Business Development & Strategic Partnerships Lead

EnabledTalent is hiring on behalf of one of our clients for a Business Development & Strategic Partnerships Lead. This is an exciting opportunity for a relationship-driven professional who enjoys building partnerships, developing new business opportunities, and working within Canada's startup and innovation ecosystem.

If you have experience working with startups, incubators, venture capital firms, accelerators, universities, or founder communities—and enjoy turning conversations into meaningful partnerships—we'd love to hear from you.

About the Role

As the Business Development & Strategic Partnerships Lead, you will be responsible for building a strong pipeline of high-growth companies by developing relationships across Canada's innovation ecosystem.

You'll work closely with founders, ecosystem partners, incubators, accelerators, venture capital firms, universities, and industry associations to identify opportunities, generate qualified leads, and convert them into successful program participants.

This role combines business development, strategic partnerships, sales, and ecosystem engagement.

Key Responsibilities

Business Development & Lead Generation

• Build and manage a pipeline of qualified companies through outbound prospecting, referrals, networking events, LinkedIn, email campaigns, and strategic outreach.
• Identify high-potential startups using platforms such as LinkedIn Sales Navigator, Crunchbase, Tracxn, and similar research tools.
• Conduct discovery meetings to understand business needs and present solutions aligned with program objectives.
• Maintain a healthy sales pipeline and consistently generate qualified opportunities.

Sales & Pipeline Management

• Manage the complete business development cycle from prospect identification through successful conversion.
• Guide prospective companies throughout the application process while delivering an exceptional experience.
• Monitor pipeline activity, conversion metrics, and sales performance.
• Achieve quarterly business development and partnership targets.

Strategic Partnerships

• Build long-term relationships with:
• Startup incubators and accelerators
• Venture capital firms
• Universities and innovation centres
• Founder communities
• Trade associations
• Ecosystem partners across Canada
• Develop referral partnerships that generate a consistent pipeline of qualified opportunities.
• Represent the organization at conferences, networking events, startup programs, and industry engagements.

CRM & Reporting

• Maintain accurate CRM records of outreach, meetings, partnerships, opportunities, and outcomes.
• Track key business development metrics including outreach performance, response rates, pipeline health, and conversion rates.
• Prepare reports and continuously improve outreach strategies using performance data.

Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, Economics, or a related field.
• MBA or Master's degree is considered an asset.
• Equivalent experience in business development or partnerships will also be considered.

Experience

• 3–5 years of experience in Business Development, Sales, Partnerships, or Account Management.
• Experience within startups, innovation ecosystems, venture capital, accelerators, incubators, or entrepreneurship programs is highly preferred.
• Proven success building partnerships and converting leads into business opportunities.
• Strong presentation, communication, negotiation, and relationship management skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.

Technical Skills

• Experience using CRM platforms such as HubSpot, Salesforce, Zoho, or similar.
• Proficiency with LinkedIn Sales Navigator, Crunchbase, Tracxn, or equivalent prospecting tools.
• Strong knowledge of Google Workspace and CRM reporting.

What You'll Bring

• A proactive and entrepreneurial mindset.
• Excellent networking and relationship-building skills.
• Strong commercial awareness and business development experience.
• Confidence engaging with founders, executives, investors, and ecosystem partners.
• A results-driven approach with the ability to meet and exceed targets.

Benefits

• Health & Dental Benefits
• Vision Care
• Life Insurance
• Paid Time Off
• On-site Parking
• Team Events & Company Activities

If you're passionate about building meaningful partnerships, supporting high-growth companies, and contributing to Canada's innovation ecosystem, we'd love to hear from you.

Apply today through EnabledTalent.

EnabledTalent is recruiting on behalf of our client. All applications will be reviewed confidentially by our recruitment team before being shared with the hiring organization.