Business Development Manager

Join Digital Society School as a Business Development Manager

Digital Society School (DSS) stands as a distinct entity within the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences (AUAS), autonomously managing its financing. As a pioneer in creating learning experiences that harness digital transformation for positive societal impact, DSS unites individuals across disciplines, cultures, and generations through collaborative programs. In your role as the Business Development Manager, you play a key role in nurturing public-private partnerships, attracting investments, and constructing consortia. Join our innovative team of 15, dedicated to creating a digital society that is sustainable and inclusive.

Here’s how you will make a difference

As the Business Development Manager at Digital Society School (DSS), you will lead the charge in identifying and acquiring potential clients within the target market. With an existing and warm portfolio of existing clients, you’ll dive into their business, transformation and training needs, creating and executing a strategic sales plan to increase revenue. Your responsibilities include training the team on product knowledge, advising management based on client interactions, and reaching annual sales targets.

Your role extends beyond traditional sales; you will develop and maintain relationships with key clients, create winning proposals with our centers of expertise and negotiate terms in compliance with UAUS policy. Emphasizing a comprehensive approach, you will expand and formalize our Amsterdam-based and international network, fostering consortium creation around designing transformation around societal challenges.

Additionally, you’ll play a pivotal role in organizing funding and investment, especially within the industry, to support DSS products and programmes where technology, design and social innovation come together.

This dynamic position requires an individual capable of managing the entire sales process, from client engagement to deal closure.

Your responsibilities and tasks

• Perform and coordinate all business development activities within DSS.
• Execute strategies and action plans that will lead to a total external (market) funding of 1mln+ Euros for DSS. You will not be solely accountable, but coordination, stimulation and oversight of reaching our targets will be a key part of your work.
• Oversee marketing strategy, activities and plans in close collaboration with DSS marketeer(s).
• Meet potential clients and prospective partners almost daily, log these into our CRM system and connect with your DSS colleagues who should be involved or whom you need to further develop the prospect.
• Make sure there is an active and opportune funnel of prospective projects and leads at all times, also during running transformation challenges with partners and traineeships and leadership programmes.

What you bring to the table

At AUAS, no two employees are the same. No matter who you are, you are sure to be a valuable addition to our team. The ideal candidate for this role possesses both prospecting and closing skills, with ideally 5+ years of B2B sales experience. As a seasoned professional, you understand the language and opportunities within tech, design and social innovation for developing new products, services, and businesses.

Your strengths lie in maintaining a broad and robust network. With expertise in international collaboration and public-private partnerships. Your ability to pitch ideas on the spot, combined with excellent Dutch and English communication skills, sets you apart in this dynamic environment.

Talent as a basis, diversity as a strength

The AUAS wants to be an organization in which everyone feels welcome, appreciated and at home. As an employer, we believe that the more inclusive we are, the better we can perform as a knowledge institution of and for the city. We therefore strive to see the diversity of backgrounds and perspectives that Amsterdam has to offer reflected in the workforce of our university. If you have tips on how we can improve our communication in the field of diversity and inclusion, let us know.