Business Development Specialist

 Characteristic Duties and Responsibilities

•  Maintain and improve Customer Relationship Management (CRM) records, pipeline trackers and notes, and shared business development resources to ensure accurate and timely information; use AI-enabled tools where appropriate to streamline updates, identify data gaps, and improve the accuracy and timeliness of information.
•  Prepare recurring pipeline reports, follow up lists, notes, and briefing materials to support prioritization and internal decision-making.
•  Monitor Federal opportunity sources and procurement platforms to identify, triage, and summarize relevant opportunities, including RFIs, sources sought notices, draft solicitations, and live solicitations aligned with Arbor Research’s capabilities.
•  Assist the technical team with proposal development, including background research, boilerplate maintenance, and formatting of proposal materials.
• Assist with the development and oversight of business development project timelines; monitor progress of deliverables and milestones, and communicate status and any problem areas to internal colleagues.
•  Support meetings, conference calls, and client-facing presentations, including preparation of agendas, briefing documents, slide materials, and meeting minutes.
•  Support conference and event planning, including attendee research, meeting coordination, contact tracking, and post-event follow-up.
• Conduct industry, market, and competitor research to support business development efforts targeting healthcare industry sponsors (e.g., pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device, and digital health companies).
• Communicate professionally and effectively, with moderate oversight, with various groups and in various settings; ensure sensitivity of confidential and proprietary information.

Core Values 

Our core values define who we are as an organization and serve as the foundation of our code of ethics. Arbor Research expects all employees to embody these and demonstrate them in our day-to-day work. 

• Collaborative Spirit 

We expect each staff member to learn from and teach one another and ask each to exhibit a curiosity and respect for the contributions of others. 

• Creativity 

We strive to cultivate a challenging, stimulating, and supportive environment where our employees are expected to be inquisitive, take initiative, and demonstrate ingenuity. 

• Credibility 

Our employees are smart, thoughtful, and objective in their work. We expect them to be technically solid in their area of expertise, and for those conducting research to demonstrate scientific rigor. 

• Dedication 

Our team achieves success because of our dedication to carrying out high quality work and delivering trusted results. 

Supervision Received 

This position reports to and receives general administrative supervision from the Strategic Growth Team Lead. Day-to-day direction may also be provided by Arbor Research investigators. Close collaboration is expected with colleagues.   

Supervision Exercised 

None 

Required Qualifications 

•  Bachelor's or Master’s degree in business, marketing, communications, public health, life sciences, or a related discipline
•  Interest in business development and strategic growth, with a desire to contribute to pipeline tracking, client engagement, and proposals
•  Interest in the healthcare industry landscape (pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device, and/or digital health) 
•  Proficient in Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint) and AI-assisted workflows; willingness to learn and adapt to new AI tools and a changing work environment
• Excellent interpersonal and conversational skills, including ability to present thoughts clearly and listen attentively  
• Excellent written communication skills 
• Ability to work as part of a team and independently 
• Excellent attention to detail, organizational skills, and ability to meet deadlines 
• Ability to protect confidential, proprietary, and highly sensitive information 

Desirable Qualifications 

•  Internship, academic, or work experience in business development, proposal support, market research, consulting, or a related area
•  Experience using a CRM (e.g., Salesforce, HubSpot) or pipeline-tracking tool
• Experience producing client-facing written materials such as briefs, capability summaries, or proposals

Location & Work Arrangement

This is a remote position. Candidates based near our Ann Arbor, Michigan office may work on a hybrid schedule, with occasional on-site presence for team meetings and events.

What You’ll Gain

Hands-on experience across the full business development cycle—proposals, market research, and client engagement—with direct exposure to senior investigators and leadership, mentorship, and room to grow into expanded strategic growth responsibilities.

Annual Salary Range 

$69,300 - $110,300 (US National Average)