Business Development ​Research Intern

**About NatureServe** For 50 years, NatureServe has been the authoritative source for biodiversity data throughout North America. With an international network of over 60 Natural Heritage Programs and Conservation Data Centers across the United States and Canada (“the Network”), NatureServe is the leading source of information on rare and endangered species and the ecosystems on which North American species depend. To protect threatened biodiversity, NatureServe works with over 1,000 conservation scientists to collect, aggregate, and standardize biodiversity statistics, providing comprehensive data to the public for strategic conservation efforts. NatureServe and its network programs develop and manage the most comprehensive data for over 100,000 species and ecosystems, answering fundamental questions about what the critical elements of biodiversity are, where they are found, and how they are doing. **About the role** NatureServe is seeking a Business Development Research Intern to support the growth of our biodiversity data business. You’ll work directly with the Director of Biodiversity Data Sales to research prospective companies, understand how they are organized, and identify the right decisionmakers for outreach. This is a part\-time, paid internship, well suited to a graduate student or recent graduate with an interest in conservation, biodiversity, or environmental science, combined with research or business\-development experience. ***The internship offers hands\-one experience in business development and market research within the growing biodiversity, environmental, and geospatial data sector. You’ll gain exposure to how companies use environmental data in real\-world decisions, while developing practical research skills and familiarity with the organizations, technologies, and career paths shaping this field.*** On a recurring (approximately weekly) basis, you'll receive a set of target companies and guidance on the types of roles or business units we want to reach. Your research will help us understand who the right people are and how best to approach each organization. For each company, you will: * Review the company's website and public materials to understand its structure, identifying the correct business unit for large or complex organizations. * Identify 2–3 high\-quality contacts per company who closely match the target roles provided, prioritizing people with direct responsibility for the relevant product, service line, or purchasing decision. * Verify each contact's current employment, title, and business unit using LinkedIn and other public sources. * Identify and verify business email addresses using verification tools, clearly flagging anything that can't be verified. * Compile findings into a shared tracker: full name, title, business unit, email, verification status, LinkedIn profile, and notes. * Flag companies where no suitable contact can be identified, rather than guessing or submitting unverified informat