Director of Business Development, WRDS

The Wharton School

. Lead end-to-end global sales lifecycle to expand WRDS adoption within international universities and commercial sectors .

Posted 10/22/2026full-timePhiladelphia • Pennsylvania • United StatesLead💰 $132,275 - $233,000 per yearWebsite

Core Competencies

Role fit

Core Competencies

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Demonstrates expertise in leading global sales strategies, managing complex enterprise relationships, and overseeing multidisciplinary teams. Proficient in Salesforce CRM management, revenue forecasting, and navigating the higher education ecosystem.

Highest-signal resume keywords

Global Sales LeadershipEnterprise Contract NegotiationSalesforce CRM StrategyBusiness DevelopmentHigher Education Ecosystem Knowledge

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills

Revenue ManagementMarket ExpansionData IntegrityClient ManagementSubscription-Based Business ModelsData-As-A-Service FrameworksOrganizational PlanningStrategic PartnershipsTechnical Value Proposition DevelopmentLicensing Opportunities Development

Soft Skills

CoachingFeedbackGoal-SettingRelationship CultivationTeam Leadership

Tools & Technologies

Salesforce CRM

Industry Keywords

Higher EducationUniversity Licensing FrameworksFinancial Data MarketingCommercial StrategyData VendorsAcademic Administration

Tech Stack

Tools & technologies

Cloud

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Lead end-to-end global sales lifecycle to expand WRDS adoption within international universities and commercial sectors
Negotiate complex enterprise contracts and present technical value propositions to university deans, corporate executives, and CIOs
Determine product positioning and pricing and identify opportunities for expansion, new features, and products
Align Customer Experience, Marketing and Sales, and Revenue Management functions across the client lifecycle
Provide strategic oversight to international teams supporting WRDS across Europe and Asia-Pacific
Integrate brand positioning, client onboarding, regional market engagement, and client usage insights to support retention and renewals
Lead and support 6 direct reports through coaching, feedback, goal-setting, and day-to-day guidance
Oversee end-to-end revenue management and intervene in complex procurement, legal, or administrative bottlenecks
Cultivate relationships and negotiate joint-licensing frameworks with global data providers
Develop institution-wide licensing opportunities while protecting and expanding the WRDS data ecosystem
Own the Salesforce CRM strategy, ensuring data integrity, pipeline visibility, and predictable revenue forecasting
Manage relationships with approximately 60 data vendors
Represent WRDS at academic conferences, vendor symposiums, and high-value client renewals

Requirements

What you’ll need

Bachelor's degree required, preferably in Business, Finance, Economics, Marketing, or a related quantitative field
Minimum of 7 years of progressively responsible leadership experience
Experience overseeing multidisciplinary teams or multiple functional areas
Direct people management, organizational planning, and accountability for team and operational performance
Demonstrated experience leading business development, commercial strategy, or comparable market-facing initiatives
Proven record of expanding into new markets, cultivating strategic partnerships, and managing complex institutional or enterprise relationships strongly preferred
Strongly preferred background in financial data marketing or sales
Deep understanding of the higher education ecosystem, university licensing frameworks, and academic administration strongly preferred
Experience serving as the business owner of an enterprise CRM, preferably Salesforce
Experience supporting data integrity, pipeline visibility, client management, and revenue forecasting
Working knowledge of subscription-based business models, data-as-a-service frameworks, and cloud-based data delivery strongly preferred
Ability to travel up to 20% domestically and internationally
Background checks may be required after a conditional job offer

Benefits

Comp & perks

Comprehensive medical, prescription, behavioral health, dental, vision, and life insurance benefits
Flexible spending accounts for eligible health care and dependent care expenses
Tuition assistance for employees, spouses, and dependent children
Tuition assistance for dependent children at other institutions
Basic, Matching, and Supplemental retirement plans
Pre-tax or Roth retirement savings options
Investment options through TIAA and Vanguard
Substantial time away from work
Long-term care insurance
Wellness and work-life programs and resources
Professional and personal development resources
Access to University libraries, athletic facilities, arboretum, art galleries, cultural and recreational activities
Discounts on arts, entertainment, transportation, mortgages, cars, cellular phone service, movie tickets, and theme parks
Flexible work options and non-traditional work hours, locations, and/or job structures
Forgivable home ownership loan for eligible employees in West Philadelphia
Adoption assistance for qualified expenses, up to two adoptions per household