Business Development Specialist

Human Capital Education; Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Remote-friendly culture

Job summary

Human Capital Education is hiring an entry-level Business Development Specialist to support go-to-market efforts across sales, marketing, and delivery teams. This role offers learning across the full revenue lifecycle in a mission-driven environment.

Reporting to the VP of Business Development or CRO, you will help generate new opportunities, coordinate outreach, and move deals from interest through proposal and close. Flexible, remote-friendly culture.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required.
• 0–3 years of experience in business development, sales, consulting, marketing, or a related role (internships and relevant project work included).
• Strong written communication skills, particularly for proposals and client-facing materials.
• Comfort working with CRM systems and standard business tools (Salesforce, HubSpot, Microsoft Office).
• Interest in higher education, education services, or mission-driven organizations strongly preferred.
• Prior exposure to colleges, universities, or education-related organizations is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Follow up on inbound leads generated through the website, events, thought leadership, webinars, and other campaigns.
• Support outbound and inbound business development efforts by coordinating outreach, scheduling meetings, and tracking engagement.
• Help drive attendance and participation in meetings, presentations, and discovery conversations with prospective partners.
• Draft, coordinate, and manage responses to RFPs, RFIs, and proposals using internal tools, templates, and content libraries.
• Work closely with sales and operating leaders to understand client needs and align proposals to HCE's solutions.
• Support smaller or lower-complexity deals by shepherding them through the sales process under guidance from senior team members.
• Assist with contract development, redlines, renewals, and execution in coordination with internal stakeholders.
• Track deal progress and ensure required steps are completed to move opportunities forward efficiently.
• Maintain accurate records of activities, opportunities, and communications in CRM systems.
• Partner with Marketing to support campaigns, events, webinars, and follow-up efforts.
• Collaborate with operating and delivery teams to ensure proposals and scopes align with execution realities.
• Act as a responsive, professional point of contact for prospective university partners throughout the sales process.

Skills

Strong written communication

CRM experience

Organized

Proactive

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Salesforce

HubSpot

Microsoft Office

Job description

Business Development Specialist

Location: Remote-friendly (U.S.) / Hybrid where HCE operates (D.C., Denver, Chicago)

Reports To: Vice President of Business Development or Chief Revenue Officer

Team: Business Development / Sales

Type: Full-Time | Entry-Level, High-Growth Role

Compensation: $60,000-$80,000 + performance-based incentive

About Human Capital Education:

Human Capital Education (HCE) enables colleges and universities to grow with purpose by providing the systems, expertise, data, and strategy needed to attract, enroll, and support students more effectively and efficiently. HCE works across undergraduate, graduate, online, and adult programs, helping institutions translate strategy into actionable insights that deliver sustainable results.

In January 2026, Human Capital Education acquired Kennedy & Company Education Strategies, bringing together complementary organizations with a shared commitment to helping institutions navigate change, strengthen performance, and achieve long-term sustainability. Together, HCE and Kennedy & Company now serve more than 300 colleges and universities nationwide, offering integrated strategic enablement services that span research, enrollment management, financial analysis, institutional strategy, and technology implementation.

About the Role:

We're hiring a Business Development Specialist to support and accelerate our go-to-market efforts across sales, marketing, and delivery teams. This is an entry-level, high-energy role designed for someone early in their business development or sales career who wants exposure to the full revenue lifecycle in a complex, mission-driven environment.

Reporting to the VP of Business Development or Chief Revenue Officer, this role plays a critical supporting role in generating new sales opportunities, coordinating engagement with prospective university partners, and helping move deals from initial interest through proposal, contracting, and close.

You'll work closely with sales leaders, operating team members, and institutional partners-learning how Human Capital Education's solutions are positioned, sold, and delivered. Successful individuals in this role have significant opportunity to grow into more senior go-to-market, sales, or account leadership roles over time.

Key Responsibilities:

Lead & Opportunity Support

• Follow up on inbound leads generated through the website, events, thought leadership, webinars, and other campaigns.
• Support outbound and inbound business development efforts by coordinating outreach, scheduling meetings, and tracking engagement.
• Help drive attendance and participation in meetings, presentations, and discovery conversations with prospective partners.

Proposal, RFP & Deal Support

• Draft, coordinate, and manage responses to RFPs, RFIs, and proposals using internal tools, templates, and content libraries.
• Work closely with sales and operating leaders to understand client needs and align proposals to HCE's solutions.
• Support smaller or lower-complexity deals by shepherding them through the sales process under guidance from senior team members.

Sales Process & Contracting Support

• Assist with contract development, redlines, renewals, and execution in coordination with internal stakeholders.
• Track deal progress and ensure required steps are completed to move opportunities forward efficiently.
• Maintain accurate records of activities, opportunities, and communications in CRM systems.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with Marketing to support campaigns, events, webinars, and follow-up efforts.
• Collaborate with operating and delivery teams to ensure proposals and scopes align with execution realities.
• Act as a responsive, professional point of contact for prospective university partners throughout the sales process.

Who You Are:

• High-energy and proactive-you take initiative and follow through.
• Strong communicator-you're comfortable writing, presenting, and engaging with internal teams and external partners.
• Intellectually curious-you want to deeply understand HCE's solutions, partners, and the higher education landscape.
• Organized and detail-oriented-you can manage multiple workstreams and deadlines.
• Coachable and growth-oriented-you seek feedback and want to build a long-term career in business development.
• Comfortable with ambiguity-you adapt quickly and thrive in a fast-moving environment.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree required.
• 0–3 years of experience in business development, sales, consulting, marketing, or a related role (internships and relevant project work included).
• Strong written communication skills, particularly for proposals and client-facing materials.
• Comfort working with CRM systems and standard business tools (Salesforce, HubSpot, Microsoft Office).
• Interest in higher education, education services, or mission-driven organizations strongly preferred.
• Prior exposure to colleges, universities, or education-related organizations is a plus.

Why Join Us?

• Launch the next stage of your career - gain hands-on experience across the full sales and revenue lifecycle.
• Learn from leaders - work closely with experienced sales and operating executives.
• Make an impact - support work that helps colleges and universities serve more students.
• Grow with the company - strong performers have clear pathways into advanced business development and go-to-market roles.
• Flexible work environment - remote-friendly culture grounded in trust, accountability, and collaboration.

Human Capital Education is an equal opportunity employer..