Business Development Specialist

redthread; Lincoln (NE); On-site; USD 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

redthread is a creative advertising agency in Lincoln, Nebraska. We’re hiring a Business Development Representative to own the very beginning of our sales process: finding the right people, starting real conversations, and connecting promising prospects with our Business Development Creative Director.

This role is high-activity but not a hard-close sales job. You will build a robust pipeline through networking, outbound outreach, research, and thoughtful conversations with potential clients.

Qualifications

• Background in business development, sales, account management, or related fields is a plus.
• Ability to generate conversations with potential clients and to qualify opportunities.

Responsibilities

• Start conversations with prospective clients through networking, referrals, and outbound outreach.
• Research companies and contacts to make conversations informed.
• Listen to understand a prospect's business, challenges, and goals.
• Qualify opportunities and schedule follow-up meetings with leadership.
• Maintain accurate prospect information and pipeline status in our systems.
• Represent redact as first impression at events and professional interactions.

Skills

High-volume outreach

Networking

Research

Listening

CRM tools

LinkedIn

Tools

CRM software

Job description

You know that person who walks into a room full of strangers and leaves with three new friends and a lunch scheduled for Tuesday? We’re hiring that person.

redthread is a creative advertising agency in the heart of the Silicon Prairie. Since 2014, we’ve been solving brand challenges for clients across the region with strategy, campaigns, video, design, social, and experiential marketing. Our name comes from the proverb that people destined to meet are connected by a red thread. This role is where those threads start.

We’re looking for a Business Development Representative to own the very beginning of our sales process: finding the right people, starting real conversations, and connecting promising prospects with our Business Development Creative Director.

To be clear about what this is not: it’s not a hard-closing, script-reading sales job. But make no mistake, this is a high-activity role. Building a strong pipeline takes a lot of conversations, outreach, and follow-up every single week. The difference is that we measure success by qualified meetings rather than pressure tactics. If you’re curious, organized, energized by meeting a lot of people, and genuinely enjoy learning about other people’s businesses, keep reading.

What You’ll Actually Do

• Start a lot of conversations. Build relationships with prospective clients through networking, LinkedIn, referrals, and consistent outbound outreach. Thoughtful, not spray-and-pray, but high-volume all the same. A full pipeline starts with a full calendar.
• Do your homework. Research companies and contacts so every conversation starts smart, not cold.
• Listen first. Lead initial conversations focused on understanding a prospect's business, challenges, and goals before anyone recommends anything.
• Qualify and connect. Determine whether redthread is a genuine fit, then schedule strategic follow-up meetings with our Business Development Creative Director.
• Hand off like a pro. Give our creative and sales team the full picture on every prospect so nothing gets lost in translation.
• Play the long game. Some relationships take months to develop. Stay in touch, stay useful, and stay top of mind.
• Keep it organized. Maintain accurate prospect information, conversation notes, and pipeline status in our sales systems.
• Stay in the loop. Collaborate with the team as opportunities move through strategy, proposal, presentation, contracting, and kickoff.
• Represent. Show up well at networking events and in every interaction. You’re often the first impression of redthread.
• Make us better. Share what you're hearing in the market so our outreach and sales process keep improving.

How We’ll Know It’s Working

You'll be succeeding when you:

• Consistently generate a high volume of real conversations with potential clients, week after week
• Turn those conversations into qualified meetings with companies that could genuinely benefit from what we do
• Build a healthy, well-organized pipeline of current and future opportunities
• Follow through reliably and keep prospects engaged over time
• Set the team up to win by providing clear context on every opportunity
• Develop relationships that strengthen redthread’s reputation and fuel long-term growth

You Might Be Our Person If

• You're comfortable introducing yourself and starting conversations with people you've never met
• You ask thoughtful questions and actually listen to the answers
• You create opportunities instead of waiting for them to show up
• You communicate clearly and professionally in person, by phone, and in writing
• You have the stamina for steady, high-volume outreach, and your energy for it doesn't fade by Thursday
• You can juggle many conversations and follow-ups at once without dropping any of them
• You're persistent without being pushy (there's a difference, and you know it)
• You work independently but love being part of a collaborative, creative team
• You're comfortable with LinkedIn, spreadsheets, and CRM or pipeline tools

Experience-wise

backgrounds in business development, sales, account management, recruiting, fundraising, or hospitality all translate well here. But we care more about how you build relationships than what your last title was. If your experience is unconventional and your people skills are not, we want to hear from you.

Why redthread

You’ll be selling something you can be proud of: award-winning creative work, made by a team of 35+ designers, writers, videographers, and strategists who genuinely like what they do. You’ll have a clear lane, real support, and a direct line between your work and the agency’s growth.