Overview
Business Development Executive – San Francisco – San Francisco
Background
London & Partners is the Growth Agency for London. Our mission is to build London’s international reputation and to attract investment and visitor spend, which create jobs and economic growth. We also help our portfolio of UK companies expand into the United States and Canada. We are a not-for-profit public private partnership, funded by the Mayor of London and our network of commercial partners.
Our mission is to tell London’s story brilliantly.
Purpose of role
London & Partners’ North America team covers the whole of the United States and Canada from offices in New York, San Francisco, LA, Chicago, and Toronto. As Business Development Executive for the Northwestern United States and Western Canada, you will operate as a dedicated salesperson for the territory and report to the Senior Vice President in San Francisco. Your primary target cities will be the San Francisco Bay Area, Seattle, Portland, Minneapolis, Vancouver, and Calgary.
The primary function of this position is to source, develop and maintain relationships with high growth tech businesses that are looking to access the European market. You will promote London as the preeminent base for European trade and connect these businesses with our commercial partners who will assist them in establishing a presence in London.
You will also support UK businesses who are looking to establish a presence in the United States by assisting with their GTM strategy and introducing them to targeted corporates customers, investors, and local stakeholders. This will require building a network across your territory and being respected as an authoritative expert on fundraising from the venture community, transatlantic trade, and the tech ecosystem.
This role will be expected to speak at virtual and in-person events on the value proposition of both London and the United States as investment destinations as well as providing commentary in emerging sectors including GenAI, Web3, and frontier innovation.
Key Tasks
Business Development
- Engage with leadership at high growth scale-ups and venture capital from across our six core sectors: Creative; Destination Economy; Enterprise Tech, Fintech & Cyber; Life Sciences & Sustainability. Executive presence is essential as you will need to establish yourself as a trusted advisor on the growth plans for their companies.
- Lead generation. This will be achieved through a combination of warm and cold outreach and the successful candidate will be required to think independently and work with the SVP to form their own outreach strategy.
- Conduct targeted market research using advanced platforms such as Crunchbase, PitchBook, CB Insights, Thomson Reuters, and KPMG sector reports to identify high-potential companies for international expansion.
- Represent London & Partners at industry conferences and events. You will be expected to have an always-on approach to networking where you work independently to expand your contact list.
Trade Delegations
- Plan and deliver trade delegation programs for UK companies exploring establishing a presence in the United States. This will require utilizing your network to schedule high impact meetings with relevant buyers at large corporates, investors, and local stakeholders.
- Track mission ROI by analyzing both qualitative outcomes (strategic partnerships formed, contracts signed) and quantitative metrics (pipeline value, investment generated), leveraging data analytics tools to inform future initiatives.
Stakeholder Management
- Collaborate with international economic development agencies, industry bodies, and corporate partners in multiple countries to coordinate logistics, secure strategic introductions, and align mission objectives with participants’ international growth strategies.
- Plan and deliver a program for VIP visitors from the UK to your territory. Visitors may include the Mayor of London, Deputy Mayors, and London & Partners’ leadership.
Public Speaking & Industry Expertise
- Speaking at relevant conferences and events to build the company brand and expand your network.
- Provide market intelligence for London & Partners’ leadership on emerging trends in the tech industry
- Develop tailored International Expansion Playbooks that include competitor benchmarking, sector growth forecasts, partnership recommendations, and localized go-to-market strategies – drawing on data from PitchBook, CB Insights, Thomson Reuters, Crunchbase, and industry-specific reports from KPMG and government trade agencies.
You’ll have/bring
Essential:
- Education: educated to degree-level or equivalent. A degree in business, law, or international trade is preferred.
- Background: minimum of two years’ experience in a sales or business development role and enjoy working in a target driven business.
- Executive Presence: must be comfortable and authoritative when engaging with senior stakeholders in the world of business and politics.
- Industry Knowledge: passionate about emerging technology and venture capital and convey confidence as an expert in this field.
- Presentation Skills: able to speak at both in-person and virtual events to both technical and generalist audiences.
- Enthusiasm & Drive: bringing energy and positivity into the role.
- Mobility: while the position is based in San Francisco, there will be regular travel across the US and Canada and an annual trip to the UK.
Preferred:
- Education: post-graduate degree in international business.
- Background: experience working in a GTM, sales, or marketing role at a tech scaleup or in venture capital.
- Industry Knowledge: respected as a subject matter expert and specialist in emerging trends in the tech sector. Authoring white papers or online commentary would strengthen your application.
- Presentation Skills: experience speaking at high profile tech conferences.
- Enthusiasm & Drive: independent thinker with a bias for action who is motivated by delivering tangible results.
You’ll Get
- Hybrid working environment
- 30 days paid vacations
- Employer contribution to 401k.
- Monthly healthcare payments covered
- To join a fast paced, flexible and inclusive social enterprise
Disclaimer: due to the high volume of applications we receive, we reserve the right to close a vacancy earlier than the advertised date. This is to ensure our teams can manage application levels while maintaining a positive candidate experience. Once a vacancy has closed, we are unable to consider further applications, so please submit your application as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.
London’s diversity is its biggest asset. At London & Partners, we aim to ensure our workforce reflects the diversity of the city that we promote. We encourage applications from people of any age, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation or assignment, faith or disability. We also appreciate that many people require flexibility in their working patterns and encourage you to talk to us at interview about any flexibility you may need, be it full-time, job-share, or part-time.
We encourage applications from all sections of the community.
Visa Sponsorship:
We welcome applications from candidates who require visa sponsorship.
IMPORTANT: Before applying for this role, please make sure you have the right to work in the country where the role is based. Unless it clearly stipulates within in the job advert above that the hiring company is looking to or able to sponsor applicants it is deemed that the hiring employer will only consider applications from those able to comply with and work in the country where the role is based.
