Business Development Specialist

Position Title: Business Development Specialist Department: Business Development Reports To: Business Development Manager About the Organization The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) is the largest specialty nursing organization in the world, representing the interests of more than 550,000 nurses who are charged with caring for acutely and critically ill patients. AACN is dedicated to creating a healthcare system driven by the needs of patients and families where acute and critical care nurses make their optimal contribution. Visit us online at AACN is an equal opportunity employer and prohibits discrimination against or harassment of any person employed by or seeking employment with AACN on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, sex and gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding or related medical conditions, gender identity, gender expression, and sexual orientation), ancestry, national origin, age (40 or older), disability (mental and physical), military or veteran status, marital status, medical condition, or genetic information and any other basis protected by federal, state or local law or ordinance or regulation. Application Instructions Interested individuals can visit our Careers Page and apply for the Business Development Specialist role. Any questions can be directed to: View email address on click.appcast.io. The position is eligible for remote work. Some travel may be required. Position Purpose The Business Development Specialist actively manages direct outreach to current and prospective healthcare and academic organizations to understand their needs, propose AACN solutions, and secure sales to support their nurses and students. This role involves understanding the target audience, market opportunities, and effective sales channels to drive success. The role works in conjunction with the Business Development Manager and the Business Development team on strategic planning for future growth by identifying new opportunities, forming partnerships, and adding value to the company. The Specialist actively engages other interested parties to understand the current industry environment and issues that matter most to healthcare leaders, our nurse community, and their patients. The position collaborates with cross‑functional teams to evaluate opportunities, create business plans, and manage projects. Main Accountabilities & Results Facilitate Business Development Process Maintains day‑to‑day contact with external business‑to‑business (B2B) customers and ensures their needs are met by effectively coordinating AACN’s customer support resources. Researches and understands the needs of individual B2B customer organizations and surfaces opportunities to align AACN’s products with the customer’s key clinical and business objectives and initiatives. Devises ways to integrate and bundle AACN’s products to further customer goals. Identifies emerging industry trends and participates in market research. Pursues opportunities to partner with other organizations to advance AACN’s reach and participates in the evaluation of proposals. Leads communication with key collaborators and team members through completion of project deliverables, reports progress, and project accomplishments. Drives sales, upsell/cross‑sell, closes deals, and meets or exceeds individual and team sales goals. Uses Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software, such as HubSpot, to develop, manage, and track customer interactions. Consults on Business Planning Supports new B2B-related programs, initiatives, and product launches and maintains cross-functional alignment with marketing, finance, analytics, and pricing teams to ensure creation of thoughtful, detailed, and actionable business plans. Provides data-driven market-based insights to improve planning and evaluation of business opportunities. Develops comprehensive discussion guides that outline key topics, objectives, and questions to facilitate productive meetings and enable effective decision-making. Leads or assists in the facilitation of the review of business opportunities by cross-functional AACN teams. Support Business-to-Business (B2B) Outreach and Marketing Engages directly with Digital team – including marketing, communications, UX design, and IT – to enhance outreach capabilities and improve the B2B customer experience; collaborates with Customer Care to ensure seamless customer interface. Actively seeks and surfaces opportunities to enhance B2B outreach capabilities by identifying and engaging with potential business partners; leads those efforts in collaboration with other appropriate AACN resources. Collaborates with internal partners to ensure B2B considerations are aligned in new product, strategy, or outreach initiatives. Improves outreach process, sales tracking and reporting capabilities, and customer satisfaction and retention. Develop Data Reporting Structure Tracks and reports B2B sales and outreach efforts by initiative as needed for Board and internal reporting purposes. Generates meaningful, user-friendly reports and dashboards using software tools to summarize input and data on goal progress, project progress, and resource utilization. Acts as a primary B2B administrator of current and future CRM software, orchestrates our use of the tool, and assists other AACN team members in accessing and navigating CRMs when appropriate and necessary. Program and Project Maintenance Plans, implements, and manages organizational programs and projects focusing on growth, operational efficiency, and goal achievement. Executes new program activities and initiatives while ensuring alignment with organizational goals. Generates financial reports, maintains accurate records, and oversees program budgets. Monitors project timelines, leads team meetings to maximize productivity, and ensures all activities adhere to company policies. Compiles program performance metrics, solicits participant feedback, and prepares reports for future analysis to inform improvements. Skills Required Strong organizational, communication (written and verbal), and interpersonal skills. Demonstrated project management skills, including facilitating large meetings and documenting decisions and action steps. Understanding of professional project management methodologies and tools. Strong teamwork and interpersonal communication skills with the ability to work well with all levels of managers, associates, and stakeholders, and influence the direction of complex, large-scale business projects. Must be comfortable operating in a collaborative, shared leadership environment. Must demonstrate strong analytical, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills with the ability to apply modern technologies, concepts, & functionality to solve problems and implement solutions. Strategic mindset and negotiation skills Demonstrated ability to provide consultation or expert advice to management on areas of expertise. Good working knowledge of software programs such as Microsoft (e.g., Word, PowerPoint, and Excel), Google Suite, and Smartsheet. Possess extensive expertise in various CRM software, including HubSpot and NetForum. Ability to research, analyze, and synthesize industry trends, competitor activities, and market data. Skilled in negotiating contracts, partnerships, and complex deals; able to influence stakeholders across teams. Experience collaborating with cross-functional teams to implement initiatives and drive organizational change. Demonstrated ability to build, maintain, and grow strong B2B relationships. Education and/or Experience Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience in business administration, or other related field required; Master’s degree preferred. Minimum of 5 years of experience in business development, sales, and/or business analysis (or equivalent), including experience leading matrixed teams and facilitating meetings. Experience in developing and implementing business plans and strategies to grow market share is preferred. Previous experience in hospitals, healthcare systems, or academic settings—either in an administrative role or as a consultant/vendor—is strongly preferred. Total Compensation The target pay range for this role is $110,000 - $130,000. This is a salaried, non-commission role. In addition to the salary range listed, we offer a wealth of benefits to make working at AACN even more rewarding. Benefits include generous paid time off, low-cost health plans for medical and mental health services, dental, and vision, company‑paid life and short-term disability insurance, a variety of other benefits, and a retirement savings program with employer matching and additional company contribution. AACN is committed to a people-centered culture of workplace excellence and belonging, and offers various alternative and flexible work arrangements to support work/life balance for our team members. #J-18808-Ljbffr