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What is an executive director business development and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
Quoted expert
Parfait Kouassi PhD.

Executive Director Business Development is the person who, in an organizational setting, is responsible for developing, coordinating, and implementing plans designed to increase subsisting business and capturing new possibilities. In this role, you are often involved in strategic marketing and operations planning with top executives, setting goals and recognizing methods to reach those goals.

To become a business development director, you need to have a bachelor's degree in business or a related field. Additionally, You might also need to demonstrate three to five years of relevant work experience. If you're an Executive Director of Business Development in the USA, you can make an average salary of $143,841 per year or $69 per hour. However, this figure can vary significantly depending upon your experience and skills.

What general advice would you give to an executive director business development?

Parfait Kouassi PhD.Parfait Kouassi PhD. LinkedIn profile

Associate Teaching Professor, Drexel University

In the next 3-5 years, bilingual and multicultural skills will likely become as indispensable as having access to transportation. Just as individuals without access to a personal vehicle can rely on public transit or ridesharing services, those lacking multilingual abilities will find themselves at a severe disadvantage in their careers. The world is becoming increasingly interconnected, and the ability to communicate across languages and navigate different cultural contexts will be essential for professional growth, success, and mobility.
ScoreExecutive Director Business DevelopmentUS Average
Salary
8.5

Avg. Salary $134,931

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
7.5

Growth rate 10%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
3.1
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.23%

Asian 8.15%

Black or African American 3.04%

Hispanic or Latino 8.67%

Unknown 5.32%

White 74.58%

Gender

female 34.19%

male 65.81%

Age - 38
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 38
Stress level
7.5

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level
9.0

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance
3.5

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Executive director business development career paths

Key steps to become an executive director business development

  1. Explore executive director business development education requirements

    Most common executive director business development degrees

    Bachelor's

    70.1 %

    Master's

    18.5 %

    Associate

    5.4 %
  2. Start to develop specific executive director business development skills

    SkillsPercentages
    CRM8.11%
    Market Trends6.45%
    Market Research5.85%
    Sales Strategies5.66%
    Client Facing5.38%
  3. Complete relevant executive director business development training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New executive directors business development learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as an executive director business development based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real executive director business development resumes.
  4. Research executive director business development duties and responsibilities

    • Lead strategic partnership acquisitions to create low-cost structure for new online / web-base division while maximizing opportunity for high ROI.
    • Lead centralized, electronic referral center coordinating post-acute service needs of patients discharging from multiple acute facilities in Arizona region.
    • Prepare a joint venture business plan with a firm in Toronto, Canada for CRM consulting services.
    • Assist with the decision making process of new CRM to coordinate information between sales and service teams.
  5. Get executive director business development experience

    Generally, it takes 8-10 years to become an executive director business development. The most common roles before becoming an executive director business development include business development director, account executive team lead and executive director.
  6. Prepare your executive director business development resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your executive director business development resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on an executive director business development resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable executive director business development resume templates

    Build a professional executive director business development resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your executive director business development resume.
    Executive Director Business Development Resume
    Executive Director Business Development Resume
    Executive Director Business Development Resume
    Executive Director Business Development Resume
    Executive Director Business Development Resume
    Executive Director Business Development Resume
    Executive Director Business Development Resume
    Executive Director Business Development Resume
    Executive Director Business Development Resume
  7. Apply for executive director business development jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for an executive director business development job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first executive director business development job

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Average executive director business development salary

The average executive director business development salary in the United States is $134,931 per year or $65 per hour. Executive director business development salaries range between $88,000 and $205,000 per year.

Average executive director business development salary
$134,931 Yearly
$64.87 hourly

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Executive director business development reviews

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A zippia user wrote a review on Sep 2023
Pros

Rule of thumb with international travel is be ready for serious jet-lag!

Cons

rule of thumb with international travel is to have jet-lag non-stop!


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A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2022
Cons

Being restricted to working with a smaller group, than might need Leadership training and coaching.


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A zippia user wrote a review on Sep 2020
Pros

Working with teams, creating and sustaining service delivery systems, variety of tasks and projects, making it happen.


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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