Business Development Manager - Online Bidding

About the role

This role focuses on expanding Partnerverse's revenue through online freelancing platforms, with a primary emphasis on Upwork. The Business Development Manager will be responsible for the entire lifecycle of client acquisition, from optimizing the agency's profile and crafting compelling proposals to managing client communications and closing deals. Success in this position means consistently generating a pipeline of qualified leads and converting them into revenue-generating projects.

The manager will take full ownership of the Upwork agency account, strategically identifying high-value projects and developing proposals that align with the company's service offerings. This involves continuous optimization of the profile, improving visibility, and implementing a long-term strategy to scale Upwork as a significant revenue channel. The role also extends to other platforms like Freelancer and Guru, experimenting with different positioning and targeting strategies.

Collaboration is key, as this position requires working closely with sales managers, technical project managers, and pre-sales teams to ensure a smooth handover of opportunities. The Business Development Manager will also contribute to solutioning and pricing strategies, track performance metrics such as bid-to-response rates and conversion ratios, and provide weekly insights to refine strategies and drive continuous improvement.

The salary for this role ranges from $100,000 to $136,000 annually.

Skills that matter here

• Upwork: This role requires mandatory expertise in managing and optimizing agency accounts on Upwork to drive lead generation and revenue.
• IT services bidding & lead generation: The manager will use this experience to identify high-value projects and secure new business through online bidding portals.
• Proposal writing: The role involves crafting high-converting, personalized proposals to attract and secure client projects.
• Client communication: This skill is essential for managing end-to-end client interactions, clarifying requirements, and converting leads into deals.
• CRM tools: These tools will be used for tracking the lead lifecycle and managing client interactions efficiently.
• Strategic thinker with execution ability: The role requires developing long-term strategies for platform growth while also being able to implement them effectively.

Who this role suits

• A person with a strong ownership mindset who is focused on revenue generation.
• Someone highly disciplined and process-driven, capable of tracking performance and optimizing strategies.
• An individual who thrives in a fast-paced environment and possesses strong negotiation skills.
• A professional with a background in IT services sales and an understanding of offshore delivery models.

From the employer

Key Responsibilities

• Upwork Account Ownership & Growth
• Take end-to-end ownership of the Upwork agency account
• Revive and optimize profile (portfolio, case studies, keywords, positioning)
• Improve visibility, ranking, and inbound lead flow
• Build a long-term strategy to scale Upwork as a revenue channel

• Strategic Bidding & Lead Generation
• Identify and bid on high-value projects
• Focus on quality bidding over volume with strong win probability
• Maintain consistent pipeline generation

• Proposal Strategy & Conversion
• Craft high-converting, personalized proposals
• Align pitches with Antier's portfolio, case studies & past success
• Optimize bid-to-response and response-to-conversion ratios

• Client Handling & Revenue Conversion
• Manage end-to-end client communication
• Handle discovery discussions, requirement clarification, and positioning
• Convert leads into discovery calls, qualified opportunities, and revenue-generating deals

• Collaboration with Sales & Delivery
• Work closely with Sales Managers, Technical Project Managers, and Pre-sales teams
• Ensure seamless handover of opportunities
• Contribute to the solutioning and pricing strategy

• Marketplace Strategy Expansion
• Manage and optimize presence on Upwork (primary focus) and Freelancer, Guru (secondary)
• Experiment with profile positioning, proposal templates, and niche targeting strategies

• Reporting & Performance Tracking
• Track and improve bid-to-response ratio, response to meeting conversion, pipeline value generated, and revenue closed via platforms
• Share weekly insights and optimization strategies.

Required Skills & Experience

• 7+ years of experience in IT services bidding & lead generation via bidding portals
• Proven success in Upwork and other account management (agency level preferred)
• Excellent proposal writing & client communication skills
• Strong understanding of offshore delivery models and IT services sales lifecycle
• Tools & Platforms: Upwork (mandatory expertise), Freelancer, Guru, CRM tools for tracking the lead lifecycle
• Soft Skills: Strong ownership mindset (revenue-focused role), strategic thinker with execution ability, highly disciplined & process-driven, strong negotiation & client-facing skills, ability to work in a fast-paced environment
• Nice to Have: Background in Web3/gaming/NFT ecosystems would be a plus.