Business Development - Subject Matter Expert

RR Donnelley • Warrenville, IL

7h • $75,000 - $80,000

About The Position

The Business Development SME is a high-impact role responsible for driving sales growth by providing expert platform knowledge, competitive research, and strategic support to ensure the successful acquisition of new business. Serving as a brand ambassador, you will work in close partnership with Senior Sales Executives to manage the sales funnel, qualify high-value opportunities within specific verticals (such as Legal or Investment Banking), and represent the company at key industry events.

Requirements

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, Communications, or a related field preferred.
• Experience: 2+ years of relevant sales or business development experience with a track record of meeting engagement targets.
• Communication Mastery: Exceptional verbal and written skills, with the ability to communicate highly complex scenarios with precision to all levels of the organization.
• Technical Proficiency: Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Office/Windows/MAC, Salesforce CRM, and sales engagement tools like LinkedIn Sales Navigator.
• Strategic Mindset: High degree of creativity, analytical skills, and the ability to prioritize business initiatives based on cost, benefit, and risk.
• Independence: Works under minimal supervision with a high degree of self-direction.

Nice To Haves

• Industry Knowledge: Understanding of the printing industry is considered a plus.

Responsibilities

• Strategic Growth & Prospecting: Establish and execute strategic activities to grow segment-specific sales and market share by leveraging industry research to initiate contact with high-value targets.
• Sales Support & Qualification: Provide critical support throughout the sales cycle, including securing high-quality discovery meetings, preparing proposals, and conducting pre-meeting research for Senior Sales Executives.
• Event Ambassadorship: Represent the company at trade shows, conferences, and networking events to build a "warm" pipeline through face-to-face engagement and manage related event logistics.
• Market Analysis: Research and identify the best channels to improve market coverage and meet the unique needs of defined business segments.
• Relationship Mapping: Identify key personas and decision-makers within target accounts to tailor value propositions and uncover areas for improvement during client meetings.
• Pipeline & CRM Management: Actively utilize Salesforce to track activities and maintain data integrity, ensuring all stakeholders are informed of project status and success risks.
• Collaboration: Coordinate and project manage subject matter experts for proposal responses and forecast customer demands to align with operational planning.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees