Business Development Assistant
Opportunity International, Chicago, IL, United States
The Business Development Assistant is a high‑potential, early‑career role designed for a recent graduate seeking exposure to executive operations and international business development. This role blends Business Development production support with administrative and operations responsibilities, offering hands‑on experience across calendar and travel management, proposal development, and sales enablement. The ideal candidate is highly organized, tech‑savvy, detail‑oriented, and eager to learn transferable systems and processes, including data analysis and research, in a fast‑paced and mission‑driven environment.
Compensation Range: $60,000 - $70,000 Annually.
Responsibilities
Support BD capture and proposal development across institutional and corporate opportunities.
Track opportunities, deadlines, and deliverables across the BD pipeline.
Assist with proposal coordination, including formatting, compliance checks, assembling attachments, and version control.
Produce and update sales pitch decks, concept notes, and briefing materials in Microsoft PowerPoint and Word.
Support donor research, background briefs, and internal meeting planners for partner meetings.
Maintain BD trackers and shared systems ensuring information is current and well‑organized.
Coordinate internal reviews and contribute to post‑submission debriefs and lessons learned.
Administrative Support
Manage complex calendars across multiple time zones; coordinate internal and external meetings using Microsoft Outlook and Teams.
Coordinate domestic and international travel (including flights, hotels, and visas, as needed) and prepare detailed itineraries.
Process and reconcile expense reports accurately and on time.
Draft, proofread, and format emails, meeting agendas, briefing notes, and follow‑up communications.
Maintain organized digital filing systems and shared workspaces (Teams, SharePoint, OneDrive).
Support preparation for executive meetings, donor calls, and board‑related engagements.
Serve as a trusted administrative partner, anticipating needs and proactively solving scheduling or logistics issues.
Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree in international development, business, public policy, economics, finance, or related field required. Master’s level degree preferred.
Technical understanding and fluency of inclusive finance, access to finance, market‑based development models, and/or private sector partnerships.
Exceptional writing, communication, and stakeholder management skills, including the ability to engage with senior‑level internal and external stakeholders and manage high‑pressure, time‑bound deliverables.
Strong proficiency in Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, Excel) and Microsoft Teams.
Exceptional attention to detail and ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously.
Comfortable learning new tools, systems, and processes quickly.
Interest in business development, partnerships, or international development is strongly preferred.
Passionate about Opportunity’s mission. Able to promote and communicate the organization’s goals and objectives to external and internal stakeholders.
Preferred Qualifications
Internship or academic experience related to consulting, sales, fundraising, or proposal development.
Exposure to CRM systems, proposal tracking tools, or shared document management platforms.
International experience, language skills, or interest in global development.
Strong formatting and visual presentation skills.
Language Skills
Written and verbal fluency in English required, fluency in French or Spanish desirable.
Travel Requirements
10% international and domestic travel.
Why This Role?
Direct exposure to senior leadership and strategic decision‑making.
Hands‑on experience with real proposals, donor engagements, and executive operations.
Clear pathway to growth into BD, operations, or program management roles.
Strong skill‑building in transferable systems, production discipline, and professional communication.
Benefits
Benefits include medical, dental, vision, life and AD&D, disability, accident, critical illness, cancer, pet insurance, identity theft protection, 403(b), and paid time off.
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Compensation Range: $60,000 - $70,000 Annually.
Responsibilities
Support BD capture and proposal development across institutional and corporate opportunities.
Track opportunities, deadlines, and deliverables across the BD pipeline.
Assist with proposal coordination, including formatting, compliance checks, assembling attachments, and version control.
Produce and update sales pitch decks, concept notes, and briefing materials in Microsoft PowerPoint and Word.
Support donor research, background briefs, and internal meeting planners for partner meetings.
Maintain BD trackers and shared systems ensuring information is current and well‑organized.
Coordinate internal reviews and contribute to post‑submission debriefs and lessons learned.
Administrative Support
Manage complex calendars across multiple time zones; coordinate internal and external meetings using Microsoft Outlook and Teams.
Coordinate domestic and international travel (including flights, hotels, and visas, as needed) and prepare detailed itineraries.
Process and reconcile expense reports accurately and on time.
Draft, proofread, and format emails, meeting agendas, briefing notes, and follow‑up communications.
Maintain organized digital filing systems and shared workspaces (Teams, SharePoint, OneDrive).
Support preparation for executive meetings, donor calls, and board‑related engagements.
Serve as a trusted administrative partner, anticipating needs and proactively solving scheduling or logistics issues.
Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree in international development, business, public policy, economics, finance, or related field required. Master’s level degree preferred.
Technical understanding and fluency of inclusive finance, access to finance, market‑based development models, and/or private sector partnerships.
Exceptional writing, communication, and stakeholder management skills, including the ability to engage with senior‑level internal and external stakeholders and manage high‑pressure, time‑bound deliverables.
Strong proficiency in Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, Excel) and Microsoft Teams.
Exceptional attention to detail and ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously.
Comfortable learning new tools, systems, and processes quickly.
Interest in business development, partnerships, or international development is strongly preferred.
Passionate about Opportunity’s mission. Able to promote and communicate the organization’s goals and objectives to external and internal stakeholders.
Preferred Qualifications
Internship or academic experience related to consulting, sales, fundraising, or proposal development.
Exposure to CRM systems, proposal tracking tools, or shared document management platforms.
International experience, language skills, or interest in global development.
Strong formatting and visual presentation skills.
Language Skills
Written and verbal fluency in English required, fluency in French or Spanish desirable.
Travel Requirements
10% international and domestic travel.
Why This Role?
Direct exposure to senior leadership and strategic decision‑making.
Hands‑on experience with real proposals, donor engagements, and executive operations.
Clear pathway to growth into BD, operations, or program management roles.
Strong skill‑building in transferable systems, production discipline, and professional communication.
Benefits
Benefits include medical, dental, vision, life and AD&D, disability, accident, critical illness, cancer, pet insurance, identity theft protection, 403(b), and paid time off.
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