Senior Business Development Associate

Direct-Agents; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Direct Agents, based in Austin, TX, seeks a Senior Business Development Associate on contract to drive top-of-funnel growth and self-generate pipeline. You will work with senior BD and partners, owning the deal lifecycle and advancing opportunities in a fast-paced environment.

You must be comfortable prospecting, writing compelling outreach, and iterating quickly. This role rewards performance with commission and regular reviews, with relocation to our Austin office as needed.

Qualifications

• 2–4 years in a BD, sales, or growth role.
• You’ve sourced your own pipeline before.
• Strong written communicator—your cold emails get replies.
• Curious about digital marketing, performance media, and AI-driven growth.
• Organized, self-directed, and honest about where your deals stand.

Responsibilities

• Top-of-funnel pipeline generation: research, prospecting, cold outreach across email, LinkedIn, and events.
• Qualifying inbound and outbound leads and booking discovery calls for senior BD
• Independently owning and closing smaller engagements as you develop
• Building and maintaining CRM hygiene — your pipeline is your product
• Learning to pitch and position our solutions across B2B Tech & SaaS, Media & Entertainment, and Ecommerce
• Contributing to outreach strategy, messaging testing, and target account research

Skills

BD experience

Cold outreach

CRM hygiene

Strong writing

Self-directed

Tools

CRM system

Job description

Senior Business Development Associate - Contract

We’re an independent, AI-powered growth partner to brands like Marvel, Tennis Channel, NYSE, Morgan Stanley, and DistroKid. Our pipeline doesn’t build itself — and we need a sharp, hungry hunter who can find the right doors, open them, and hand off a qualified opportunity.

This is a role for someone who’s already proven they can prospect and self-generate pipeline, and is ready to own more. You’ll work directly with senior BD and the partners, learn the full deal cycle, and grow fast in an environment that rewards it.

Compensation

Competitive depending on experience + commission, with annual compensation reviews based on performance.

Key Responsibilities

• Top-of-funnel pipeline generation: research, prospecting, cold outreach across email, LinkedIn, and events
• Qualifying inbound and outbound leads and booking discovery calls for senior BD
• Independently owning and closing smaller engagements as you develop
• Building and maintaining CRM hygiene — your pipeline is your product
• Learning to pitch and position our solutions across B2B Tech & SaaS, Media & Entertainment, and Ecommerce
• Contributing to outreach strategy, messaging testing, and target account research

What We're Looking For

• 2–4 years in a BD, sales, or growth role — agency, SaaS, or services preferred
• You’ve sourced your own pipeline before. You don’t wait to be handed leads.
• Strong written communicator — your cold emails get replies
• Comfortable with rejection, fast to iterate, allergic to excuses
• Curious about digital marketing, performance media, and AI-driven growth — you don’t need to be an expert, but you need to want to be
• Organized, self-directed, and honest about where your deals stand

Who We Are

Direct Agents is not a traditional agency. We are an elite team of builders and operators—growth strategists, media architects, and creative thinkers—who partner with ambitious brands to drive measurable revenue growth. Backed by Kanopy AI, our proprietary intelligence platform, and exclusive partnerships with tech and media platforms, we deliver the kind of unfair advantage that helps clients dominate, not just compete.

We operate at the intersection of technology, media, and strategy—where AI meets human expertise to produce outcomes that neither can achieve alone. Our client roster includes brands like Tennis Channel, Marvel, NYSE, Morgan Stanley, Prologis, and DistroKid.

What Sets Us Apart

Direct Agents isn’t for everyone—and that’s by design. We’re building something different.

• Proprietary AI That Actually Works: Kanopy AI is our custom-built intelligence platform—real-time campaign optimization, media mix modeling, natural language analytics, and algorithm enrichment that gives our clients (and our sellers) a genuine edge. This isn’t a buzzword; it’s operational.
• Exclusive Platform Access: Direct partnerships across Google AI Search, Meta, TikTok, Amazon, Freewheel, Teads, Stackadapt and best in class tech and media partners.
• An Elite, Not Bloated, Team: 100+ operators who move fast, think deeply, and ship work that matters. No layers of bureaucracy. Direct access to senior leadership and the executives building the strategy.
• AI Integration Across Everything: Claude, ChatGPT, and proprietary AI tools are embedded in our workflows—from data analysis and creative versioning to strategic planning and client intelligence.
• 8x Crain’s Best Places to Work: A people-first culture with a 12-month average time to promotion, a 4-day workweek, and genuine investment in career development.
• Certified Minority-Owned Business: 48% BIPOC representation across the agency, 60% female representation—a team that reflects the diverse markets we serve.

Location: This role is based in our Austin, TX office. You must reside or be willing to relocate within commuting distance.