How to hire a senior business development representative

How to hire a senior business development representative, step by step

Here's a step-by-step senior business development representative hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a senior business development representative job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new senior business development representative
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a senior business development representative do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your senior business development representative job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a senior business development representative for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A senior business development representative's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, senior business development representatives from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   The following list breaks down different types of senior business development representatives and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Senior Business Development Representative	Description	Hourly rate
   Senior Business Development Representative		$33-71
   Area Sales Representative	The primary role of an area sales representative is to sell the company's products and services within a specified region or territory. You will be responsible for attracting new clients, increase profitability, and win new accounts... Show more	$20-38
   Director Of Sales & Business Development	A director of sales business development is responsible for monitoring the business and project plans, ensuring that the sales targets are met, according to project requirements and specifications. Directors of sales business development perform data analysis to track business performance and identify opportunities to grow revenues and profits... Show more	$18-84

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Linkedin
   • BDR
   • Lead Generation
   • Salesforce CRM
   • Outbound Calls
   • Trade Shows
   • Cold Calls
   • Sales Process
   • Saas
   • Digital Marketing
   • Enterprise Sales
   • Marketing Campaigns
   • Lead Management
   • Product Knowledge

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Generate qualify leads through B2B telemarketing services specialize in identifying and nurturing prospects for computer hardware, software and technology services.
   • Exceed monthly sales goals for SaaS industry leader in restaurant technology.
   • Promote and sell SAAS (software as a service) technologies to various industries.
   • Generate qualify leads through B2B telemarketing services specialize in identifying and nurturing prospects for computer hardware, software and technology services.
   • Secure renewal revenue and generate new business through upselling opportunities.
   • Utilize Cisco Webex for presenting Powerpoint presentations and contract agreement documents.

   More senior business development representative duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your senior business development representative job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A senior business development representative salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for a senior business development representative in Iowa may be lower than in Connecticut, and an entry-level senior business development representative usually earns less than a senior-level senior business development representative. Additionally, a senior business development representative with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average senior business development representative salary

   $102,269yearly

   $49.17 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level senior business development representative salary

   $70,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 17, 2025

   Average senior business development representative salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$129,428	$62
   2	New York	$110,992	$53
   3	New Jersey	$109,762	$53
   4	Virginia	$106,282	$51
   5	Massachusetts	$104,167	$50
   6	Pennsylvania	$102,808	$49
   7	North Carolina	$101,355	$49
   8	Wisconsin	$96,621	$46
   9	Ohio	$92,564	$45
   10	Illinois	$92,317	$44
   11	Texas	$89,901	$43
   12	Georgia	$88,524	$43
   13	Utah	$88,418	$43
   14	Colorado	$80,528	$39
   15	Florida	$70,873	$34

   Average senior business development representative salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	PayPal	$127,313	$61.21	32
   2	Databricks	$127,249	$61.18	6
   3	Williams International	$126,031	$60.59	7
   4	Wipro Limited	$125,233	$60.21	16
   5	Marathon Petroleum	$125,093	$60.14
   6	Amazon	$123,449	$59.35	383
   7	Autodesk	$111,201	$53.46	52
   8	Canon	$111,175	$53.45	207
   9	The Williams Companies	$108,846	$52.33	16
   10	Bertelsmann	$108,438	$52.13	2
   11	Honeywell	$108,411	$52.12	26
   12	Blend360	$108,177	$52.01	1
   13	Thought Industries	$108,164	$52.00
   14	Frequence	$108,088	$51.97
   15	One Network Enterprises	$107,891	$51.87
   16	Arrive Logistics	$107,833	$51.84	18
   17	Jade Global	$107,678	$51.77	3
   18	RELEX Solutions	$107,361	$51.62	4
   19	Northwoods	$104,023	$50.01	2
   20	Sodexo Management, Inc.	$103,883	$49.94	75

4. Writing a senior business development representative job description

   A senior business development representative job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of a senior business development representative job description:

   Senior business development representative job description example

   We Deliver So You Can
   Arrive Logistics is one of the fastest-growing tech enabled freight brokerage firms in the US, with over $2 billion in annual revenue and plans to grow significantly over the next five years. Our success is a testament to our remarkable team and what we're building together. We are committed to employee success and have established an award-winning culture that supports personal and career development in a fun, casual and collaborative environment. There's never been a more exciting time to get on board, so read on to learn more and apply today!
   
   Who We Want
   Our explosive growth is your opportunity to accelerate your carrier sales career, capitalize on uncapped earning potential and unlock unlimited advancement opportunities with Arrive. We're looking for candidates with experience in carrier sales to join our high-performing sales team. A four-year degree is preferred but not required for some roles.
   
   How Will You Arrive?
   Once hired, you'll spend up to 13 weeks training alongside industry leaders who will equip you with the technical skills needed to succeed (and earn) from the start. You'll then have access to ongoing one-on-one mentoring, proprietary technology to make you as productive as possible and a compensation program that empowers you to earn well into six figures within your first 24 months. From there, the sky's the limit.
   
   Level-Up
   Earning potential is just the beginning, though. We believe in building leaders within our walls, which means you'll have access to ample career advancement opportunities. For example, you'll be eligible to participate in on-the-job training programs like Arrive Elevate, which will equip you with the skills and experience needed to move into a leadership role. We encourage and empower each and every employee to level up their career with us, so if professional growth is your game, you'll love working here!
   
   Award-Winning Culture
   When we say “award-winning,” we mean it. We've already earned “Best Place to Work” honors from Inc. Magazine (three years in a row!), Austin Business Journal and the Chicago Tribune. We intend on topping many more of those lists in the years to come, but we're not in it for the trophies. We're committed to culture because it keeps us connected to each other and invested in our shared success while having a blast along the way.
   
   At Arrive, you'll work among a team of like-minded people in a fun, casual and collaborative environment, and enjoy plenty of opportunities to build dynamic relationships. Our employee-founded resource groups create communities within Arrive's walls and currently include Women in Logistics, Emerging Professionals, PRISMS, Black Logistics Group and Salute.
   Perks On PerksCompetitive base salary, compelling year 1 total compensation package, and uncapped commission potential Excellent health, vision and dental insurance Matching 401(k) plan and vesting opportunities 12 days PTO plus 2 floating holidays in your first year Professional development tools like LinkedIn Learning at your disposal Investments in your health, including an on-site gym and access to Calm and Class PassSales and employee rewards programs Free lunch on Mondays and FridaysRelocation assistance is provided, no matter where you're moving from
   Staying Balanced
   We deeply value your personal wellness and are committed to helping you find a healthy work-life balance. In addition to the perks above, we want to ensure you feel supported when it comes to taking care of life outside the office. Need to work from home to watch your children for a day? We understand, no problem. Had a great month and want to head out early on a Friday to go camping for the weekend? Go for it, you earned it. Need to come in late due to a doctor's appointment? We've all been there. We trust you to perform at a high level and reward that performance with the flexibility you need to feel fulfilled both in and out of the office.
   
   Ready to Arrive?
   If you have a relentless drive to succeed and are ready to start your journey with Arrive, we want to hear from you. Apply now and one of our awesome Recruiters will be in touch ASAP!

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right senior business development representative for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with senior business development representatives they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit senior business development representatives who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   To find senior business development representative candidates, you can consider the following options:

   • Post your job opening on Zippia or other job search websites.
   • Use niche websites that focus on engineering and technology jobs, such as salesjobs, salesheads, allretailjobs.com, sales trax.
   • Post your job on free job posting websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit senior business development representatives, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new senior business development representative

   Once you have selected a candidate for the senior business development representative position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new senior business development representative. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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