Business Development Representative

Business Development Representative in Ohio to build and qualify the early-stage sales pipeline across the United States for WARDJet.

Responsibilities

• Generate new prospects via outbound calling, email outreach, targeted account research, CRM campaigns, trade show lists, past inquiries, and other prospecting activities.
• Handle inbound leads quickly and professionally from website inquiries, PPC leads, marketing campaign responses, webinar attendees, trade show leads, and other incoming opportunities.
• Run initial discovery and qualification conversations with prospective customers.
• Qualify opportunities using application needs, materials, production requirements, equipment requirements, budget, purchasing timeline, decision process, and purchase intent.
• Match prospects to the right WARDJet solution and identify the next step based on customer application and business requirements.
• Schedule qualified discovery calls, machine demonstrations, application reviews, sample-cutting discussions, virtual meetings, and other appointments for WARDJet Sales Representatives.
• Research target companies, manufacturing facilities, decision-makers, industries, and applications to support personalized outreach.
• Identify manufacturers and fabricators that may benefit from adding or upgrading waterjet cutting capabilities.
• Re-engage dormant leads, stalled opportunities, prior quote requests, former prospects, and customers returning to an equipment purchasing cycle.
• Maintain consistent follow-up throughout the early stages of the sales process.
• Partner with outside Sales Representatives to support territory, target accounts, market segments, and prospecting campaigns.
• Build working knowledge of WARDJet equipment, waterjet cutting technology, customer applications, competitive positioning, and capital equipment sales.
• Develop sufficient application understanding to speak credibly with manufacturing professionals and recognize when Applications or technical resources should join.
• Maintain accurate, up-to-date CRM records: contact details, lead source, qualification status, call notes, opportunity details, next steps, and follow-up tasks.
• Confirm qualified opportunities are documented clearly before transitioning to the appropriate Sales Representative.
• Support Sales and Marketing by following up with targeted prospects and measuring campaign response.
• Provide Marketing feedback on lead quality, messaging, customer questions, and market trends seen during prospect conversations.
• Attend sales meetings, pipeline reviews, product training, and prospecting campaigns.
• Deliver regular updates on activity, meetings booked, qualified opportunities, lead status, reactivated opportunities, and pipeline contribution.
• Support customer open houses, trade shows, demonstrations, and other sales events when required.
• Develop working knowledge of AXYZ CNC router and knife cutting systems to support cross-selling and lead qualification where appropriate.
• Maintain a professional, customer-focused approach in every prospect and customer interaction.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

Requirements

• 1–3 years of experience in business development, inside sales, lead generation, sales development, customer service, or another customer-facing sales role (1 year minimum; 1–3 preferred).
• Manufacturing, industrial equipment, CNC machinery, automation, fabrication, or technical B2B sales experience is a strong plus.
• Strong phone communication skills and confidence initiating conversations with new prospects.
• Strong written communication skills for professional, concise, personalized email outreach.
• Comfort communicating with prospects via phone, email, video meetings, and other digital channels.
• Ability to ask effective discovery questions, actively listen, identify needs, and qualify opportunities.
• Prospecting discipline with persistence to follow up consistently and develop opportunities over time.
• Organizational and time management skills with excellent attention to detail.
• Experience using a CRM system to manage leads, activities, notes, tasks, and opportunities.
• Familiarity with HubSpot, Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics, or similar CRMs is a plus.
• Ability and willingness to learn technical products, manufacturing processes, and CNC cutting applications.
• Comfort working in a longer-cycle B2B capital equipment sales environment.
• Ability to research companies, industries, manufacturing processes, and decision-makers.
• Self-motivated, able to balance inbound lead follow-up with proactive outbound prospecting.
• Coachable and receptive to sales training, call feedback, and continuous improvement.
• Professional and accountable, comfortable working toward measurable sales activity and pipeline goals.
• Collaboration skills across Sales, Marketing, Applications, Service, and leadership teams.
• Genuine curiosity about manufacturing, machinery, cutting technology, and how customers make products.
• Driver’s license required.

Technologies

• HubSpot
• Salesforce
• Microsoft Dynamics
• CRM

Job Details

• Location: Tallmadge, OH (onsite)
• Job type: Full-time
• Pay: $60,000.00–$80,000.00 per year
• Experience: Business development: 3 years (required)
• Ability to commute: Tallmadge, OH 44278 (required)

Benefits

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Health savings account
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Parental leave
• Vision insurance

Work Environment & Travel

• Full-time position based in Ohio.
• Regular collaboration with WARDJet Sales, Marketing, Applications, Technical Support, Service, and leadership teams.
• Primarily office-based with regular phone, email, CRM, and video communication with prospects and customers.
• Occasional travel may be required for customer visits, sales meetings, product training, trade shows, open houses, and other company events.
• Ability to travel within the United States and internationally when required.
• Must possess or be able to obtain a valid passport for international travel.
• Flexibility in working hours may occasionally be required to accommodate customers, events, or different time zones.

Compensation & Growth

• Competitive base salary with a performance-based bonus or commission opportunity tied to measurable results (qualified opportunities, meetings booked, pipeline contribution, and revenue influence).
• Final compensation based on experience and the approved compensation plan.
• Role designed to reward consistent prospecting, follow-up, creation of qualified opportunities, and contribution to WARDJet sales pipeline growth.

Measures of Success

• Qualified opportunities generated and accepted by the Sales team.
• Discovery calls, demonstrations, application reviews, and sales meetings booked.
• Speed and consistency of follow-up on inbound, PPC, marketing campaign, and trade show leads.
• Outbound prospecting activity and engagement.
• Lead-to-qualified-opportunity conversion.
• Dormant and stalled opportunities successfully reactivated.
• CRM accuracy and completeness (notes, lead sources, status, next steps, follow-up activities).
• Pipeline value generated or influenced.
• Closed revenue influenced by BDR-generated opportunities.
• Effective collaboration and handoff of qualified opportunities to outside Sales Representatives.

Target Customers & Applications

• Metal fabrication and sheet metal processing
• Job shops and contract manufacturers
• General industrial manufacturing
• Aerospace and defense manufacturing
• Automotive and transportation
• Machinery and equipment manufacturing
• Stone and tile fabrication
• Glass processing
• Plastics and composites
• Gasket and seal manufacturing
• Educational and technical institutions
• Prototype and research facilities
• Other manufacturers using CNC cutting technology
• Common materials: steel, stainless steel, aluminum, titanium, composites, glass, stone, rubber, foam, plastics, tile, gasket material, and other materials suitable for abrasive or pure-water cutting.