Business Development Project Director (BDPD)

Cogent Analytics; Chattanooga (TN); On-site; USD 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Cogent Analytics is seeking a Business Development Project Director to lead SME-level sales and BD initiatives. The role focuses on building, implementing, training, and evaluating customized business development solutions to support SMB growth.

On-site work with clients is required with about 75% travel; fluency in English and Spanish is essential, and U.S. work authorization is required. This 1099 contractor position offers milestone evaluations after 90 days.

Qualifications

• Minimum of four years of consulting experience with a proven value delivery for clients.
• Ability to travel onsite with clients (75% domestic travel).
• Authorized to work in the United States.
• Professional fluency in English and Spanish (written and verbal).
• Valid state-issued driver’s license and current auto insurance.

Responsibilities

• Conduct a business development discovery to understand the client’s market role and revenue goals.
• On-site, build and outline a client-specific growth plan within the BITE methodology.
• Identify issues and opportunities to improve sales volume, margins, and client diversification.
• Collaborate to define growth goals, resources, and CRM/tools in use.
• Manage work quality and on-time delivery per the Business Development Plan.
• Review sales activity reports and apply insights to drive client improvements.

Skills

Bilingual English/Spanish

Travel readiness

Leadership

Business development

CRM proficiency

Tools

Microsoft Suite

CRM

PM software

Financial software

Dashboards

Job description

Business Development Project Director

This is a Subject Matter Expert (SME) role in Sales and Business Development. Build, implement, train, and evaluate customized business development solutions that support a lead Project Director and an Engagement plan, assisting small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) in achieving their strategic objectives. Solution implementation will encompass sales team structure and development, business development processes, and sales enabler tools implementation.

Essential Duties And Responsibilites

• Conduct a business development discovery with Cogent clients to understand the Client’s role in the market, previous business development efforts, and organizational revenue goals.
• While on-site, build, document, and outline a business development plan that is solely focused on the client and positively impacts their growth goals. This plan should incorporate both short-term actions and long-term behaviors necessary to achieve success in the BITE (Build, Implement, Train, and Execute) methodology.
• Identify new issues and opportunities in the client organization. Create tangible and quantifiable change that will address these issues and support material improvement in the client’s business in the following functional areas:
• Generate additional volume of product or service sales
• Enhance margin through improved sales GP
• Diversify customer base
• Enhance client’s liquidity through improvement with terms for client’s customers
• Extend existing customer relationships and sales volume
• Collaborate with the Client to clearly define growth goals, human resources available, and sales enabler technology (i.e., CRMs) currently in place.
• Manage the body of work to a high quality and on-time delivery, as identified in the “Business Development Plan." Follow the established Cogent Analytics process for client and project engagement.
• Review and disseminate information from sales activity reports and apply this analysis to business development improvement on behalf of the client.

Other Requirements

• Ability to travel onsite with clients (75% domestic travel requirement)
• Professional fluency in both English and Spanish (written and verbal) is required
• Authorized to work in the United States
• Minimum of four years of consulting experience with a proven track record of delivering value for clients
• Administrative duties completed in a timely and accurate manner
• Ability to communicate in English, both written and verbal
• Valid state-issued driver’s license and current auto insurance
• Advanced computer skills (Microsoft Suite, financial software, dashboards, CRM, and PM software)
• Proven fiduciary responsibility, successfully managing a budget of 10M+, preferred
• Prior business ownership preferred

Competencies Required

• Problem Solving – Identifies and resolves problems in a timely manner; develops alternative solutions; uses reason even when dealing with emotional topics
• Change Management – Communicates changes effectively and builds broad consensus; monitors transition and evaluates results
• Leadership – Exhibits confidence in self and others; inspires and motivates others to perform well; accepts feedback from others
• Judgment – Displays willingness to make decisions; supports and explains reasoning for decisions. Gains trust of peers and leadership through sound decision making
• Results Driven – Serious about committing and getting to results. Exemplifies this ability through sound decision‑making, backed by logic, understanding contingency planning, with an attitude toward appropriate prioritization and effort
• People Oriented – Possess a high EQ and readily able to connect and build relationships with clients, their staff, and Cogent team members
• Conflict Management – Empathetic and able to see all perspectives; graciously communicates differing points of view to build understanding; finds agreeable, forward‑looking, and policy‑aligned solutions to resolve conflicts others would see as irreconcilable

CULTURAL EXPECTATIONS

• Cogent Analytics strives to always put our clients first, choosing to do what is in their best interest even if that choice may not be the easy or popular path
• Cogent Analytics maintains the highest professional standards and pledges to operate with integrity and honesty in all that we endeavor to do
• We believe in a collaborative environment between the administrative staff, Leadership (AD and MD), and Project Directors
• We understand and embrace the “Obligation to Challenge," realizing that the status quo can be improved upon based on our unique and diverse capabilities and insights
• We embrace diversity, realizing the benefit of working together and sharing individual exceptional insights with the group. Through these insights discovered in the pursuit of solving problems, we will improve results both for our clients and ourselves

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.

This is a 1099 Contractor role for the first 90 days. BDPD will be evaluated at the 90th day in the role to ensure appropriate development in the expected competencies and requirements.