Market Development Representative (Lead Generation and Business Development)

Job Description

Job Description

Who are we?

At Leadership Connect, we believe that relationships are everything in business and in life. Founded by two former CEOs of S&P 500 companies and a former presidential press secretary, our premier information service is built for developing relationships that impact decisions in government, business, and media. Utilizing deep research expertise and cutting-edge technology, we help our clients win business and influence policy across various specialties and verticals. We are a close-knit team dedicated to helping each of our users make a difference.

About the Role

The Market Development Representative (MDR) sits at the front of Leadership Connect’s sales process, responsible for identifying and engaging prospects, conducting meaningful discovery conversations, and moving qualified leads to our Sales Director team. MDRs here are curious, well-prepared, and skilled at listening — not order-takers. A significant portion of our prospect base works in or around government and public policy — including government contractors, lobbyists, and public affairs professionals — so an interest in how policy gets made and how organizations navigate those environments is central to success in this role. We provide tools to support research and outreach efficiency so you can spend more time in conversations and less time on administrative work.

What to expect in this role:

Prospecting & Research

• Research target accounts and key contacts before outreach, developing a working understanding of their organizational priorities, recent activity, and likely needs
• Identify and prioritize prospects from assigned lists, inbound leads, and self-sourced accounts
• Respond promptly to inbound inquiries and marketing-generated leads, assessing fit and advancing qualified contacts into the pipeline

Outreach & Engagement

• Conduct high-volume, multi-channel outreach (phone, email, LinkedIn) to introduce Leadership Connect to prospective clients
• Craft timely, personalized messaging that connects Leadership Connect’s value to each prospect’s context — staying current on policy developments, regulatory activity, and government contracting trends to keep outreach relevant
• Follow up persistently and professionally across outreach sequences to build familiarity and trust

Discovery

• Lead early-stage discovery conversations to understand a prospect’s current workflows, data needs, and relationship-building challenges
• Ask targeted questions that reflect an understanding of how government contractors, lobbyists, and policy professionals operate and what drives their decisions
• Listen actively and adapt your approach based on what you learn, rather than delivering a scripted pitch

Pipeline Progression & Handoff

• Clearly communicate the value of Leadership Connect, tailored to what matters most to each prospect
• Qualify prospects using defined criteria and deliver handoffs with documented context on needs, priorities, and objections so AEs can continue the conversation without starting over
• Log all prospect activity, notes, and outcomes in CRM (Salesforce or equivalent) with accuracy and consistency

Sales Team Collaboration

• Work closely with Sales Leadership to align on prospect profiles, qualification criteria, and meeting standards
• Participate in team meetings to share market feedback and contribute to refining outreach messaging and the broader sales process

About You:

What You Bring

• 1–3 years of experience in sales development, lead generation, business development, or a related outreach-focused role
• Experience leading early-stage discovery and qualification calls, with the ability to research prospects quickly and translate findings into personalized outreach
• Comfortable with multi-channel outreach and familiar with CRM platforms (Salesforce preferred)
• Active listener who asks the right questions, follows the conversation, and adapts rather than pitching from a script
• Resilience and curiosity — handles rejection without losing momentum and takes a genuine interest in how prospects work and where they face challenges
• Sound judgment on when to advance a conversation and when to step back
• Genuine interest in public sector dynamics — including government contracting, lobbying, and policy — and the ability to engage these audiences with relevant, informed messaging

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience selling data, research, or SaaS platforms
• Familiarity with government contracting, lobbying, or public affairs — through work experience or genuine personal interest
• Previous exposure to or interest in a policy office, government affairs function, or public sector advisory role

Actual offers within the posted range depend on the candidate's experience, skills, and alignment with role requirements.

Compensation noted does not include target commission, which is addressed separately.

We encourage candidates who bring strong relevant experience to apply, even if it doesn't map exactly to every listed qualification. Where a candidate demonstrates particular strength in the interview process, we're open to discussing how the scope of the role — and compensation within the posted range — might be shaped to fit that experience.

What is it like to work here?

We foster an environment that encourages all our team members to excel by offering competitive compensation for top talent. We believe in creating a friendly and enjoyable workplace, with regular team-building events, happy hours, and more. Transparency is key within our company, and we hold weekly town halls led by our CEO to address questions regarding business plans, product direction, and company goals. In addition, we provide flexible PTO policies to ensure you can enjoy your time outside the office and focus on your personal life.

 

Everyone from full-stack developers to data scientists, former Hill staffers, and sales professionals help shape our in-depth people intelligence.

 

There is never a dull moment in our Washington, D.C. headquarters. People come from all over the world to join forces at Leadership Connect. We currently have teams working remotely and in-office and often get together for rooftop happy hours, exploring a brand new office, and meeting all the new hires on our growing team.

 

Want to join our amazing team?

 

Benefits/Rewards:

Awesome medical insurance plan

Dental Insurance

Life & Disability insurance

Flexible spending accounts

Unlimited PTO!

Eleven Paid Holidays

$3,000 Employee Referral Program

Employer contribution to 401(k) plan

Rewards and recognition programs

 

If you’re excited about this role but don’t meet 100% of the requirements, we still want to hear from you! Leadership Connect is committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce where unique experiences are valued and everyone has the opportunity to contribute. Research has continuously shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply for jobs unless they meet all of the listed qualifications. We want to help overcome this trend and seek to make space for unique and relevant skills and attributes. So, when applying to Leadership Connect we focus on evaluation based on key competencies needed for success in the position. We look forward to receiving your application!

 

Leadership Connect is committed to creating a diverse environment and is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.