE’s solutions.
Support smaller or lower-complexity deals through the sales process under the guidance of senior team members.
Assist with contract development, redlines, renewals, and execution in coordination with internal stakeholders.
Track deal progress and ensure required steps are completed to move opportunities forward efficiently.
Maintain accurate records of activities, opportunities, and communications in CRM systems.
Partner with Marketing on campaigns, events, webinars, and follow-up efforts.
Collaborate with operating and delivery teams to ensure proposals and scopes align with execution realities.
Serve as a responsive, professional point of contact for prospective university partners throughout the sales process.