- Company Name
- Martell Media
- Job Title
- Portfolio Business Development
- Job Description
-
**Job Title:** Portfolio Business Development
**Role Summary:** Lead end‑to‑end sourcing, qualification and closing of high‑quality startup founders and product ideas for a venture studio. Enable rapid pipeline growth, validate concepts, and align founders with strategic product direction to maximize PMF and enterprise value. Operate as a founder‑level operator who evaluates, coaches, and drives deals with precision and cultural focus.
**Expectations:**
- Grow a high‑velocity pipeline of world‑class founders and venture opportunities.
- Maintain rigorous evaluation standards integrating execution proof, ICP clarity, traction signals, strategic fit, and monetization viability.
- Deliver early product validation and operating plans that meet studio criteria before hand‑off.
- Drive cross‑portfolio synergies, partner relationships, and ecosystem leverage to increase enterprise value.
- Actively coach founders on ICP, offer design, GTM, and early product development.
**Key Responsibilities:**
1. **Deal Flow & Founder Qualification** – Source and close founders across Partnerships, Incubation, and Studio categories; use outbound, brand, media, influencer, and niche ecosystem tactics.
2. **Evaluation & Coaching** – Apply structured scoring on founder capability, grit, speed, and coachability; provide strategic fit analysis and early evidence of monetization.
3. **Early Validation & Planning** – Partner with founders to refine ICP, problem, offer design, pricing, and GTM sequencing; run MVP/traction validation cycles.
4. **Hand‑off & Pipeline Management** – Translate ambitions into milestone maps; ensure alignment with funding stage, runway, and studio priorities before passing to Growth Leader.
5. **Strategic Partnerships & Ecosystem Building** – Create a repeatable BD engine; identify cross‑portfolio leverage, talent, channel, and product partnership opportunities.
**Required Skills:**
- Proven B2B SaaS founder experience (ideally exited) with shipped products and customer traction.
- Deep expertise in sourcing, qualifying, and closing high‑caliber founders/products.
- Strong pattern recognition in market, traction, and PMF indicators.
- Coaching ability on ICP, pitch, GTM, and early product design.
- Excellent communication, judgment, speed, and owner mentality.
- Ability to navigate ambiguity, close complex deals, and align stakeholders.
**Required Education & Certifications:**
- Bachelor’s degree in Business, Engineering, Computer Science or related field.
- No formal certifications required; professional SaaS founder experience is essential.