Business Development Account Executive

Socket.dev; Alexandria (VA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

The American Academy of PAs (AAPA) is seeking a Business Development Account Executive to drive new business development and grow our enterprise partnerships. You will build and manage a robust pipeline, identify opportunities, and develop partnership strategies across education, research, events, and digital products.

You will oversee opportunities from discovery through negotiation and renewal, collaborating with internal stakeholders to deliver measurable value for partners while advancing

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of education and relevant professional experience preferred.
• At least three years of experience in business development, sales, partnerships, or account management.
• Experience using Salesforce or a comparable CRM to manage sales activity, pipeline, accounts, and forecasting preferred.
• Strong consultative selling, discovery, negotiation, and relationship-management skills.
• Healthcare, life sciences, or related industry familiarity preferred.

Responsibilities

• Develop and manage a robust pipeline of prospective partners aligned with strategic priorities.
• Research, identify, prospect, and qualify new business opportunities.
• Conduct discovery conversations to understand prospective partners’ objectives and needs.
• Manage opportunities through the full sales lifecycle from outreach to close.
• Develop tailored proposals and partnership solutions integrating education, research, events, and digital products.
• Maintain Salesforce as the system of record for account activity and revenue forecasting.
• Pursue renewals, cross-selling, and multi-phase partnerships to drive growth.
• Collaborate with marketing, education, events, research, and product teams to deliver aligned deliverables.
• Ensure high-quality partner experience and successful execution of signed agreements.

Skills

Consultative selling

Discovery

Negotiation

Relationship management

CRM systems (Salesforce)

Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerP0

Travel flexibility

Education

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent

Tools

Salesforce CRM

Job description

Job Summary:

The Business Development Account Executive drives new business development and account growth in support of AAPA’s enterprise business development strategy. This role is responsible for building and managing a strong pipeline, developing partnership opportunities, and generating revenue across new and existing strategic accounts.

The Account Executive manages opportunities throughout the sales lifecycle, from prospecting and discovery through proposal development, negotiation, contracting, renewal, and expansion. Using a consultative approach, this position develops a strong understanding of partner objectives and connects those needs with AAPA’s education, research, events, digital products, and other partnership opportunities.

Working closely with the Director of Business Development & Strategic Partnerships, the Business Development Project Manager, and teams across AAPA, the Account Executive helps create high-value partnerships that deliver measurable results for partners while advancing AAPA’s strategic and revenue goals.

Success in this role requires strong business development instincts, relationship-building skills, commercial judgment, attention to detail, and the ability to balance revenue goals with long-term partner relationships.

Key Responsibilities:

Pipeline Development & Sales Execution

• Develop and manage a robust pipeline of prospective partners aligned with AAPA’s strategic priorities, target markets, and therapeutic focus areas.
• Research, identify, prospect, and qualify new business opportunities using established qualification frameworks and market intelligence.
• Conduct discovery conversations to understand prospective partners’ business objectives, priorities, challenges, and investment needs.
• Manage opportunities throughout the sales lifecycle, including outreach, discovery, solution development, proposal, negotiation, contracting, and close.
• Develop tailored proposals and partnership solutions that integrate relevant AAPA offerings, including education, research, events, digital products, and other strategic opportunities.
• Maintain Salesforce as the system of record for account activity, opportunity stages, next steps, pipeline value, and revenue forecasting.
• Maintain consistent prospecting and business development activity to support short- and long-term pipeline growth.

Partnership Development & Account Management

• Build and maintain strong relationships with prospective and existing partners to drive retention, expansion, and long-term revenue growth.
• Manage a portfolio of accounts, including mid-tier partners and developing strategic relationships.
• Develop a strong understanding of partner organizations, business priorities, key stakeholders, and evolving needs.
• Identify and pursue opportunities for renewals, account expansion, cross-selling, and multi-phase partnership engagements.
• Develop and execute account growth strategies for priority partners in collaboration with the Director of Business Development & Strategic Partnerships.
• Serve as a trusted business partner by proactively identifying opportunities that create value for both AAPA and its partners.

Cross-Functional Coordination & Partnership Execution

• Serve as the primary relationship lead and day-to-day point of contact for assigned partners.
• Collaborate with marketing, education, events, research, product, and other internal stakeholders to develop partnership solutions and align on deliverables, timelines, and expectations.
• Partner closely with the Business Development Project Manager to transition signed opportunities into successful execution and ensure clear communication of partner objectives, commitments, and deliverables.
• Maintain visibility into partnership execution and proactively address issues that could affect partner satisfaction, renewal, or account growth.
• Ensure consistent, high-quality partner experience throughout the relationship lifecycle.

Operational Management & Partner Success

• Support contract development, invoicing coordination, and tracking of partnership commitments and deliverables.
• Maintain visibility into the execution of signed agreements, working with the Business Development Project Manager and internal teams to ensure commitments are delivered on time and in alignment with partner expectations.
• Monitor partner satisfaction throughout the partnership lifecycle and proactively identify opportunities, concerns, or risks that could affect the relationship.
• Maintain accurate and timely documentation of partner interactions, agreements, commitments, and relevant performance metrics in Salesforce and other established systems.

• Conduct partnership follow-up and performance discussions to identify opportunities for renewal, expansion, and continued engagement.

Revenue & Performance Accountability

• Achieve individual revenue and business development targets aligned with department and organizational goals.
• Monitor performance against pipeline, sales activity, conversion, account growth, and revenue goals.
• Maintain accurate and timely revenue forecasts and communicate changes, risks, and opportunities.
• Use CRM data, partner insights, market intelligence, and performance trends to prioritize opportunities and inform business development activity.
• Contribute to the ongoing refinement of business development processes, sales tools, partnership offerings, and go-to-market approaches.

Qualifications:

• At least three years of experience in business development, sales, strategic partnerships, account management, or a related field.
• Demonstrated success developing new business, managing a sales pipeline, and meeting or exceeding revenue goals.
• Strong consultative selling, discovery, negotiation, and relationship-management skills.
• Ability to identify partner needs and translate them into compelling business and partnership solutions.
• Working knowledge of the healthcare and life sciences landscape, including pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical devices, healthcare delivery, or related organizations.
• Understanding of healthcare industry dynamics and the business, educational, and engagement priorities that influence partnership opportunities.
• Experience managing multiple accounts, opportunities, and priorities simultaneously in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong business communication and presentation skills, with the ability to engage effectively with stakeholders at varying levels of seniority.
• Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and follow-through.
• Experience using CRM systems to manage pipeline, account activity, and forecasting; Salesforce experience is strongly preferred.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
• Ability to travel occasionally as needed.

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree or an equivalent combination of education and relevant professional experience preferred.
• At least three years of relevant business development, sales, partnerships, or account management experience required.
• Experience within healthcare, life sciences, professional associations, or mission-driven organizations preferred.
• Demonstrated experience meeting or exceeding individual revenue targets.
• Experience using Salesforce or a comparable CRM to manage sales activity, pipeline, accounts, and forecasting preferred.

The American Academy of PAs is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to enriching the working environment for all staff by promoting a culture of inclusion, diversity, equity, and accountability. We invite individuals with diverse backgrounds, experiences, and abilities to apply. AAPA considers all qualified applicants without regard to color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran status, disability, and any other classifications protected by law.