Manager, Business Development & Membership Growth

Ottawa Board of Trade; Ottawa; On-site; CAD 85,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Ottawa Board of Trade is seeking a Manager, Business Development & Membership Growth to accelerate membership and revenue. The role focuses on strategic outreach, relationship building with entrepreneurs and senior executives, and establishing partnerships that drive growth.

The successful candidate will create growth plans, manage a robust pipeline, and drive measurable results while representing OBOT at business and community events.

Qualifications

• Five to seven years of demonstrated success in B2B sales, business development, membership acquisition or corporate partnerships.
• Track record of generating leads, building pipeline, closing business and hitting measurable targets.
• Experience developing targeted sales strategies and selling across varying transaction sizes and cycles.
• Strong consultative selling, relationship-building, negotiation and closing skills with credibility from entrepreneurs to senior executives.

Responsibilities

• Take ownership of new member acquisition, event sponsorship and ambitious growth targets.
• Identify membership gaps by sector/geography and translate into targeted prospect lists and campaigns.
• Generate opportunities through outbound outreach, referrals, networking, events, digital leads and direct introductions; secure meetings and close.
• Build and maintain a strong pipeline using CRM, data, automation and AI-powered sales tools; provide forecasts and action plans.

Skills

B2B sales

Business development

Membership acquisition

Sponsorship sales

Relationship building

CRM

Data-driven

Tools

CRM software

Sales automation tools

Market research tools

Job description

POSITION DESCRIPTION - Manager, Business Development & Membership Growth

Reports to: Director of Business & Community Partnerships

About the Ottawa Board of Trade

The Ottawa Board of Trade is the independent, non-partisan voice of business in Canada's Capital. We bring businesses, leaders and community partners together to help businesses succeed and build a more competitive, prosperous and globally connected Ottawa. Our members range from entrepreneurs and growing companies to some of Ottawa's largest employers and most influential institutions. We are a small, highly collaborative team with a significant public profile and an ambitious agenda. Our vision is equally ambitious: we want every Ottawa business to see the value of being part of the Ottawa Board of Trade - connected, represented and contributing to a stronger Ottawa. A broad and representative membership strengthens our network, our voice and our ability to create opportunities and advocate effectively.

The Opportunity

The Manager, Business Development & Membership Growth has a clear mandate: accelerate OBOT's membership and revenue growth, with membership acquisition as the immediate priority. We are looking for a strategic salesperson and relationship builder who creates momentum. You generate opportunities, build relationships, follow up consistently and ask for the business. You are equally comfortable with an entrepreneur considering membership and a senior executive exploring a significant corporate partnership. You can build a growth plan, execute it with discipline, communicate clearly and be accountable for measurable results.

Key Responsibilities

Drive Membership, Event Sponsorship & Revenue Growth

• Take ownership of new member acquisition, event sponsorship, and ambitious monthly and annual growth targets.
• Identify membership gaps and opportunities by sector, geography, company size and stage of growth, and translate them into targeted prospect lists and campaigns.
• Generate opportunities through outbound outreach, referrals, networking, events, digital leads and direct introductions; secure meetings, communicate value, handle objections and close.
• Re-engage former members, identify upgrades and referrals, and continue to identify and close new Pillar Partners and other strategic corporate relationships.

Build & Manage the Pipeline

• Build and continually replenish a strong, qualified pipeline; use CRM, market intelligence, data, automation, AI and leading-edge sales and prospecting tools and strategies to improve targeting, outreach, personalization, productivity and results.
• Maintain disciplined prospecting and professional follow-up, ensuring every qualified opportunity has a clear next action.
• Track and report on activity, meetings, pipeline, conversion, new memberships and revenue; provide concise forecasts and identify corrective action where needed.
• Use market intelligence, data and results to improve targeting, messaging and sales strategy.

Represent OBOT & Contribute to the Team

• Build trusted relationships across the business community and represent OBOT professionally at business, government and community events.
• Communicate OBOT's mission, priorities and value proposition with confidence through strong prospect communications, presentations, proposals and follow-up.
• Work collaboratively, take initiative and use market intelligence, CRM, data, automation and AI tools to turn OBOT activity into membership and revenue opportunities.

What Success Looks Like

Success means sustained membership growth, a strong self-generated pipeline, greater representation across Ottawa's business community and disciplined follow-through, while maintaining strong partnership performance. Ultimately, success advances our ambition that every Ottawa business sees the value of being part of the Ottawa Board of Trade - connected, represented and contributing to a stronger Ottawa.

Skills & Experience

• Five to seven years of demonstrated success in B2B sales, business development, membership acquisition, sponsorship, corporate partnerships or a related revenue role.
• Track record of generating leads, building pipeline, closing business and meeting or exceeding measurable targets.
• Experience developing targeted sales strategies and selling across different transaction sizes and sales cycles.
• Strong consultative selling, relationship-building, negotiation and closing skills, with credibility from entrepreneurs through senior executives.
• Excellent communication, proposal, organization, forecasting and reporting skills; strong CRM and comfort with data, automation and AI-enabled sales tools.
• Highly proactive, resilient and results focused. Knowledge of Ottawa's business community is important; an established network and French are strong assets. Association or economic development experience is an asset. Valid driver’s license and full-time access to a reliable vehicle is required.

Our values are Collaboration, Determination, Future Thinking, Integrity and Passion, and we expect them to be reflected in how you work and represent OBOT.

Why Join the Ottawa Board of Trade

This role combines commercial accountability, community impact and access to business leadership. You will own an important growth mandate and see a direct connection between your results and a stronger Ottawa business community. We offer a competitive compensation package, including performance-based compensation that recognizes and rewards results.