Business Development & Sales Support Specialist

Job description

Job Summary: The Business Development & Sales Support Specialist keeps our sales and proposals team running efficiently while also owning a small book of business and select pursuits. This role blends the organizational backbone of the commercial function, managing CRM data integrity, coordinating customer engagement activities, supporting quote follow-up, and executing customer visits, trade shows, webinars, and other sales events, with hands-on responsibility for driving a set of accounts and opportunities forward. The ideal candidate brings prior sales or business development experience, thrives in a fast-paced environment, and takes pride in both supporting a high-performing team and closing business of their own. Key Responsibilities: Business Development & Account Ownership Own and manage a small book of business, building relationships and driving revenue within assigned accounts. Identify, qualify, and advance select pursuits from initial contact through quote and close. Develop account plans and pursuit strategies in coordination with the Sr. Manager of Magnet Sales. Represent the company directly with customers on calls, at trade shows, and during site visits. CRM & Data Management Maintain accurate and up-to-date records in the CRM system (Microsoft Dynamics 365) for all accounts, contacts, opportunities, and activities. Log and track all customer interactions, communications, and quote activity consistently in CRM. Manage and organize customer contact databases, ensuring completeness and accuracy of contact information. Monitor CRM data quality and proactively flag and resolve missing or inconsistent records. Support onboarding of new sales team members on CRM usage and best practices. Quote Follow-Up & Proposal Support Track the status of open quotes and proposals and drive timely follow-up across the sales team. Maintain a quote log and monitor quote hit rates, win/loss ratios, and turnaround times. Coordinate with Applications Engineering and Sales to ensure quotes are issued accurately and on schedule. Prepare and organize proposal documentation and submission materials as required. Prepare commercial summaries and pricing comparisons to support proposal decisions. Customer Meeting Coordination & Meeting Minutes Organize and schedule internal and external customer meetings, including agenda preparation and logistics coordination. Prepare customer-specific meeting agendas, tailoring content to each account's priorities and discussion topics. Develop and update customer-facing PowerPoint presentations for each meeting or site visit, incorporating relevant product, application, and commercial information. Capture, organize, and distribute accurate meeting minutes following customer calls and visits, including action item tracking. Follow up on meeting action items and hold the team accountable for completion. Customer Site Visit Coordination Plan and coordinate customer site visits end-to-end, including scheduling, travel arrangements, itineraries, and facility logistics. Prepare customized visit agendas and brief all stakeholders in advance. Develop and update presentation materials for site visits, keeping content relevant and professionally prepared. Coordinate with internal teams (engineering, operations, quality) to ensure site visits run smoothly and land well with customers. Trade Shows, Webinars & Events Manage logistics and coordination for trade show participation, including booth reservations, materials, shipping, and team scheduling. Maintain a calendar of upcoming trade shows, industry events, and webinars relevant to the company's target markets. Coordinate webinar planning and execution, including invitations, platform setup, presenter preparation, and post-event follow-up. Support the preparation of promotional materials, presentations, and collateral for events. Track post-event leads and ensure timely entry and follow-up in CRM. General Sales Team Support Provide day-to-day administrative and coordination support to the Sales and Proposals team. Prepare reports, dashboards, and sales summaries for internal review and leadership reporting. Coordinate cross-functional communication between Sales, Engineering, Marketing, and Operations. Manage shared sales calendars, team travel coordination, and scheduling as needed. Support special projects and initiatives as directed by the Sr. Manager of Magnet Sales. Knowledge, Skills & Abilities: Highly organized with exceptional attention to detail and the ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously. Strong written and verbal communication skills, with a professional customer-facing presence. Demonstrated ability to build relationships and advance opportunities with customers directly. Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, with advanced skills in PowerPoint and Excel. Experience with CRM platforms (Microsoft Dynamics 365 preferred; Salesforce or HubSpot acceptable). Ability to create polished, professional PowerPoint presentations tailored to specific customer audiences. Self-motivated and proactive, with a strong service orientation toward internal stakeholders and customers. Comfortable working in a fast-paced, startup environment with evolving priorities. Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to collaborate effectively across teams and functions. Qualifications: Education: Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Marketing, Communications, Engineering or a related field preferred. Experience: 3 to 5 years of experience in a sales, business development, inside sales, sales support, or sales operations role. A combination of relevant commercial experience will also be considered. Demonstrated experience managing CRM systems and maintaining data integrity. Prior experience supporting or working within sales teams in an industrial, manufacturing, or technical environment is a plus. Experience coordinating trade shows, customer events, or corporate travel is highly desirable. Ability to work effectively in a remote, distributed team environment. Physical Demands The work environment will primarily be a home office or typical office environment. Noise level: normal office noises. The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this job. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, or skills required of personnel so classified. The reporting relationship may not reflect the most recent changes to the corporate reporting structure. USA Rare Earth proudly supports Equal Employment Opportunities. All employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without discrimination based on disability, protected veteran status, or any other legally protected status. If you require assistance with the application process due to a disability, please contact to discuss reasonable accommodations. Who we are: USA Rare Earth and the Serra Verde Group are building the world's leading rare earth enterprise—a pioneering global company that excels at every stage of the value chain, from the earth to the magnet and beyond. We operate upstream mining and processing operations in Brazil and the USA, midstream metal-making operations in the UK and France, and downstream magnet-making facilities in the USA. Our vision is to be "The Critical Elements of Progress. Delivered Responsibly. At Global Scale." We are committed to delivering a secure, sustainable supply of rare earths and critical materials that power the modern world, with an uncompromising commitment to responsible practice. The organization operates a devolved model designed for rapid, scalable growth and the development of entrepreneurial leaders. Our organizational model is based on the principle of clear accountability and the creation of entrepreneurial enclaves which define business units reflecting the natural components of our supply chain. Each Business Unit retains a profit motive and the responsibly to deliver shareholder returns. However, this cannot occur at the expense of overall Group value. What you can expect: At USA Rare Earth, we are pioneers and problem solvers, technologists and team players. Together, we: Build Solutions : If our task was a simple one, it would already be done. We are creative and solution-oriented, and we think outside the box to solve important problems. We know that a range of expertise and technologies is needed for success, and we work across sectors and alongside customers to deliver world-class solutions in sustainable ways. Deliver Quality : When we do things, we do them well. We believe that top-tier quality leads to industry competitiveness and we hold ourselves to the highest quality standards. We move fast when executing, but safety, quality, and excellence always come first. Lead responsibly : We have a responsibility to the planet, our consumers, our country, and each other. We put safety at the center of all we do, take accountability for our actions, incorporate sustainable practices in our processes and act with the financial best interest of our investors and consumers in mind. Win Together : Establishing a rare earth magnet supply chain is a big undertaking – and getting there is a team effort. We communicate openly, work together and challenge each other in pursuit of our goals. With every step we take we learn and get better.