Hiring: Business Development Associate Company: Abaka AI Location: Mountain View, CA Job Posted Time: 2026-09-10 12:27:45 Employment Type: Contract Target Skills & Keywords : Data Pipeline, Project Management, SaaS About the job Experience: •2 years of experience in business development, sales, partnerships, account management, or another relevant customer-facing role. New graduates with strong internship, sales, or entrepreneurial experience are encouraged to apply. Required Skills: •We’re hiring a Business Development Associate to join our growing team and help expand Abaka AI’s customer base. This is an early-career, full-cycle sales role for someone who wants to build strong commercial judgment and grow into an independent business development professional. •This is not a sourcing-only position. Although outbound prospecting and pipeline development are important parts of the role, you will also participate directly in customer meetings, coordinate samples and pilots, prepare proposals, support pricing and contract discussions, and help convert opportunities into long-term customer relationships. •The ideal candidate is proactive, commercially curious, and comfortable learning technical concepts quickly. You should be excited to engage AI companies, understand their data challenges, and coordinate across internal teams to build solutions that meet their needs. •Own business development opportunities from initial prospecting through qualification, discovery, proposal development, negotiation, and close. •Research and identify prospective customers across AI, technology, and other relevant industries. •Conduct outbound prospecting through LinkedIn, email, events, referrals, and other channels to build a strong pipeline. •Lead and participate in customer meetings to understand technical requirements, business priorities, budgets, timelines, and decision-making processes. •Evaluate whether prospective opportunities align with Abaka AI’s serviceable capabilities and commercial priorities. Qualifications: •0–2 years of experience in business development, sales, partnerships, account management, or another relevant customer-facing role. New graduates with strong internship, sales, or entrepreneurial experience are encouraged to apply. •Previous experience as an SDR, BDR, sales associate, or in another outbound or full-cycle sales role is preferred. •Basic understanding of the B2B sales cycle, including prospecting, qualification, discovery, solution development, proposals, negotiation, and closing. •Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to communicate professionally with both business and technical stakeholders. •Comfortable initiating conversations with new prospects through LinkedIn, email, events, and other outbound channels. •Able to ask thoughtful questions, understand customer needs, and translate those needs into actionable internal requirements. •Tech-savvy and able to learn new products, technical concepts, industries, and sales tools quickly. •Highly organized and detail-oriented, with the ability to manage multiple prospects, customer requests, pilots, and follow-ups simultaneously. •Proactive about seeking context, asking questions, and collaborating with internal teams. •Coachable and receptive to feedback, with the judgment to apply what you learn to new situations. Compensation: •Competitive benefits and rewards package •This role is also eligible for equity, as well as a comprehensive benefits package (health, dental, vision, PTO, flexible work schedule) Interested candidates, please apply directly through the job posting on company's career page or try via AI auto apply on this platform. Don't miss this opportunity to join a forward-thinking team!