Business Development Representative

Location: Chicago, IL, United States Date Posted: Nov 2, 2026 Category: Sales Ready to dive into the world of Business Development? We're searching for someone like you to join our team and play a pivotal role in shaping our growth strategy. When you come aboard, you'll be leading proactive outbound prospecting, driving new leads and collaborating closely with our global BDR team. Your insights and efforts will be crucial in identifying and qualifying opportunities that propel our success forward. At Meltwater, it's not just a job—it's a journey of personal and professional growth. You'll find yourself in an environment that nurtures your talents, fosters mentorship, and champions inclusive leadership. Rub elbows with seasoned sellers and strong leaders who are ready to guide you every step of the way. Join us, and you'll be part of a diverse community that celebrates your unique contributions and empowers you to reach your full potential. Let's embark on this adventure together and make waves in the world of business development! What You'll Do: Conduct proactive outreach to generate new leads, researching and evaluating prospective opportunities to position Meltwater's services effectively. Run initial meetings to develop a comprehensive understanding of opportunities, prospect needs, and potential solutions. Qualify leads based on prospects' current situation and pain points, ensuring alignment with our business objectives before passing them to the Customer Acquisition organization. Collaborate closely with the marketing team to optimize lead generation strategies and align messaging with ongoing campaigns. Maintain accurate and up-to-date prospecting data in the CRM system to ensure efficient tracking and reporting. Proactively respond to inbound leads, engaging in initial discovery conversations and lead qualification. Secure and schedule meetings and demos for the quota-carrying sales team, ensuring a seamless handover of qualified opportunities. Monitor, track, and report on lead generation metrics to evaluate performance and identify areas for improvement. Provide regular updates and reports to key business stakeholders including the BDR Manager, contributing to the overall success of the business development function. What You'll Bring: A Bachelor's degree or higher is preferred for this role, so you can bring your academic prowess to the table. Proven experience in outbound prospecting and lead generation. Strong communication skills with the ability to conduct effective initial meetings and lead qualification. Collaborative mindset with a proactive approach to working with cross-functional teams. Excellent organizational skills, including CRM management and accurate data tracking. Ability to align with Marketing strategies and campaigns to optimize lead-generation efforts. A keen interest in learning, adaptability, and resilience in a dynamic work environment. Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English. Willingness to embrace the best of both worlds with our hybrid work schedule. This role requires you to be in the office 3 days a week The ability to legally work in the country of hire is required for this position. What We Offer: Enjoy comprehensive paid time off that allows you to have an enhanced work-life balance. Excellent medical, dental, and vision options 401(k) matching, life insurance, commuter benefits, and parental leave plans Complimentary CalmApp subscription for you and your loved ones, because mental wellness matters. Energetic work environment with a hybrid work style, providing the balance you need. Thrive within our inclusive community and seize ongoing professional development opportunities to elevate your career Compensation Overview At Meltwater, we believe great impact deserves great reward. Our compensation approach is data-driven, market-informed, and built to scale with your growth. We benchmark roles against external market data and use structured leveling frameworks to ensure fairness, consistency, and internal equity across teams and geographies. These frameworks are based on objective, gender-neutral criteria in line with applicable pay transparency regulations. For this role, the base salary range is $40,000-53,000. The expected On-Target Earnings (OTE) range is $56,300-$75,000 USD per year, inclusive of base salary and performance-based variable pay. Actual offers are determined based on job-related skills, experience, demonstrated capabilities, and work location. We typically hire within the range in a way that supports long-term growth, recognizing that compensation evolves as scope, performance, and impact expand over time. We regularly review our compensation practices and conduct pay equity analyses to help ensure our decisions remain fair, objective, and market-aligned. Employees and candidates may request additional information on how compensation is determined, in line with local legal requirements. Our Talent Acquisition Team is happy to walk you through the full compensation picture specific to your location and level during the interview process. When you'll join: December 2026 Our Story: At Meltwater , we believe that when you have the right people in the right environment, great things happen. Our best-in-class technology empowers our 27,000 customers around the world to make better business decisions through data. But we can’t do that without our global team of developers, innovators, problem-solvers, and high-performers who embrace challenges and find new solutions for our customers. Our award-winning global culture drives everything we do and creates an environment where our employees can make an impact, learn every day, feel a sense of belonging, and celebrate each other’s successes alongtheway. We are innovators at the core who see the potential in people, ideas and technologies. Together, we challenge ourselves to go big, be bold, and build best-in-class solutions for our customers. We’re proud of our diverse team of 2,200+ employees in 50 locations across 25 countries around the world. No matter where you are, you’ll work with people who care about your success and get the support you need to unlock new heights in your career. We are Meltwater. Inspired by innovation, powered by people. Equal Employment Opportunity Statement Meltwater is an Equal Opportunity Employer and Prohibits Discrimination and Harassment of Any Kind: At Meltwater, we are dedicated to fostering an inclusive and diverse workplace where every employee feels valued, respected, and empowered. We are committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity and strive to provide a work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment. All employment decisions at Meltwater are made based on business needs, job requirements, and individual qualifications, without regard to race, color, religion or belief, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, marital status, veteran status, or any other status protected by the applicable laws and regulations. Meltwater does not tolerate discrimination or harassment of any kind, and we actively promote a culture of respect, fairness, and inclusivity. We encourage applicants of all backgrounds, experiences, and abilities to apply and join us in our mission to drive innovation and make a positive impact in the world. We may use AI to assist in aspects of our hiring process, such as reviewing candidate information, capturing interview notes, and supporting interview activities. These tools are used only to assist our team through increased efficiencies. Every output continues to be reviewed by humans, and all hiring decisions are made by humans. We remain committed to evaluating candidates fairly, consistently, and in compliance with all applicable laws. #J-18808-Ljbffr