Higher Ed - Business Development Associate

Vista Higher Learning is a company focused on developing culturally authentic language learning products for K-12 schools and universities. They are seeking a Business Development Associate to accelerate growth and course adoption in higher education segments by engaging with faculty and managing projects in collaboration with marketing and sales teams. Responsibilities Proactively, effectively and reliably identify and engage faculty and program leads in underserved or high-potential markets Initiate contact through telephone calls, emails, and digital outreach to engage faculty and program leads Converts initial contacts into meaningful conversations that advance the sales cycle and conduct structured discoveries and needs analysis with prospects Qualify prospects through structured discovery, needs analysis, and consultative conversations, ensuring all activity and outcomes are accurately documented in Salesforce Own the early-stage pipeline for smaller opportunities, progressing them through to close; for larger opportunities, ensure seamless, well-documented handoff to sales team Qualify leads based on clearly defined criteria, and document progression in Salesforce Facilitate organized and well-documented transitions of qualified opportunities to sales reps, providing thorough engagement summaries and suggested next steps Execute regional sampling programs: distribute trial access and courseware, track engagement, gather feedback, and report actionable insights to relevant stakeholders to inform product strategy and drive adoption Partner with Marketing to follow up on campaigns and events, respond promptly to all marketing-generated leads, and advance opportunities through the pipeline Support retention and base business by aligning outreach with marketing and customer success messaging, leveraging data (e.g., Course Tech Usage, Student Buying Behaviors) to secure new edition adoptions Maintain meticulous records of all outreach, sampling, and qualification activities to ensure data accuracy, transparency, and compliance with VHL standards Demonstrate creative problem-solving and resourcefulness in overcoming access barriers and penetrating niche segments, while upholding VHL’s values and compliance standards Provide regular updates activity volume, pipeline status, sampling feedback, and results Collaborate with cross-functional teams (marketing, product, business operations, account management) to review pipeline quality, handoff effectiveness, identify opportunities for continuous improvement and align solutions with client needs Skills Bachelor's degree minimum 1+ years' experience in sales support, business development, project coordination, or customer success Relationship building, interpersonal and communication skills to effectively and appropriately speak with potential customers and team members in a professional and meaningful way Experience using a CRM or similar sales tools to manage sales activities Willingness to travel up to 10% of time Experience in the education technology (ed-tech), higher education, language learning or publishing industry Experience using Salesforce.com Benefits Life/health/dental/vision insurance 401(k) Educational assistance Commuter pass subsidies Generous employee referral bonuses PTO Paid holidays Company Overview Vista Higher Learning is a publishing company specializing in languages programs. It was founded in 2000, and is headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, USA, with a workforce of 51-200 employees. Its website is