Business Development Director

SPC helps students across Canada access exclusive discounts at over 450 top brands - making everyday savings simple. From fashion and food to tech and travel, SPC gives students endless ways to save on the things they love. More than just discounts, SPC connects students to perks, events, and contests, creating a full student lifestyle experience. Our mission is to make student life easier and more rewarding, and as we grow, we’re looking for leaders who are passionate about creating real impact for students while building strong, lasting partnerships.

About the role: The Director of Business Development & Partnerships will play a key role in expanding SPC’s reach and impact for students. This person will identify and develop strategic partnerships, lead proposals and RFPs, and guide partner relationships from start to long-term success. They will collaborate closely with sales, marketing, and stakeholders, oversee CRM effectiveness, and lead and mentor the Business Development and Partnerships team to deliver results that matter. In this role, every partnership you build contributes directly to helping students save, access more opportunities, and enjoy the full SPC experience.

Here’s how you will impact SPC:

Strategic Planning and Execution:

• Demonstrate strong business acumen to translate analytical insights into actionable recommendations aligning with business objectives
• Plan, execute, and review tactics to improve the lead‑to‑sale conversion funnel
• Create and execute strategy for lead generation while scaling sales targets
• Identify new partners or partner groups who would benefit from available solutions
• Build and nurture business relationships with partners to positively impact growth

Team Leadership and Development:

• Mentor and guide team members in cultivating and capturing opportunities, including RFPs, prospecting, pitching, and client relationship management
• Proactively participate in brainstorms to generate original, inspiring ideas meeting company objectives
• Scale, nurture, and optimize partnerships beyond launch, identifying opportunities to grow partnership value
• Provide market value pricing to ensure profitability and success

Communication and Collaboration:

• Create messaging and positioning from a partner point of view to position the company as the best solution
• Develop prospect and customer‑facing materials, assets, and communications
• Keep up to date with industry trends and provide well‑researched information to the sales team
• Collaborate with sales, marketing, product, and operations teams to identify opportunities and address gaps in the company offering
• Conduct competitor analysis to mitigate risks and ensure competitiveness in the market

Performance Management:

• Manage KPIs on all aspects of Business Development & Partnerships and take appropriate measures to achieve expected outcomes
• Recommend new solutions to address any gaps in the company offering
• Ensure value‑added solutions are profitable to the business and contribute to overall success
• Manage our CRM system, including platforms like HubSpot, to ensure effectiveness across the team
• Oversee the utilization of these tools and provide guidance on best practices and strategies
• Maximize efficiency and productivity through effective CRM management
• Tracking of financial targets as well as monitoring invoices and contracts.

The soft skills you bring to the team:

• Coaching: Encouraging and guiding employees in order to make their performance more effective and to enhance their self‑perception and problem‑solving skills.
• Customer Focus: Professional experience building successful new business and partnerships strategies with a strong focus on clear tangible results and funnel growth
• Creativity and Innovation: Seek new and better ways of doing things, think strategically about the business and uncover new revenue sources
• Business Orientation: Identify new market opportunities for SPC as well as high‑potential, and developing partners
• Negotiating: Obtain maximum results from meetings in which interests conflict both in terms of content and maintaining good relations. Adapt to ever‑changing client needs and expectations.

What you contribute to the team:

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Business or Marketing
• Minimum of 3 years of experience at a director level in sales and business development
• Proven track record in a fast‑paced, agile‑oriented company, with bonus points for experience in Start‑Ups, Retail Environments, Loyalty Programs, or high‑growth eCommerce (3 years preferred)
• Entrepreneurial mindset with a passion for selling ideas and driving them to fruition
• Exposure to cross‑functional teams including Product, Marketing, Product, Operations, and Brand
• Proficiency in CRM management and sales team target maintenance (e.g., Salesforce, HubSpot)
• Advanced Excel skills and willingness to learn reporting and project management tools like Basecamp and ClickUp
• Demonstrated success in negotiating, signing on, and managing relationships with external stakeholders, partners, and vendors
• Highly curious and skilled at generating and transforming ideas into actionable tests
• Motivated by challenging targets and eager to tackle both large projects and smaller tasks to drive business growth
• Strong collaborator and communicator, adept at engaging with internal and external partners and stakeholders
• Experience mentoring and guiding team members to achieve their professional goals, supporting a culture of growth and development within the team

What SPC Offers:

• VIP SPC Membership - Shop like a Student!
• Out of Office – Vacation and Personal Days
• Health Benefits - Health Spending Account, Wellness Spending Account, Health Benefits, Travel and Group Insurance Coverage
• Be Social - Company Sponsored Events both virtual and in‑person
• Early Friday, Every Friday – we like to think it’s summer year‑round
• Competitive base of $100K–$140K, with quarterly commissions and the potential to earn well beyond

How we work:

You aren’t just valued for your experience and skill sets, but equally for your growth mindset and attitude. We work as a flat organization, working collaboratively as a team and showing up every day as our authentic selves. Our team knows that creative solutions require a diverse approach to thinking and life experiences.

SPC is an equal opportunity employer and values diversity at our company. Our hiring process is inclusive of all candidates regardless of their race, religion, colour, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. Accommodations are available upon request for all aspects of the selection process.

The pay range for this role is: 100,000 - 140,000 CAD per year (Vaughan)

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