Business Development Specialist / Lead

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COMPANY OVERVIEW

We are based in Portland, Oregon and have team members located across the United States. Our mission is to create real and meaningful change by translating the latest research into practical and effective strategies and tools that create diverse, equitable, inclusive, and innovative organizations.

POSITION DETAILS

We are seeking a dynamic Business Development Specialist and/or Lead to join our remote team. You will serve as a liaison for both new and existing clients, ensuring you thoroughly understand their perspectives and needs and connecting them with the solutions and services that will serve them best. For this reason, you must have strong experience in writing and managing proposals.

The Client Solutions team also works closely with the Reach & Revenue (Marketing) Team to continuously improve outreach efforts, public relations, and client-facing communications.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Although these are the primary job responsibilities, Diversity Science is a small and rapidly growing company. Everyone pitches in wherever needed, and that is a core expectation for this position.

QUALIFICATIONS

This job will require you to develop a deep understanding of our approach, strengths, services, solutions, and the factors that differentiate us from others.

  1. Experience with professional services sales. Proven track record of initiating and successfully driving new business partnerships. Ability to develop and manage a pipeline of B2B opportunities and convert prospects to clients.
  • Field new client inquiries and conduct client calls. Experience with CRM software (Zoho preferred but not required).
  • Strong partnership-building skills. Ability to see yourself as on the same team with clients, have common goals, and be on their side.
  • Keen understanding and awareness of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and how these initiatives benefit organizations and the communities they serve.
  • Genuine enthusiasm for and commitment to our mission.
  • Growth and learning mindset. The ability to non-judgmentally and enthusiastically support clients, regardless of where they are in their stage of development on DEI topics.
  • Strong listening and perspective-taking skills. The ability to develop insight and understanding of clients and client representatives.
  • Strong verbal communication skills. Specifically, the ability to describe our approach, strengths, products, and services clearly and persuasively in ways tailored to client needs and perspectives.
  • Persistence, enthusiasm, and optimism. Specifically, the ability to understand and maintain enthusiasm with a contact-to-client signing ratio that is expected to be 20:1 or smaller.
  1. Extensive experience writing a wide variety of proposal types (some in response to RFPs).
  • Work with area leads and coordinators to ensure the proposals and statements of work are aligned with internal approaches, perspectives, and capacity.
  • Understand and help meet the targets and aims of clients by identifying timeline, audience, budget, and goals.
  • Coordinate with the appropriate internal team(s) to develop a clear statement of work, deliverables, expected timing, and the expected client investment (cost). You will often be providing more complex proposals.
  • As needed, prepare decks for presentation tailored to the audience. There may be several for different organizational client stakeholder groups.
  • Redesign, update and maintain standard / frequently used proposal content in proposal library.
  • Ability to develop a deep understanding of our product lines and points of customization/flexibility. Understand what makes Diversity Science unique in the marketplace through a genuine enthusiasm for and commitment to our mission.
  1. Experience in project management and handling multiple priorities with competing deadlines.
  • Ensure that clients are fully aware of the solutions and services that are available to them as they progress.
  • Track and manage client deliverables, ensuring they are delivered on-time.
  • Collect client satisfaction and feedback data.
  • Periodically check in with both current and past clients. Often clients develop readiness for a new, or more complex, service or solution over time.
  • Emotional regulation skills. Can maintain positive emotions under pressure.

This is a remote, 100% work-from-home position. While hours are flexible, we have stakeholders, staff, and clients throughout the United States. The Business Development Specialist must be available for meetings in a variety of time zones, as well as staff meetings during Pacific time business hours.

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

  • Medical, dental, and vision insurance
  • FSA contributions matched up to $2,750 annually
  • Life insurance
  • Paid vacation, sick time, and holidays
  • Participation in the Diversity Science 401k plan
  • Relaxed, family-like atmosphere

OUR COMMITMENT TO EACH OTHER

We believe that diversity makes us better. We believe that inclusion helps us thrive. We believe that equity is imperative. We are therefore committed to creating a collaborative workplace where we all can show up authentically, be respected for our diverse perspectives, prioritize connection, and contribute fully to our shared mission. In our work and workplace, we are always guided by our values:

  • Strength-focused: We empower each other by recognizing, valuing, and building on our diverse and unique strengths.
  • Learning-focused: We continuously learn from each other by creating a safe space for growth.
  • Evidence-focused: We are effective and innovative by leveraging the best available science.
  • Mission-focused: We act in service of supporting clients and partners in advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in all aspects of our work.

Our team is comprised of people who are committed to advancing workplace equity, inclusion, and diversity for organizational members and the people they serve. Our team members draw on their lived experiences and expertise in social and cognitive science, systems change, data science, and organizational psychology to support organizations in their journey toward greater equity, inclusion, and diversity. Our services include training, eLearning, and capacity-building, workplace climate and culture assessments, policy audits, and consulting and strategic advising. For more information about our team and the work we do, please visit diversityscience.org.

We are proud and committed to being an equal opportunity employer and collaboratively creating and sustaining an organization that is equitable and inclusive. We seek out and value diversity of backgrounds, identities, social positions, experiences, skills, and perspectives.