Manager, Business Development

Start Early (formerly known as the Ounce) is an energized, future-focused organization devoted to providing quality early learning and care across the country.
Our desire to close the opportunity gap and build more equitable early learning experiences for our youngest learners guides everything we do. As a leader in early learning and care, we scale our deep expertise across program, policy and research through partnerships across the country.
We are recruiting individuals who want to join us in this mission and share a commitment to our core values of appreciation & respect, empowerment, diversity, excellence, learning and communication.
Become part of our rewarding, mission-driven culture! We want our employees to feel empowered, motivated, energized, and passionate about the work they do!
The Manager, Business Development will scale a portfolio of Start Early products and services spanning professional development, consulting, and other offerings to the ECE field by promoting, marketing, selling, and renewing with state and community leaders and organizations. This passionate individual will develop authentic and long-lasting relationships to understand customer needs and support them to be successful within an account-based sales strategy primarily for business-to-business (B2B) business models. The Manager, Business Development provides tactical and analytical support to achieving set revenue targets, collaborates on internal operations and processes, and serves as a key liaison to the organization wide Business Development Operations Hub team.Reporting to the Managing Director, Business Strategy you will:
Be responsible for generating fee for service revenue (earned, private, public) across a portfolio of 3-4 products/services and supporting 2 separate divisions. Steward 20 40 customers through our sales pipeline from prospect to closed won to renewal, assessing client needs and developing custom proposals. Develop knowledge of Start Early target audiences and customers and partner with marketing to establish tailored messages that resonate with niche audiences.
Represent Start Early and the Business Development team externally and interact with high-level customers across 5-10 niche audiences virtually and in-person (answer questions, develop relationships, qualify leads, cultivate opportunities, provide demos, etc.)
Lead comprehensive hand off processes from business development to implementation when an opportunity is closed won. Document scope, budget, contract, customer-specific insights, and other key information for Implementation Team to carry out. Maintain close contact with customer and SE Implementation Team to ensure high levels of satisfaction and success and to position SE for a renewal and/or upsell.
Partner with Marketing to carry out the week-to-week conference strategy for products and services, including working across the organization to identify key messages, presenters, session proposals, etc. Attend conferences to network and generate leads for sales pipeline.
During the build out of the internal Business Development Operations Hub, collaborate with the hub staff to ensure all processes and systems are maintained and/or developed in concert with their roadmap. Manage the day-to-day sales pipeline operations (processes, systems, data) for the business development team. Ensure data is accurate and current, build custom Salesforce reports and dashboards, and manage tracking revenue goals. Support staff to use Salesforce processes and systems effectively. Manage all invoicing and contracting in partnership with Finance and Compliance.Qualifications:
Bachelors in education, Sales, Marketing, Public Administration, Business, Government, Political Science, Psychology or related field.
Minimum of 3 years of related experience in a classroom as a teacher or administrator or program and/or non-profit administration, including at least three years of experience writing materials for external audiences. 2+ years of sales or client-facing work experience in a professional services or equivalent organization is a plus.
Strong organizational skills and timely follow through with the ability to efficiently manage and prioritize multiple tasks and meet often competing deadlines in a fast-paced environment while remaining flexible and adaptive.
Exceptional communication skills, including written, verbal, presentation and on social media.
Experience working with Customer Relationship Management Systems (Salesforce CRM preferred), Video Conferencing (Zoom preferred) and Microsoft 365 suite software is required.
Ability to distill knowledge, experience, and client feedback into actionable recommendations and business development proposals.
Ability to pinpoint customer pain points and accurately assess the transactional value for both the organization and customer.
Self-motivated, tenacious, confident, independent, and strong attention to detail.
Strong interpersonal skills with demonstrated ability to cultivate and sustain relationships with diverse audiences in a manner which consistently demonstrates respect, concern, and responsiveness.
Knowledge of early childhood and social services programs, or ability to quickly acquire this knowledge, to effectively communicate and collaborate with content team and customers.
Ability to travel up to 20% with some overnight stays.
Deep commitment to and experience in advancing diversity, racial equity, and inclusion into organizational routines and practice.
Effectively establish and maintain effective relationships with funders and partners and gain their trust and respect.
Comfort and experience in handling risk and uncertainty to move work forward.We recognize that few candidates might meet every single piece of knowledge, experience, or education listed here. Research shows that women and people of color, among many other historically excluded groups, are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. Start Early is dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive, and equitable workplace, so if you're excited about this role but your qualifications dont perfectly align with everything in the job description, we still encourage you to apply!
REQUIRED: Please submit a cover letter along with your resume.Salary: $80,000-$90,000Our generous benefits plan includes:
Comprehensive Health Plans, Commitment to Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion, Holistic Wellness Program, Professional Development Program, 401k Contribution, Paid Volunteer Days, 6 months paid parental leave, and much more.
Start Early is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to our core values by creating an inclusive environment for all staff.