Forests are crucial to all life on Earth. They capture and store carbon and are one of the most promising, large-scale, and cost-effective opportunities to combat climate change. Rainforests also sustain rainfalls, food supply, vital ecosystems, and livelihoods for over a billion people. Protecting them is not just a moral imperative, it is essential for a stable, prosperous, and sustainable future for us all. As the COVID-19 crisis highlights, we live in a fragile and interconnected world where sustainability cannot be taken for granted.

There is increasing recognition of the urgency of climate change. The Paris Agreement in 2015 committed governments to keep the increase in global average temperature to well below 2 °C above pre-industrial levels. Over 1,500 major corporations have committed to climate neutrality, and over 40 countries have implemented some form of carbon pricing scheme.  After two decades of putting necessary, effective, high integrity standards and market mechanisms in place, Emergent has the historic opportunity to channel this momentum to solving the deforestation crisis. 

Emergent helps safeguard the world’s tropical forests by building a global market for forest carbon credits. Countries generate these credits by reducing deforestation and tropical deforestation (called “REDD+”). For forest countries, Emergent provides a guaranteed source of demand by facilitating access to a range of high-volume buyers, backed by a purchase guarantee from donors, giving countries the certainty need-ed to make investments in forest protection and chart a new course. For buyers, Emergent provides access to the highest-quality REDD+ credits, enabling them to meet their climate neutrality goals.  

Location: Barcelona, Spain preferred, other EU locations considered

Position Overview: Senior Business Development Manager

Emergent's mission is to catalyze finance at scale to combat the climate crisis. Engaging with the private sector is a crucial part of this mission. The Senior Business Development Manager (BDM) will prospect for and convert new corporate clients of emissions reduction credits (ERs) by utilizing a variety of networking and outreach strategies.  The BDM will be accountable for securing a quota of long-term ER contracts commensurate with Emergent’s goal to stop tropical deforestation.

Emergent has a rich pipeline spanning hundreds of companies – the BDM will be a key part of turning those leads into deals.  They will use persuasive approaches and pitches to convince potential clients to purchase ERs through Emergent, developing rapport with new clients, setting and obtain sales targets, and providing ongoing support to continually improve customer relationships.  The BDM will also grow and retain existing commercial accounts by ensuring that client stakeholders are positioned for success in terms of meeting climate targets and stakeholder requirements.  In addition to prospecting and converting companies, they will support Emergent's marketing strategy, helping differentiate Emergent from competitors and accelerating decision-making and favorable commercial outcomes within its corporate prospect base.

The Senior Business Development Manager will form the core of Emergent’s sales operation in Europe and Asia and will play a key role is helping to end tropical deforestation. The ideal candidate will have experience in carbon markets, meeting corporate climate commitments in the voluntary or compliance (e.g. EU ETS) markets. 

Responsibilities

Prospection and Conversion 

• Prospect and convert new corporate clients interested in emissions reduction credits through use of customer insights, network activation and commercial creativity;
• Cold call as appropriate within prospective companies and business-focused NGO ecosystems to ensure a robust pipeline of opportunities;
• Leverages sales tools and applied business development regimens to produce new leads, drive leads through the sales funnel, and convert prospects within accelerated timeframes; 
• Identify the decision makers and the buying journey for each prospect organization and build solid relationships with each through active listening and tailored messaging;
• Plan each customer engagement and pitch; catalog each call in the CRM system with documented insights/actions to move prospects through the sales funnel;
• Partner with marketing to tailor pitches that speak to prospects’ needs, concerns, and objectives;
• Handle objections by clarifying, emphasizing agreements and working through differences; and
• Use a variety of styles to persuade or negotiate appropriately, presenting an image that mirrors that of the client.

BD Regimen 

• Submit weekly progress reports, ensuring data is accurately entered and managed within HubSpot (CRM system);
• Track and record activity on accounts and help to close deals to meet these targets;
• Prepare regular reports and presentations on marketing metrics for the executive team; and
• Preparing and reviewing monthly, quarterly, and yearly KPIs and budgets.

Strategic Planning 

• Attend industry functions, such as association events and conferences, and provide feedback and information on market and creative trends;
• Present to and consult with management on business trends with a view to developing new services, products, and distribution channels;
• Identify opportunities for campaigns, services, and distribution channels that will lead to an increase in contractual commitments; and
• Using knowledge of the market and competitors, identify and develop Emergent’s unique selling propositions and differentiators.

Customer Research 

• Forecast sales targets based on historical offset purchases and information provided by client;
• Develop in-depth knowledge of company offerings to identify profitable business opportunities;
• Understand each company’s climate goals and stakeholders’ deliverables to the organization;
• Research emerging trends and recommend new company offerings to satisfy customers’ needs; and
• Direct marketing efforts by presenting market research to marketing leadership.

Client Retention 

• Present new products and services and enhance existing relationships;
• Work with technical staff and other internal colleagues to meet customer needs; and
• Arrange and participate in internal and external client debriefs.

Requirements of the Role

Essential attributes: 

• The ideal candidate has 7+ years of B2B business development experience commercializing news services, preferably in the field of sustainability;
• Polished, highly organized and assertive B2B salesperson that roots pitches and seals deals using customer insights, networked influence and commercial creativity;
• Regimented in her/his approach to orchestrating customer engagements and follow ups;
• A sales hunter that leverages tools, regimen, and team work to reveal new leads and land prospects within compressed timeframes;
• A natural leader and team player that possesses an agile approach to meeting customer needs;
• Mastery of CRM software and digital marketing tools and channels (e.g., LinkedIn, Twitter);
• Strong analytical and project management skills and strategic mindset, with ability to orchestrate stakeholder decision making moments;
• Knowledge of corporate carbon accounting and offset standards a plus;
• Strategic in managing sales pipelines and customer engagements, yet pragmatic and agile in navigating customer objections and non-standard requests for information;
• Understands and applies the tenets of sound project management; thrives in leading and contributing to omni-disciplined projects;
• Deep knowledge of and experience in visualizing buyers’ journeys including decision-maker mapping and sales cycle influence points; and
• Strong commercial acumen and experience with the contracting process.

Preferred attributes: 

• Transactions experience in carbon markets; and
• Experience in providing financial products to corporate buyers (e.g. forward contracts).

Education and Experience: 

• Master’s degree in relevant field (MBA preferred);
• Experience in developing existing prospect databases and mining data for insights;
• Mastery of lead management software and the CRM process;
• Mastery of digital and in-person events planning and delivery;
• Skilled in the mapping of decision maker networks and individual buying journeys;
• Mastery of successful business-to-human sales behaviours and regimen;
• Knowledge of the customer insight generation and messaging creation processes;
• Established chief sustainability officer and civil society/non-governmental organization networks;
• Experience with working with or for a start-up a plus;
• Knowledge of integrated marketing campaigns and their influence on the sales cycle;
• Experience in carbon markets and carbon solutions a plus;
• English fluency required; Portuguese, Spanish, French or Bahasa a plus; and
• Proficient in Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, Excel, and Power Point) and Adobe Acrobat (or equivalent).

Applicants must have work authorization in the United Kingdom or Europe.

Emergent provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, local or other applicable laws.

Please include your cover letter and resume as a single PDF document when applying.