Market Development Representative

Leadership Connect•Washington, DC

4d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Market Development Representative (MDR) sits at the front of Leadership Connect’s sales process, responsible for identifying and engaging prospects, conducting meaningful discovery conversations, and moving qualified leads to our Sales Director team. MDRs here are curious, well-prepared, and skilled at listening — not order-takers. A significant portion of our prospect base works in or around government and public policy — including government contractors, lobbyists, and public affairs professionals — so an interest in how policy gets made and how organizations navigate those environments is central to success in this role. We provide tools to support research and outreach efficiency so you can spend more time in conversations and less time on administrative work.

Requirements

1–3 years of experience in sales development, lead generation, business development, or a related outreach-focused role
Experience leading early-stage discovery and qualification calls, with the ability to research prospects quickly and translate findings into personalized outreach
Comfortable with multi-channel outreach and familiar with CRM platforms (Salesforce preferred)
Active listener who asks the right questions, follows the conversation, and adapts rather than pitching from a script
Resilience and curiosity — handles rejection without losing momentum and takes a genuine interest in how prospects work and where they face challenges
Sound judgment on when to advance a conversation and when to step back
Genuine interest in public sector dynamics — including government contracting, lobbying, and policy — and the ability to engage these audiences with relevant, informed messaging

Nice To Haves

Experience selling data, research, or SaaS platforms
Familiarity with government contracting, lobbying, or public affairs — through work experience or genuine personal interest
Previous exposure to or interest in a policy office, government affairs function, or public sector advisory role

Responsibilities

Research target accounts and key contacts before outreach, developing a working understanding of their organizational priorities, recent activity, and likely needs
Identify and prioritize prospects from assigned lists, inbound leads, and self-sourced accounts
Respond promptly to inbound inquiries and marketing-generated leads, assessing fit and advancing qualified contacts into the pipeline
Conduct high-volume, multi-channel outreach (phone, email, LinkedIn) to introduce Leadership Connect to prospective clients
Craft timely, personalized messaging that connects Leadership Connect’s value to each prospect’s context — staying current on policy developments, regulatory activity, and government contracting trends to keep outreach relevant
Follow up persistently and professionally across outreach sequences to build familiarity and trust
Lead early-stage discovery conversations to understand a prospect’s current workflows, data needs, and relationship-building challenges
Ask targeted questions that reflect an understanding of how government contractors, lobbyists, and policy professionals operate and what drives their decisions
Listen actively and adapt your approach based on what you learn, rather than delivering a scripted pitch
Clearly communicate the value of Leadership Connect, tailored to what matters most to each prospect
Qualify prospects using defined criteria and deliver handoffs with documented context on needs, priorities, and objections so AEs can continue the conversation without starting over
Log all prospect activity, notes, and outcomes in CRM (Salesforce or equivalent) with accuracy and consistency
Work closely with Sales Leadership to align on prospect profiles, qualification criteria, and meeting standards
Participate in team meetings to share market feedback and contribute to refining outreach messaging and the broader sales process