Director - Business Development

Remote, U.S.-Based

Compensation: $90,000 – $100,000 base + commission

Travel: Significant (up to ~40%)

gener8tor fosters innovation ecosystems through its accelerator programs, venture capital funds, and skills-based workforce initiatives. With a strong track record of supporting high-growth companies, gener8tor has expanded across the U.S. and internationally, building partnerships with governments, corporations, universities and economic development organizations to drive entrepreneurship and economic impact. gener8tor operates accelerators across 45 cities, 25 states and 3 countries, working with more than 300 startups per year. To date, gener8tor has worked with more than 2,000 startups that have cumulatively gone on to raise more than $2.9B in financing and employ more than 14,000 people.

Position Summary

gener8tor is seeking a full-time Director of Business Development to drive revenue growth through high-value partnerships, sponsorships and strategic sales across the U.S. accelerator, venture, and entrepreneurship ecosystem. This is an externally focused role designed for an experienced sales or business development professional with an existing network and a proven ability to close complex, relationship-driven deals.

The Director of Business Development will be responsible for identifying, pursuing, and closing new business opportunities with corporations, economic development agencies, investors, universities, non-profits, governments and ecosystem partners across the U.S. This role is ideal for someone who is highly autonomous, motivated by financial upside, comfortable traveling extensively, and energized by building long-term partnerships in the venture capital and entrepreneurship space.

This role reports to the SVP of Business Development and works closely with partners, managing directors, and program teams to align revenue opportunities with gener8tor’s broader mission and offerings.

Responsibilities

Revenue Growth & Deal Execution

• Own and drive the full business development lifecycle from prospecting and relationship-building to negotiation and closing.
• Close high-value partnerships, sponsorships, and program revenue tied to accelerators, venture funds, corporate innovation, and ecosystem programming.
• Leverage an existing professional network while continuously expanding pipeline through outbound efforts and strategic introductions.
• Structure and negotiate deal terms in collaboration with internal leadership.
• Consistently meet or exceed revenue targets through disciplined execution and follow-through.

Strategic Partnerships & Market Development

• Identify new markets, partnership models, and revenue opportunities aligned with gener8tor’s platform.
• Build long-term, trust-based relationships with corporate leaders, investors, foundations, and ecosystem stakeholders.
• Represent gener8tor at conferences, events, meetings, and partner activations nationwide.
• Gather market intelligence and partner feedback to inform pricing, positioning, and program development.

Internal Collaboration & Visibility

• Work closely with internal program, operations, and leadership teams to ensure partner alignment and successful execution.
• Provide clear pipeline visibility, forecasts, and reporting to leadership.
• Support partner-facing presentations, pitches, and program launches as needed.
• Maintain accurate records and reporting in CRM systems.
  
  

Requirements

• Proven track record closing sales or partnerships in business development, enterprise sales, sponsorships, or related fields.
• Experience working within or adjacent to venture capital, startups, entrepreneurship, innovation, or economic development ecosystems.
• Existing professional network and the ability to open doors and move deals forward independently.
• Strong negotiation, communication, and relationship-building skills.
• Comfort operating in a highly autonomous, performance-driven environment.
• Proficiency with CRM tools (Salesforce, HubSpot, or similar).
• Willingness and ability to travel significantly (approximately 40%).
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent professional experience.

At gener8tor we…

• See genius in every community. We believe the company has a chance to accomplish a generational challenge in bridging genius with opportunity.
• Never self-defeat and have a “play to win” mentality. We revolve everything we do around helping the entrepreneurs in our programs.
• Are curious. We work hard to find hidden gems others overlook.
• Believe no job is beneath us. We wipe down the tables and load up the U-Hauls with enthusiasm. Work as a team to get things done!
• Strive for “that guy emailed me.” Based on a story from our founders, we share a commitment to take a bottom-up approach to building strong, personal, 1-1 relationships. We believe that the best way to quality is through quantity. 

Our values are core to how we work. If they don’t resonate with you, this role might not be the right fit.