Business Development Specialist

Plus QA; Portland, Northern (OR, KY); Hybrid; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health Insurance (Medical, Dental, Vis

401k with Company Match

Paid Time Off

Holidays

Job summary

Plus QA seeks a proactive Business Development Specialist to drive growth by identifying opportunities, building client relationships, and managing the sales cycle from outreach to onboarding and ongoing engagement.

The role requires initiating conversations, conducting outbound outreach, and aligning with leadership to move opportunities forward, with base salary plus quarterly bonus tied to metrics. Hybrid work arrangement in Portland, OR.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, Communications or related field.
• Experience with CRM or sales pipeline management platforms.
• Ability to initiate outbound outreach and manage multiple opportunities.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced, hybrid environment.

Responsibilities

• Identify and research prospective clients to expand the sales pipeline.
• Outbound outreach via email, LinkedIn, and other channels to generate opportunities.
• Respond to inbound inquiries and coordinate client calls with leadership.
• Own opportunities by identifying next steps and moving through the pipeline.
• Maintain relationships with prospective clients through timely follow-up.
• Maintain accurate client, prospect, and sales pipeline records and generate reports.
• Prepare and distribute estimates, SOWs, and sales documentation; coordinate approvals.
• Oversee onboarding of new clients and ensure smooth transitions.

Skills

Strong communication

Relationship building

Self-motivated

Organizational skills

Adaptability

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business

Tools

Salesforce

HubSpot

Pipedrive

Outreach

Salesloft

Apollo.io

Job description

PLUS QA is seeking a proactive and relationship-driven Business Development Specialist to support business growth by identifying new opportunities, building meaningful client relationships, and managing the sales process from initial outreach through onboarding and ongoing engagement. Reporting directly to company leadership, this role is responsible for generating qualified sales opportunities, coordinating the sales process, maintaining strong client relationships, and ensuring opportunities continue moving forward.

The ideal candidate is confident in initiating conversations, comfortable with outreach, and motivated by creating new business opportunities. They have an interest in technology and are excited to learn about the software quality assurance industry, emerging technologies, and the clients we serve in order to communicate our value effectively. They are comfortable taking initiative, bringing new ideas to the table, adapting to feedback, and proactively identifying opportunities to improve the sales process and strengthen client partnerships. Success in this role comes from persistence, organization, follow-through, and a genuine desire to help clients solve business challenges while contributing to the continued growth of the company. Base Salary + Quarterly Bonus (upon meeting quarterly metrics)

• Identify and research prospective clients across target industries to uncover new business opportunities and expand the sales pipeline
• Conduct outbound outreach through email, LinkedIn, and other channels to build relationships and generate qualified sales opportunities
• Respond to inbound inquiries, qualify prospective clients, and coordinate new client calls with the appropriate internal leadership team
• Take ownership of sales opportunities by proactively identifying next steps, anticipating client needs, following up on outstanding items, and keeping opportunities moving through the sales pipeline with minimal direction
• Develop and maintain professional relationships with prospective clients through consistent communication and timely follow-up
• Maintain a thorough knowledge of PLUS QA's services, capabilities, and value proposition to confidently communicate with prospective and existing clients
• Manage internal and external sales communications in a professional, responsive, and timely manner
• Prepare and distribute estimates, Statements of Work (SOWs), and other sales documentation while coordinating the review and approval process with company leadership
• Verify the accuracy of sales documentation, contracts, orders, and invoices prior to client delivery
• Take ownership of the new client onboarding process, including account creation, required documentation, and coordination with internal resources to ensure a smooth client transition
• Maintain relationships with existing clients through periodic check-ins to gather feedback, identify opportunities for additional services, and ensure a positive client experience
• Capture and communicate client success stories, testimonials, and project wins in partnership with marketing resources to support future business development and marketing initiatives
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date client, prospect, and sales pipeline records within company systems
• Prepare regular sales activity, pipeline, and performance reports for leadership
• Attend and actively contribute to company sales and marketing meetings, sharing pipeline updates, client feedback, and market insights to support business growth
• Collaborate closely with marketing resources and company leadership to align outreach efforts, share market insights, and support coordinated lead generation and business development initiatives
• Adapt quickly to shifting priorities while effectively managing multiple opportunities, deadlines, and competing business needs

Desired Skills and experience

• 1–3 years of experience in sales, business development, account management, client relations, or a related role preferred (internships and project experience welcomed)
• Experience using CRM or sales pipeline management platforms such as Salesforce, Hubspot, Pipedrive, Pipeline CRM or similar tools
• Familiarity with sales engagement and outreach automation platforms such as Outreach, Salesloft, Apollo.io , or similar tools is preferred
• Strong interpersonal and relationship-building skills with the confidence to initiate conversations and develop new business relationships
• Comfortable with initiating outreach, networking, and building rapport with prospective clients through email, LinkedIn, and other communication channels
• Self-motivated with a proactive, goal-oriented mindset and the ability to take initiative, think ahead, and consistently follow through on opportunities
• Positive attitude with resilience and the confidence to navigate rejection while maintaining professionalism and enthusiasm
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced environment with shifting priorities
• Experience with lead generation, prospecting, qualifying leads, or supporting the sales process is preferred
• Strong organizational and time management skills with the ability to manage multiple opportunities, priorities, and deadlines
• Comfortable using technology to manage prospecting, outreach, follow-up, pipeline activity, and client relationships
• Creative problem-solving skills and a willingness to bring forward new ideas to improve business development efforts and the client experience
• Tech-savvy with the ability to quickly learn and adopt new software, platforms, software, and business systems
• Interest in AI-powered sales tools and emerging technologies that can improve prospecting, sales efficiency, and pipeline management
• Curiosity in technology and a desire to learn about the software quality assurance industry, emerging technologies, and the clients we serve

Additional Information

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, Communications or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience
• Proficiency in Google Workspace
• Quick learner with the aptitude to effectively use new software, business software, sales tools, and other business systems
• Professional discretion and the ability to maintain confidentiality when handling company and client information

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• Work directly with company leadership and gain exposure to real business decisions, sales strategy, and client relationships
• Opportunity to grow professionally and take on increasing ownership and responsibility over time
• Collaborative, fast-moving environment where your work has real impact on business growth
• This role requires a high level of organization, follow-through, persistence, and comfort managing evolving priorities
• Full-time position with a standard schedule of 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m., Monday through Friday; Hybrid
• Employment is subject to a 90-day introductory period
• Benefits: Health Insurance (Medical, Dental, Vision), 401k with Company Match, Paid Time Off, Holidays
• Office conveniently located in SE Portland with a great work environment

PLUS QA is an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer. We celebrate our inclusive work environment and encourage folks of all backgrounds and perspectives to apply. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran status, or genetic information. We strongly encourage applications from people with these identities or who are members of other historically underrepresented communities.
We embrace our differences, and know that our diverse team is a strength that drives our success. Our QA work benefits all users, so having a diverse team of perspectives is vital to our work.
We also do not accept unsolicited resumes from third party vendors. We do not offer visa sponsorship, visa transfer, or corp-corp arrangements.