Business Development Representative - (Remote)

About the Company: Mentor Collective is a mission-driven organization recognized as a premier destination for top talent. In 2026, we were honored as the #33 Best Startup in the U.S. and the #59 Best Remote Workplace in the country. A consistent Best Place to Work honoree since 2020, we’ve also maintained a five-year streak on the Inc. 5000 list, celebrating 183% three-year growth and multiple Inc. Regional wins. Check out why we are a BPTW and learn more about our culture here . Mentor Collective has delivered 1400+ unique mentorship programs, established 180+ institutional partnerships, and formed 320,000+ mentoring relationships through expert-led research, services, and technology. As an impact-first investment of the Lumina Foundation, Mentor Collective partners with forward-thinking institutions that are committed to equity, inclusion, and relationship-centered education. About the role: The Business Development Representative (BDR) is the frontline of our growth engine. This is an outbound role focused on the top of the funnel where you are the first point of contact for our future partners. Your mission is simple but high-impact: identify high-potential institutions within our Ideal Customer Profile (ICP), initiate meaningful conversations, and secure qualified meetings for our Account Executives. You’ll be a strategic prospector, leveraging a modern tech stack (HubSpot, Gong, and AI) to craft personalized, high-value outreach that cuts through the noise of the edtech landscape. This is a role for a resilient, persuasive, and career-motivated individual looking to master the art of B2B sales. This role reports to the Director of Marketing. Responsibilities: Strategic Outbound Prospecting: Identify and research key stakeholders at target institutions. You will execute multi-channel cadences, including cold calling, personalized emailing, and LinkedIn social selling to turn cold prospects into warm opportunities. Lead Qualification & Discovery: Conduct high-level discovery conversations with customers to understand their pain points. You will qualify leads based on our internal Sales Ready criteria, ensuring our Account Executives (AEs) are only spending time with prospects who have a genuine need and intent to solve student success challenges. Pipeline Generation: Own a monthly and quarterly target for qualified meetings and pipeline value. You are responsible for the initial spark of the sales cycle, ensuring a consistent flow of new business opportunities to meet our company’s aggressive growth goals. Messaging: Work closely with the Field Marketing Manager to provide on-the-ground feedback on messaging. You’ll use Gong to review your own calls/messages and sentiment data, constantly refining your pitch to improve connect rates and meeting conversions. CRM Hygiene: Maintain meticulous records in HubSpot and Salesforce. You will manage your daily task load with precision, ensuring no lead falls through the cracks and that every prospect interaction is documented for a seamless handoff to the AE team. Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with the Marketing team to support regional events and webinars through focused invite outreach, and collaborate with AEs to develop account-based strategies for our most valuable prospects. Job Requirements: 1+ years of experience in sales, business development, or a high-volume client-facing role. Exceptional Communication: You must be able to write concise, compelling emails and hold confident, professional conversations with senior academic leaders. Resilience & Grit: The ability to handle high volumes of rejection while maintaining a positive, hunter mindset. Tech Savvy: Familiarity with CRM tools (HubSpot/Salesforce) is a plus. Comfort using AI to research prospects and speed up administrative tasks is expected. Organizational Skills: You can manage 50+ activities a day without losing track of your follow-ups. Coachability: A desire to constantly improve your craft through call coaching, feedback loops, and sales training. Education: 4-year college degree or equivalent professional experience. Preferred Qualifications: EdTech Interest: A genuine interest in the higher education space and the challenges facing student retention and career readiness. Experience with Gong/Sales Navigator: Previous exposure to conversation intelligence or advanced LinkedIn prospecting tools. Competitive Background: Experience in environments that require high performance and accountability. Benefits: 100% remote company 5 Medical plans - all PPO plans 1 Medical plan option is 100% employer-covered (employee-only tier) 5 Dental/Vision plans HSA, FSA, Dependent FSA options Talkspace mental health therapy covered at no cost to the employee Annual travel benefits to seek out-of-state care from specialists for reproductive and gender-affirming care One Medical membership covered at no cost to the employee Flexible PTO with a minimum requirement for employees 12 Company holidays Company-wide 'winter break' between Christmas & New Year each year 401k benefits + Company Match Stipend for WFH office setup Flexible work schedule, ability to work remotely while traveling Compensation: Base Salary of $55,000 - $65,000 with Variable (OTE) of $25,000 - $30,000 per year based on experience. This is a Full-Time, Exempt position. You are welcome at Mentor Collective Mentor Collective welcomes any and all people, embracing their age, race, gender identity, sexual orientation and expression, physical or mental ability, ethnicity, nationality, culture, religion, and perspective. We want to create an inclusive and equitable work environment that reflects the very students and universities we serve. We are an equal-opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate based on age, race, color, ancestry, national origin, gender, caregiver status, gender identity or expression, religion, physical or mental disability, medical condition, legally protected genetic information, marital status, veteran status, military status, housing status, sexual orientation, or any other factor determined to be an unlawful basis for such decisions by federal, state, or local statutes.