Business Development & Proposals Manager

**ERI \| Portland, ME or Worcester, MA (hybrid) or fully remote \| Apply by September 25, 2026** **\*US Applicants Only\*** This is the first position ERI has created dedicated entirely to growing the company. ERI is a digital strategy, design, and development firm serving higher education, financial services, and mission\-driven organizations. We have offices in Portland, Maine and Worcester, Massachusetts, and a team of about 20 professionals around the country. We are small on purpose. The work can be intense, decisions move fast, and the person in this seat will have a direct line to the founders and a visible hand in the growth of this enterprise. We are also building a Software as a Service (SaaS): ikiGuide.ai is our AI\-powered student discovery platform, a purpose\-first tool that helps prospective students find their fit and helps institutions capture qualified, high\-intent leads. We are planning to launch in the coming months, and we need a champion who can galvanize awareness, excitement, and close new business. **About this role** This is not a high\-volume, transactional sales role. It is a consultative growth position for someone who can identify the right opportunities, understand complex client needs, communicate the value of digital services and software, and move opportunities steadily toward a decision. On the agency side, you will monitor and develop opportunities through RFP channels, relationships, conferences, referrals, and targeted outreach. You will evaluate fit, lead the proposal process, manage follow\-up, and partner with our founders during sales conversations and closing. On the ikiGuide side, you will help shape and execute the go\-to\-market strategy for an early\-stage SaaS product. You will conduct discovery conversations and product demos, prepare quotes and sales materials, test outreach strategies, and help us build a repeatable sales process. As your product knowledge grows, you will take increasing ownership of the full sales cycle. You do not need to be a developer, but you must be comfortable learning and discussing websites, digital platforms, integrations, analytics, AI\-enabled products, and SaaS implementation. **You'll own:** * Monitoring and developing agency opportunities across RFP platforms, referrals, conferences, partnerships, and targeted outreach * Leading the RFP and proposal process, from qualification and go/no\-go recommendations through writing, coordination, submission, and follow\-up * Managing the HubSpot pipeline for both agency services and ikiGuide, including accurate records, forecasting, and consistent follow\-through * Preparing founders and internal subject\-matter experts for qualified sales meetings * Conducting ikiGuide discovery calls and product demonstrations * Developing quotes, sales materials, targeted outreach, and email campaigns * Helping refine ikiGuide’s positioning, pricing, demo narrative, and sales process based on market feedback * Representing ERI