Business Development Specialist

Role Overview: We're hiring a Business Development Representative (BDR) focused on top-of-funnel lead generation and marketing support. This role owns the earliest stage of the sales funnel: identifying, researching, and engaging prospective accounts across high priority verticals (including automotive, industrial controls, medical devices, and critical infrastructure), then converting that outreach into qualified meetings for the Account Executive team. The ideal candidate combines strong outbound fundamentals with fluency in modern AI-assisted prospecting tools, has a consistent track record of activity/quota attainment, and brings domain credibility in cybersecurity. Just as important, they contribute beyond a job spec by becoming a thought leader and building a deep understanding of our technology and competitive advantages. Our best commercial people are curious in the same way our researchers are. We're looking for someone who aspires to understand why runtime security matters to a product security engineer, not just how to get the meeting booked. If you have this innate curiosity and drive, we want to hear from you.

Key Responsibilities: Build and continuously refine target account and contact lists using Apollo, Linked In Sales Navigator, and other prospecting databases, aligned to Red Balloon Security's ideal customer profile Execute multi-channel outbound campaigns (email, phone, Linked In, and AI-assisted sequencing) to generate qualified top-of-funnel leads and booked meetings Research and personalize outreach using account and contact intelligence, industry news, AI tools, and regulatory triggers relevant to embedded security buyers Qualify inbound leads from marketing campaigns, webinars, and events, and route sales-ready opportunities to Account Executives with clear context and actionable next steps Maintain accurate, up-to-date records of prospect activity, engagement, and pipeline stage in the CRM; ensure clean handoff data for Account Executives Prepare account research and first-meeting briefs, coordinate technical handoffs, and document the prospect’s interests, relevant stakeholders, and agreed next steps Continuously test and adopt emerging AI platforms for prospecting, list-building, personalization, and sequencing to improve outreach efficiency and response rates Partner closely with Marketing to align on campaign themes, target segments, and lead-scoring criteria; provide feedback loops on lead quality Track and report against activity and pipeline-generation KPIs (calls, emails, meetings booked, qualified opportunities created, conversion rates)Stay current on competitive landscape and industry trends in embedded cybersecurity to identify opportunities, sharpen messaging, and objection handling

Required Qualifications: 2 - 4 years of prior experience in a business development, sales development, or top-of-funnel lead generation role (B2B SaaS or B2B technology preferred)Hands-on familiarity with emerging AI platforms used for prospecting, outbound sequencing, personalization, or lead generation (e.g., AI-assisted sales engagement tools, generative writing/personalization tools, intent-data platforms)Practical experience with Apollo, CRM platforms (e.g., Salesforce, Hub Spot), and other outbound marketing/sales engagement tools (e.g., Outreach, Salesloft, Linked In Sales Navigator, Zoom Info)Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to craft compelling, concise outreach messaging Highly organized, self-motivated, willing to learn, and comfortable with high-volume, metrics-driven outbound activity Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration; concentration or degree in Sales or Marketing strongly preferred

Preferred Qualifications: Prior experience selling into or prospecting within the cybersecurity space, ideally with exposure to embedded systems, industrial control systems (ICS/OT), automotive, or IoT security Familiarity with cybersecurity buyer personas (CISOs, product security engineers, embedded engineering leaders) and basic fluency in relevant regulatory frameworks (UNECE, ISO 21434, EU CRA, IEC 62443)Experience working closely with a Marketing team on campaign-driven pipeline generation Track record of consistently meeting or exceeding pipeline-generation quotas Success Metrics (First 6 - 12 Months)Consistent achievement of monthly/quarterly outbound activity targets (calls, emails, social touches)Achievement of qualified meetings booked and sales-accepted opportunities per month Improvement in outreach response and conversion rates through iterative use of AI tooling and messaging refinement Positive feedback from Account Executives on lead quality, handoff clarity, and teamwork Tools & Tech Stack Apollo, Salesforce or Hub Spot (CRM), Outreach/Salesloft (or similar sales engagement platform), Linked In Sales Navigator, Zoom Info, and emerging AI-assisted prospecting/personalization tools.

Compensation & Benefits: Annual base salary range of $80,000 to $110,000. Commission (tied to pipeline-generation and meetings-booked targets) of up to 30% of base salary at target, with accelerators for overperformance. Full, competitive benefits package (health/dental/vision, 401(k), PTO).