Role - Business Development Director

Location - Bangalore, Gurgaon, Kolkata or Mumbai

Experience Required:

Minimum 10 years in business development and expansion in KPO industry, with strong exposure to global markets (preferably US and EMEA).

Role Overview:

We are seeking a seasoned and entrepreneurial Business Development Director to spearhead our expansion internationally (with inclination in the US & EMEA markets), have a go-to-market strategy for revenue delivery with new US-based logos, working closely with a lean inside-sales team.

The ideal candidate to have a proven track record of generating new business, building strategic partnerships, and scaling client relationships in the outsourcing/KPO space.

Key Responsibilities:

- Market Expansion: Identify and pursue new business opportunities across financial services, consulting firms, corporates, and other relevant sectors, preferably in the US & EMEA. Prioritise high-value segments and craft entry plans aligned to IAL capability road map.

- Client Acquisition: Build and manage a robust pipeline of prospects; convert leads into long-term clients. Lead the full sales cycle - prospecting, solutioning, proposal, commercials, SOW and negotiate to closure.

- Consultative Selling: Engage with CEOs and senior decision-makers to understand their needs and help us craft tailored outsourcing solutions.

- Strategic Partnerships: Develop and nurture relationships with key stakeholders to drive multi-year, scalable engagements.

- Account Scale-Up: Drive cross-sell/upsell, embedding IAL as a strategic and preferred partner.

- Cross-functional Collaboration: Work closely with delivery, marketing, legal, and operations teams to ensure seamless onboarding and client satisfaction (ensuring proposals are competitive and compliant).

- Thought Leadership: Represent IAL at global industry events, webinars, and forums to enhance brand visibility.

- Revenue Growth: Meet and exceed quarterly and annual revenue targets through strategic account management and upselling. Operational Expectations:

- India-Based, Global Focus: Operate from India while driving international business development.

- Time Zone Alignment: Adjust working hours to overlap with US East/Central time zones for client calls, virtual meetings, and relationship building.

- Remote Engagement: Leverage digital channels (email, LinkedIn, video conferencing) for prospecting, solutioning, and negotiations.

- Collaboration with Delivery Teams: Work closely with India-based operations and delivery teams to ensure proposals, commercials, and onboarding align with client expectations.

- Travel Flexibility: Occasional international travel for client meetings, industry events, and relationship deepening (as required).

- Cultural Navigation: Demonstrate sensitivity to global business norms.

Candidate Profile:

Experience:

10+ years in in Business Development / Sales in Knowledge Process Outsourcing, Financial Research, Analytics or similar

- Demonstrated track record of $5-10M+ annual new logo sales

Domain Credibility:

- Strong understanding of how offshoring works in capital-markets data workflows, structured-finance processes, ESG data supply-chains, or middle-/front-office research operations

Network

Established CXO / Head-Operations relationships within banks, asset managers, rating agencies, consulting majors or Fortune 1000 corporates in the US Strong network across financial services, consulting, and ESG-focused organizations in the US

Skills

- Consultative selling, solution-crafting, commercial negotiation, and executive presentation - abilities

- Ability to handle client objections, demonstrate the value of our knowledge services platform and close deals

- Comfortable working with globally distributed delivery teams and navigating multi-cultural contexts

Education

MBA / Master's in Finance, Economics, or Analytics preferred. CFA, CAIA, FRM or equivalent certifications are a plus

Preferred Extras:

- Experience setting up green-field sales operations or scaling a boutique KPO in North America

- Proven track record of new account acquisition and scaling client relationships

- Familiarity with Gen-AI/LLM use-cases in financial research or data operations and can ideate tools/ solutions which are easy-sell

- Entrepreneurial mindset with a passion for building and scaling business lines

- Ability to work independently Ability to work independently and collaboratively across global teams.