Business Development Manager

Smithbucklin; Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 85,000 - 95,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Vision insurance

401(k)

Child care support

Paid maternity leave

Paid paternity leave

Disability insurance

Job summary

A leading association management firm is seeking a driven Business Development Manager to join their expanding team in Chicago. This role involves building relationships, managing the sales process, and collaborating with multiple teams. Candidates should have a bachelor's degree and 5+ years in business development, excellent communication skills, and experience with Salesforce. The expected pay ranges from $85,000 to $95,000 annually, and the company promotes a flexible hybrid work model.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in business development or sales, preferably in professional services.
• Proven track record of winning new business and hitting sales goals.
• Comfortable building relationships with executives and board leaders.

Responsibilities

• Build and grow relationships with senior decision makers at associations.
• Lead the full sales process from finding new prospects to closing deals.
• Attend conferences and industry events to build new connections.

Skills

Business development

Sales

Relationship building

Data analysis

Communication

Salesforce

Microsoft Office

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience

Tools

Salesforce

Microsoft Office (Teams, Word, Excel, PowerPoint)

Job description

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Join to apply for the Business Development Manager role at Smithbucklin

Smithbucklin, a 100% employee-owned association management company, is experiencing rapid growth and evolving our market presence. We are seeking a driven, tech-savvy Business Development Manager to join our expanding New Business & Industry Relations team. This position can be based in either our Chicago or Washington, D.C. office. Smithbucklin offers a hybrid work environment with in-office days established as Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday. The role reports into the Senior Vice President of Business Development & Industry Relations.

In this role, you won’t just follow a process — you’ll help shape how we find, pursue, and win new business. You’ll work directly with prospective clients to show how Smithbucklin’s services — including association management, education, strategic planning, and 360 Live Media’s event strategy and marketing — can help solve their most important challenges.

You’ll build strong relationships, manage opportunities from first conversation through closing, and collaborate with teams across the company to deliver solutions that fit client needs and support Smithbucklin’s growth.

What you’ll do:

• Build and grow relationships with senior decision makers at associations.
• Lead the full sales process — from finding new prospects to writing proposal copy and closing deals.
• Bring ideas, insights, and solutions to every opportunity.
• Work closely with internal teams to design proposals and presentations.
• Attend conferences, tradeshows, and industry events to build new connections.
• Keep an eye on industry trends and competitive activity to spot new opportunities.
• Use Salesforce to track your activity, manage your pipeline, and forecast revenue.

This role is a fit for someone who:

• Has drive, curiosity, and a strong desire to grow — personally and professionally.
• Likes working in a fast-moving environment with lots of change and new challenges.
• Thinks creatively and is comfortable figuring things out when the answers aren’t obvious.
• Uses data, technology, and research to make smart decisions and adjust strategies as needed.
• Has the flexibility to adjust schedule to attend industry events, travel, and do what is needed to ensure proposal deadlines are met

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience
• 5+ years of experience in business development or sales, preferably in professional services, consulting, or associations
• Comfortable building relationships with executives and board leaders
• Proven track record of winning new business and hitting sales goals
• Able to analyze markets, spot trends, and anticipate client needs
• Experienced using Salesforce (or similar CRM).
• Strong communicator — in writing, in person, and in presentations.
• Organized, self-motivated, and collaborative.
• Proficient with Microsoft Office (Teams, Word, Excel, PowerPoint).

Where Do You Fit?

Whether you are just beginning your career or are a mid- or senior-level professional, working at Smithbucklin will offer you countless opportunities to develop transferable skills, acquire meaningful knowledge and gain rich experiences at an accelerated pace. By working collaboratively with smart, ambitious, multi-talented, genuine and hardworking colleagues, you will build meaningful, deep and enduring relationships that will serve you well throughout your career, regardless of your chosen path. In addition, as a 100 percent employee-owned company, Smithbucklin offers all our people – regardless of position or compensation – an equal chance to experience the fulfillment and reap the benefits of ownership. As owners, our employees control the destiny of Smithbucklin and are unified in the goal of building a great, enduring company.

Our hybrid environment offers you the option of working from home two days per week. Employees will work a standard 40-hour week, with the possibility of additional hours based on project deadlines.

Smithbucklin considers several factors when determining compensation, including a candidate's recent coursework, training, experience, and certifications, among other considerations. The expected pay for this role is $85,000 - $95,000.

At Smithbucklin, Equal Employment Opportunity is our commitment and goal. All qualified candidates will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, national origin, gender, age, religion, religion, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, marital status, or any other protected status designated by federal, state, or local law. Applicants are encouraged to confidentially self-identify when applying. Employment is contingent upon successful completion of a reference and background investigation based on position,

• Smithbucklin will not sponsor applicants for work visas and as a precondition of employment, you must be authorized to work in the United States permanently.

Seniority level

• Seniority level

  Mid-Senior level

Employment type

• Employment type

  Full-time

Job function

• Job function

  Marketing and Business Development

• Industries

  Non-profit Organizations

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Inferred from the description for this job

Medical insurance

Vision insurance

401(k)

Child care support

Paid maternity leave

Paid paternity leave

Disability insurance

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