Senior Business Development Associate

Overview

This opportunity is offered through a partner organization seeking a seasoned Senior Business Development Associate based in Saudi Arabia. The role plays a crucial role in sourcing acquisition prospects within the vertical software sector, combining market research, relationship cultivation, outbound development, opportunity qualification, and close cooperation with M&A teams.

Key Responsibilities

• Discover new sectors, industries, and software categories to source future acquisition opportunities.
• Conduct thorough research to identify ownership and senior decision-makers including CEOs, founders, and M&A advisors.
• Establish and nurture strong connections with software leaders, investment professionals, and related contacts.
• Create persuasive value propositions to engage prospective acquisition targets effectively.
• Manage Salesforce CRM data rigorously including target accounts, outreach, follow-ups, and opportunity tracking.
• Implement and refine business development processes, strategies, and tools to boost sourcing outcomes.
• Set and monitor regular business development goals and key performance indicators for self and team members.
• Consistently achieve or surpass KPIs such as discovery conversations, follow-ups, and qualified opportunities.
• Efficiently evaluate acquisition funnel opportunities to focus M&A efforts on the most promising candidates.
• Operate independently while coordinating closely with M&A leadership to advance acquisition initiatives.
• Contribute to defining KPIs, procedures, and accountability practices to enhance the business development function.
• Share effective business development methods and mentor colleagues on outreach, relationship management, and sourcing skills.

Required Qualifications and Skills

• Minimum of three years’ experience in business development or sales in software or client-focused M&A, finance, sales, or account management roles.
• Proven track record of sourcing at least one completed transaction in an M&A business development context.
• Experience within acquisition-oriented organizations or similar environments is strongly preferred.
• Solid grasp of essential financial and SaaS metrics such as revenue, churn, gross dollar retention, COGS, operating expenses, and ARR.
• Excellent communication abilities with confidence and executive presence when interacting with C-suite executives, founders, and investment professionals.
• Proficient in relationship building and persuasion to initiate conversations with difficult-to-reach decision makers.
• Strong organizational skills with attention to detail and the capacity to handle multiple relationships and priorities simultaneously.
• Demonstrates a proactive attitude, strong work ethic, and a pronounced sense of urgency.
• Ability to work autonomously as well as collaboratively with senior M&A leadership.
• Comfortable navigating ambiguity and entrepreneurship, capable of devising new procedures and strategies where necessary.
• Willingness to adopt flexible working hours to accommodate business needs and international stakeholders.
• A passion for business development and commitment to establishing and growing an effective sourcing function.
• Prior experience in vertical software fields such as GovTech, LegalTech, Healthcare, Industrial, or Finance sectors is desirable.
• Advanced qualifications like an MBA or CFA provide added advantage.

Benefits

• Competitive compensation aligned with experience.
• Fully remote working environment offering flexibility.
• Career growth and professional advancement opportunities.
• Hands-on exposure to M&A, software acquisitions, and high-level relationship management.
• Collaboration with a diverse, global team.
• Significant autonomy and ownership responsibilities in a dynamic, fast-paced company.
• Employer contributions to a retirement savings plan (RRSP).
• Direct influence on sourcing acquisition opportunities and company growth trajectory.

Additional Information

This role supports the partner company’s recruitment process, where applications are matched through an automated process that emphasizes fairness and efficiency. Final selection and communication regarding subsequent steps are managed internally by the partner organization. Data protection and privacy are strictly followed in compliance with relevant laws including GDPR, with transparency about use of AI tools assisting recruiter evaluation without replacing human judgment.