Business Development Lead, Education - US-Based

Job Summary:

We are seeking a versatile and entrepreneurial Business Development Lead to launch and grow our Talent Solutions (Staffing, Direct Hire, and Contractor/Freelancing) within Education. You will own the full client acquisition lifecycle — from defining commercial strategy, prospecting, and pitching, to closing deals and building scalable revenue pipelines.

The primary focus is on high-skill talent solutions (direct hire, contract-to-hire, and temporary placements) tailored to the vertical you lead. You’ll partner closely with the Talent Acquisition team, internal stakeholders, and client decision-makers to establish the vertical’s presence, while building repeatable sales processes.

This is a remote position. However, we require applicants and the person in this position to reside in-market. Applicants must be authorized to work in the US at the time of hire. Resumes and communication must be submitted in English.

Responsibilities:

The following information is intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed. It is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, or required skills.

·        Define and execute the vertical-specific go-to-market and business development strategy.

·        Identify, prospect, and close new client accounts across enterprise, SMB, and high-growth firms.

·        Build and maintain trusted relationships with client stakeholders (C-suite, HR, Talent, Operations).

·        Own the end-to-end sales cycle in the initial phase (from outreach to closing).

·        Develop vertical-specific playbooks, sales narratives, and pricing models.

·        Partner with the Talent Acquisition team to ensure client requirements are aligned with recruiting capabilities.

·        Track pipeline activity, revenue performance, and client engagement metrics; report data-driven insights to leadership.

·        Represent the company at vertical-specific events, conferences, and thought-leadership opportunities. Set up and eventually hire, train, and manage a commercial team (SDRs, AEs) as the vertical scales.

In the first week, expect to:

·        Onboard and integrate into Toptal.

·        Learn about our staffing models, sales tools, and sector-specific offerings.

In the first month, expect to:

·        Begin direct outreach and pipeline development within the vertical.

·        Partner with the Talent Acquisition Lead to align on service capabilities and role focus while exercising discretion and independent judgment.

In the first three months, expect to:

·        Own and close your first client accounts.

·        Establish repeatable outreach and sales processes for the vertical.

·        Build strong client relationships that generate ongoing demand.

In the first six months, expect to:

·        Consistently meet revenue targets.

·        Develop and refine sector-specific go-to-market strategies.

·        Start preparing to hire your first team members (SDRs, AEs).

In the first year, expect to:

·        Fully own and be recognized as the commercial leader for your vertical.

·        Build and manage a growing Business Development team.

·        Contribute to broaden staffing strategy across verticals.

Qualifications and Job Requirements:

·        Bachelor’s degree is required.

·        7+ years of experience in business development, client management, or sales within talent solutions, professional services, or the Education industry.

·        Proven success in both individual sales execution and building/managing teams.

·        Demonstrated ability to sell talent solutions models, including direct hire, contract-to-hire, and temp/flexible placements.

·        Strong knowledge of high-skill roles relevant to the vertical.

·        Excellent communication, negotiation, and presentation skills.

·        Proficiency with CRM tools (Salesforce) and collaboration platforms (Slack, Zoom, etc.).

·        Outstanding written and verbal communication skills.

·        Ability to work in a fast-paced, rapidly growing company and handle a wide variety of challenges, deadlines, and a diverse array of contacts.

·        You must be a world-class individual contributor to thrive at Toptal. You will not be here just to tell other people what to do.

Essential Job Functions

·        Regularly and reliably attend scheduled virtual team meetings on camera.

·        Work independently with minimal supervision.

·        Use all required digital collaboration tools.

·        Prioritize and self-manage workflows and deadlines.

US FLSA Classification: Full-Time/Exempt