Business Development Manager, Professional Search

Spherion Staffing WI & Northern IL; Madison (WI); On-site; USD 70,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health

Vision

Dental

Short-Term Disability

Long-Term Disability

Life Insurance

Health Care FSA

Dependent Care FSA

401(k) with automatic company match

Parental Leave

PTO & Holidays

Job summary

Spherion WI & Northern IL is seeking a Business Development Manager to lead the growth of our professional recruiting division in Madison. This role emphasizes building relationships with executives, HR leaders and hiring managers, driving direct hire and permanent placement while expanding our suite of recruiting solutions.

You’ll develop connections across Madison’s business community, attend events, and create lasting client partnerships.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience.
• 2+ years of experience in business development, recruiting, staffing, B2B sales, or another relationship-driven professional role.

Responsibilities

• Build and grow Spherion’s professional recruiting business across the greater Madison market, with an emphasis on new direct hire and permanent placement opportunities.
• Develop relationships with executives, HR leaders, hiring managers, and other key decision-makers.
• Generate new business through networking, referrals, cold outreach, and in-person meetings.
• Build a strong presence in the Madison business community through events, associations, industry groups, and local organizations.
• Uncover professional hiring needs across Accounting & Finance, IT, Manufacturing, Life Sciences, Administrative, Human Resources, and other key functions.
• Lead discovery conversations and introduce recruiting solutions based on each client’s hiring needs and goals.
• Own the full sales cycle, from initial outreach and relationship development through proposal and contract execution.
• Build and maintain a healthy pipeline through consistent prospecting, networking, and follow-up.
• Partner closely with our tenured professional recruiters to launch new searches and deliver an exceptional client experience.
• Stay connected to local business activity, hiring trends, and opportunities within the Madison market.
• Maintain accurate records of outreach, meetings, and opportunities within CRM systems

Skills

Relationship building

Networking

Prospecting

Sales

Business development

Education

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent

Tools

CRM systems

Job description

Spherion WI & Northern IL is hiring a Business Development Manager to lead the growth of our professional recruiting division in Madison.

This is a unique opportunity for someone who enjoys building relationships, making connections and being out in the market. You may come from staffing & recruiting or sales, or you may be a well-connected professional who knows Madison, enjoys meeting people, and is ready to turn those strengths into a business development career.

You’ll develop relationships with executives, HR leaders and hiring managers across Madison, helping companies find professional talent in Executive Leadership, Accounting & Finance, IT, Manufacturing, Human Resources and other key functions.

Your focus is growth. Get to know the companies and people shaping Madison’s business community. Go to the events. Make the introductions. Build referral networks. Get curious about businesses and where they’re headed. Find the hiring challenges we can solve and turn those conversations into lasting client partnerships.

While direct hire and permanent placement will be a significant focus, you’ll have the ability to introduce a broader range of professional recruiting solutions, including contract and contract-to-hire staffing, based on each client’s needs. And you won’t be doing it alone. Behind you is a team of tenured, specialized recruiters who know the professional talent market and how to deliver on challenging searches.

This role is based in the Madison market and will have a dedicated workspace in our Madison office, but we don’t expect you to spend all of your time there. Success in this role means being out in the community meeting with clients and prospects, attending networking events, building relationships, and staying connected to what’s happening across the Madison business community. Our office is your home base, not necessarily where you’ll spend every day.

Highlights

• Competitive base salary + uncapped commission
• Lead the growth of our professional recruiting division in the Madison market, with a particular focus on direct hire and permanent placement
• Build relationships with executives and business leaders across industries
• Spend your time on the Isthmus networking, meeting people and creating new opportunities
• Backed by highly experienced recruiters who know how to find and deliver professional talent
• Established, locally owned company with 35+ years in the Madison market

What you'll do

• Build and grow Spherion’s professional recruiting business across the greater Madison market, with an emphasis on new direct hire and permanent placement opportunities
• Develop relationships with executives, HR leaders, hiring managers, and other key decision-makers
• Generate new business through networking, referrals, cold outreach, and in-person meetings
• Build a strong presence in the Madison business community through events, associations, industry groups, and local organizations
• Uncover professional hiring needs across Accounting & Finance, IT, Manufacturing, Life Sciences, Administrative, Human Resources, and other key functions
• Lead discovery conversations and introduce recruiting solutions based on each client’s hiring needs and goals
• Own the full sales cycle, from initial outreach and relationship development through proposal and contract execution
• Build and maintain a healthy pipeline through consistent prospecting, networking, and follow-up
• Partner closely with our tenured professional recruiters to launch new searches and deliver an exceptional client experience
• Stay connected to local business activity, hiring trends, and opportunities within the Madison market
• Maintain accurate records of outreach, meetings, and opportunities within CRM systems

What we're looking for

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience
• 2+ years of experience in business development, recruiting, staffing, B2B sales, or another relationship-driven professional role
• Strong connections or familiarity with the Madison business community are a plus
• Comfortable initiating conversations, building relationships, and creating new opportunities
• Natural networker who enjoys meeting new people and being active in the local business community
• Professional, confident, and comfortable engaging with executives and senior-level decision-makers
• Curious, competitive, and motivated by turning relationships into new business
• Resourceful, organized, and able to manage multiple priorities
• Authorization to work in the United States without sponsorship

Compensation includes a competitive base salary plus a commission structure with strong earning potential tied to performance.

Our comprehensive benefits package includes:

• Health
• Vision
• Dental
• Short-Term Disability
• Long-Term Disability
• Life Insurance
• Health Care FSA
• Dependent Care FSA
• 401(k) with an automatic company contribution
• Parental Leave
• Competitive PTO & Holiday Package

About Spherion WI & Northern IL (DI & Associates, Inc. DBA Spherion)

Respect, passion, integrity, teamwork & collaboration. These values have been at the core of our organization since we opened our doors over 35 years ago. Locally owned, we are committed to serving the individuals and organizations in our region - starting with our internal team members.

Our tenured team is committed to fostering an environment that promotes growth for all associates, and we invest both the time & resources required to do so. We are committed to excellence; however, we don’t take ourselves too seriously and we often come together as an office to celebrate & have fun. It’s our goal to create an organization that individuals enjoy being a part of - whether for an entire career or simply a stop along the way.

We are an equal employment opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, color, creed, disability, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, and any other status protected by applicable local, state or federal law.