Business Development Associate

About Thomas

Thomas envisions a world where every individual reaches their full potential through self-awareness and genuine connections. With more than 45 years pioneering talent assessment, Thomas is currently evolving from a traditional assessment provider into an AI-powered people science platform that integrates behavioural insight, data, and technology to transform team collaboration and workplace intelligence. Their innovative Connection Intelligence (CXI) platform offers advanced team profiling, behaviour analysis, and personalized growth at scale.

Role Purpose

The Business Development Associate role involves initiating meaningful conversations, uncovering business drivers, and creating fresh opportunities. Collaborating with the Benelux Account Executive, you'll target organizations in the Benelux region that could benefit from Thomas' solutions, help engage prospects, and convert early discussions into qualified sales prospects. This role offers growth from booking initial meetings to owning more sales cycle aspects up to closing deals, suited to candidates at various experience levels.

Key Responsibilities

• Generate new business by researching and approaching target companies in the Benelux region via phone, email, LinkedIn, and utilizing advanced sales technology including AI tools.
• Conduct discovery calls to understand prospects' business objectives, HR challenges, and purchasing processes, to pinpoint where Thomas can deliver significant value.
• Drive opportunities forward through the early sales stages, progressively taking on responsibility for more of the sales process.
• Engage in commercial discussions by linking client issues to outcomes enabled by Thomas rather than only focusing on product features.
• Support the development of the Benelux market presence by cooperating with the Account Executive to identify priority organizations and plan activities.
• Manage the sales pipeline diligently in Salesforce, maintaining accurate records and contributing to reliable revenue forecasts.
• Collaborate with Sales and Marketing teams to feedback prospect insights and help enhance targeting strategies and campaign effectiveness.

Candidate Profile and Requirements

• Professional fluency in Dutch and English, enabling confident engagement in commercial discussions in both languages.
• Strong enthusiasm for outbound prospecting; comfortable cold calling and initiating contact with new potential clients to create opportunities proactively.
• Effective communication skills, ability to build rapport quickly, and a sincere curiosity about business challenges.
• Self-driven with ownership mentality and persistence in following through opportunities despite rejection.
• Quick learner who responds positively to coaching and feedback, managing multiple prospects in an organized manner.
• Familiarity or willingness to learn and use modern sales tools and technologies.

Candidates may come from varied backgrounds including sales, recruitment, customer service, hospitality, retail, account management, fundraising, or entrepreneurship. Previous experience in SaaS/B2B sales is advantageous but not mandatory for junior roles. Senior BDA roles typically expect proven track records in pipeline generation, discovery conversations, and meeting sales targets. Experience with CRM systems like Salesforce or LinkedIn Sales Navigator is beneficial but not required. No prior experience in HR technology or psychometrics is needed.

Why Join?

This position offers comprehensive skill development beyond just prospecting, including outbound sales expertise, discovery methods, commercial negotiation, pipeline oversight, and growing deal ownership. Work alongside seasoned sales professionals, receive coaching, and access cutting-edge sales technologies, including AI to optimize your efforts. You'll represent a technology backed by extensive psychological research at a time of major evolution in Thomas's market offerings.

Additional Information

Thomas uses its own Talent Assessment Tool to inform hiring decisions, leveraging behavioral insights to promote fairness and deeper understanding in their selection process.