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What is a head of business development and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
Quoted expert
Andrew Spicer
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The head of business development is employed to develop and implement new market initiatives. Likewise, he/she assesses new markets and evaluates business opportunities. He/She plans and directs all aspects of business development policies, objectives, and strategies in an organization. He/She may oversee licensing initiatives and programs. Other duties include negotiating contracts, initiating proposals, and closing deals. Asides from that, he/she performs financial feasibility studies. Furthermore, he/she develops proposals for new business opportunities. Additionally, he/she identifies, reviews, and implements policies that support business development.

For this position, you need at least a bachelor's degree in business administration or a relevant field. You must have prior experience in a related position. You must possess communication, leadership, listening, presentation, problem-solving, decision-making, and negotiation skills. Also, you must be proficient in CRM software. The head of business development makes around $116,235 in a year. It varies from $62,000 to $219,000.

What general advice would you give to a head of business development?

Andrew Spicer

Associate Professor, Website

Resiliency is a particularly important skill for international business and career progression. Resiliency – the ability to recover quickly in the face of obstacles and failures – has always been a critical part of successful international assignments. The only constant of working abroad is that there will be miscommunication and mistakes. Successful international business careers depend on the ability to learn from these inevitable setbacks to improve over time. The constant change in the global business environment also leads to the demand for resiliency among international business specialists. An important role for those with a global mindset is to help companies adapt to the massive disruption to the global business environment for international trade and investment presently taking place across the world.
ScoreHead Of Business DevelopmentUS Average
Salary
8.5

Avg. Salary $134,190

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 25.77%

male 74.23%

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

Head of business development career paths

Key steps to become a head of business development

  1. Explore head of business development education requirements

    Most common head of business development degrees

    Bachelor's

    63.2 %

    Master's

    24.0 %

    Associate

    4.0 %
  2. Start to develop specific head of business development skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Cloud6.87%
    C++5.49%
    Project Management4.96%
    Cloud Computing4.72%
    R4.54%
  3. Complete relevant head of business development training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New heads of 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 a head of business development based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real head of business development resumes.
  4. Research head of business development duties and responsibilities

    • Develop the company's online presence through website and Facebook that lead to business expansion to markets of UK, Denmark.
    • Implement and customize CRM database used to manage all development activities.
    • Lead and manage large RFP responses to ensure corporate objectives for profitability, sustainability, and operational delivery objectives are meet.
    • Hire a top tier SQL developer for data warehouse and reporting activities.
  5. Prepare your head of business development resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your head of 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 a head of 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 head of business development resume templates

    Build a professional head of 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 head of business development resume.
    Head Of Business Development Resume
    Head Of Business Development Resume
    Head Of Business Development Resume
    Head Of Business Development Resume
    Head Of Business Development Resume
    Head Of Business Development Resume
    Head Of Business Development Resume
    Head Of Business Development Resume
    Head Of Business Development Resume
  6. Apply for head of business development jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a head of 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 head of business development job

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Average head of business development salary

The average head of business development salary in the United States is $134,190 per year or $65 per hour. Head of business development salaries range between $94,000 and $191,000 per year.

Average head of business development salary
$134,190 Yearly
$64.51 hourly

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Head of 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 Aug 2020
Pros

Innovating a business model is key for a profitable business and growth. Without a proper and sustainable business model, even the best product or technology innovations will not flourish. Learn the skills and knowledge needed to start improving your business as you learn through real-life examples from fellow entrepreneurs, innovators and leading experts on business model innovation. Benefit business owners, entrepreneurs, business consultants or business developers who seek better understanding of business models and the tools to develop them.


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A zippia user wrote a review on Apr 2019
Pros

Learn about many businesses and help to improve business profitability with mergers and partnerships.


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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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