Business Development Executives
Business Development Executives identify and pursue strategic growth opportunities for their organizations. They build partnerships, identify new markets, negotiate deals, and develop relationships that drive revenue growth. Unlike pure sales roles, BD focuses on strategic opportunities, partnerships, and market expansion rather than transactional selling. These professionals work across industries, with particularly high demand in technology, professional services, and healthcare. They often work closely with executive leadership, sales teams, and product teams. The work involves extensive networking, relationship building, and strategic thinking about market opportunities. Business Development offers strong compensation with significant upside through commissions and bonuses, exposure to executive decision-making, and variety in deal types. Career paths lead to VP of Business Development, Chief Revenue Officer, or executive leadership positions. Success requires a blend of strategic thinking and relationship skills.
🤖AI Resilience Assessment
AI Resilience Score
Business Development Executives have low AI exposure because the role is fundamentally about human relationships, trust-building, and strategic negotiation. AI cannot replicate the rapport, influence, and judgment needed to close complex partnerships. Growth of 15% reflects continued need for strategic growth professionals. Essential human advantage from relationship building and high-stakes negotiation skills.
How we calculated this:
20% of tasks can be accelerated by AI
+15% projected (2024-2034)
EPOCH score: 22/25
📋Key Responsibilities
- •Identify and qualify strategic partnership opportunities
- •Build and maintain relationships with key decision-makers
- •Negotiate partnership agreements and contracts
- •Develop go-to-market strategies for new markets
- •Create business cases and proposals for opportunities
- •Collaborate with product teams on partnership requirements
- •Track pipeline and forecast revenue from BD activities
- •Represent the company at conferences and networking events
📈Career Progression
What does this mean?
This shows how earnings typically grow with experience. Entry level represents starting salaries, while Expert shows top earners (90th percentile). Most workers reach mid-career earnings within 5-10 years. Figures are national averages and vary by location and employer.
📚Education & Training
Requirements
- •Entry Education: Bachelor's degree
- •Experience: 2-5 years
- •On-the-job Training: None
Time & Cost
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Find jobs and training programs for business development executives- Median salary: $115K/year
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