Associate Business Development Specialist

Arbor Research; Ann Arbor (MI); Hybrid; USD 50,000 - 77,000; Full time

Job summary

Arbor Research, located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, seeks a Business Development Associate to support proposal development and business growth initiatives. Candidates will engage with internal teams and monitor industry opportunities relevant to healthcare sponsors.

The role requires a Bachelor's or Master’s degree, strong communication skills, and proficiency in Microsoft Office. This position is remote with potential hybrid work arrangements.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master’s degree in business, marketing, or related discipline.
• Interest in business development and strategic growth.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office and CRM tools.

Responsibilities

• Maintain and improve CRM records and business development resources.
• Prepare recurring reports and briefing materials.
• Monitor Federal opportunities for relevance.

Skills

Business development

Client engagement

Market research

Excellent communication

Microsoft Office proficiency

Education

Bachelor's or Master’s degree in business, marketing, or related

Tools

CRM tools (e.g., Salesforce, HubSpot)

AI-assisted workflows

Job description

Characteristic Duties and Responsibilities

• Maintain and improve Customer Relationship Management (CRM) records, pipeline trackers and notes, and shared business development resources to ensure accurate and timely information; use AI-enabled tools where appropriate to streamline updates, identify data gaps, and improve the accuracy and timeliness of information.
• Prepare recurring pipeline reports, follow up lists, notes, and briefing materials to support prioritization and internal decision-making.
• Monitor Federal opportunity sources and procurement platforms to identify, triage, and summarize relevant opportunities, including RFIs, sources sought notices, draft solicitations, and live solicitations aligned with Arbor Research’s capabilities.
• Assist the technical team with proposal development, including background research, boilerplate maintenance, and formatting of proposal materials.
• Assist with the development and oversight of business development project timelines; monitor progress of deliverables and milestones, and communicate status and any problem areas to internal colleagues.
• Support meetings, conference calls, and client-facing presentations, including preparation of agendas, briefing documents, slide materials, and meeting minutes.
• Support conference and event planning, including attendee research, meeting coordination, contact tracking, and post-event follow-up.
• Conduct industry, market, and competitor research to support business development efforts targeting healthcare industry sponsors (e.g., pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device, and digital health companies).
• Communicate professionally and effectively, with moderate oversight, with various groups and in various settings; ensure sensitivity of confidential and proprietary information.

Supervision Received

This position reports to and receives general administrative supervision from the Strategic Growth Team Lead. Day‑time direction may also be provided by Arbor Research investigators. Close collaboration is expected with colleagues.

Supervision Exercised

None

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master’s degree in business, marketing, communications, public health, life sciences, or a related discipline
• Interest in business development and strategic growth, with a desire to contribute to pipeline tracking, client engagement, and proposals
• Interest in the healthcare industry landscape (pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device, and/or digital health)
• Proficient in Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint) and AI‑assisted workflows; willingness to learn and adapt to new AI tools and a changing work environment
• Excellent interpersonal and conversational skills, including ability to present thoughts clearly and listen attentively
• Excellent written communication skills
• Ability to work as part of a team and independently
• Excellent attention to detail, organizational skills, and ability to meet deadlines
• Ability to protect confidential, proprietary, and highly sensitive information

Desirable Qualifications

• Internship, academic, or work experience in business development, proposal support, market research, consulting, or a related area
• Experience using a CRM (e.g., Salesforce, HubSpot) or pipeline‑tracking tool
• Experience producing client‑facing written materials such as briefs, capability summaries, or proposals

Location & Work Arrangement

This is a remote position. Candidates based near our Ann Arbor, Michigan office may work on a hybrid schedule, with occasional on‑site presence for team meetings and events.

What You’ll Gain

Hands‑on experience across the full business development cycle—proposals, market research, and client engagement—with direct exposure to senior investigators and leadership, mentorship, and room to grow into expanded strategic growth responsibilities.

Annual Salary Range

$50,000 - $77,000 (US National Average)

Base Compensation Determination

Base Compensation is determined by market range and geographic location pay zones. Base Compensation also includes various individual factors unique to each candidate such as job level, prior experience, skill set, certification, and education which may impact the compensation structure.

This position is classified as [exempt/non-exempt] according to FLSA guidelines