SMB Growth Business Development Manager, Pilot
$127-163k
OTE
Base pay is 50% of OTE. + Equity
Bookkeeping services for startups
Be an early applicant
Bookkeeping services for startups
201-500 employees
Be an early applicant
$127-163k
OTE
Base pay is 50% of OTE. + Equity
201-500 employees
Company mission
To help small businesses and startups to achieve their commercial goals by taking care of the CFO services, tax preparation and bookkeeping.
Role
Who you are
- This role is based in the San Francisco Bay Area and is ideal for someone who enjoys being active in local business communities and connecting with SMB owners face-to-face
- You’re a relationship builder and creative problem-solver who knows how to turn connections into opportunities
- You enjoy helping business owners discover solutions that make their lives easier, and you thrive in environments that value experimentation, measurement, and growth
- 4+ years of experience in business development, partnerships, or channel sales, ideally selling or marketing to SMBs
- A proven track record of generating leads or revenue through referral, partner, or event-based channels
- Strong relationship-building skills and confidence connecting with business owners, local organizations, and industry groups
- Experience hosting in-person events, attending expos, or partnering with local associations
- A data-driven mindset with a focus on achieving measurable results
- A builder mentality: scrappy, curious, and eager to test new ideas
What the job involves
- We’re looking for a Business Development Manager to help us expand our presence in the SMB market
- You’ll focus on generating sales qualified leads (SQLs) by building referral networks, hosting & co-hosting events, identifying high-potential local and digital channels, and creating opportunities to connect directly with SMB owners and operators
- You’ll play a key role in helping Pilot reach more business owners through partnerships with accountants, banks, associations, and local business groups
- You’ll also host and co-host events, webinars, and explore creative ways to reach SMB decision-makers
- This role reports to the Head of Partner Development and works closely with our Sales and Marketing teams to design and execute growth strategies
- Your primary goal is to generate high-quality leads for our Account Executive team by cultivating relationships and channels that reach SMB owners
- Source and secure new partnership opportunities with banks, payroll providers, local chambers of commerce, business associations, and SMB focused software companies
- Nurture existing relationships to drive consistent referral activity and shared value
- Host and co-host events, both virtual and in-person, to engage SMB communities and increase awareness of Pilot’s services
- Identify new outreach channels (events, associations, communities, or digital groups) that connect with SMB owners
- Follow up on event-generated leads to qualify prospects and ensure a smooth handoff to Account Executives
- Track and report on partnership performance, referrals, and lead generation metrics to improve strategy over time
- Collaborate with Marketing to develop campaigns, collateral, and co-branded events that support local and national SMB growth
- Work cross-functionally with the GTM and Operations teams to deliver value to key partners
Our take
Back office operations such as bookkeeping are an unwelcome distraction and expense for businesses, but they don't have to be. Pilot is the largest provider of back office services for startups and small businesses in the US, aiming to take care of a company's back office so they can focus on their core activities.
Founded in 2016. Pilot has attracted an impressive range of customers including Bolt, r2c and Pathrise. The company's proposition is more than just bookkeeping software, providing services that would ordinarily be provided by a fractional chief financial officer. This empowers small businesses and startups to make better budgeting and spending decisions without the need of an expensive finance department hire.
The company's commitment to providing the best customer experience is a particular strength. Over 80% of the company’s business is driven by customer referrals and organic interest. It has also established a number of strategic partnerships with companies such as American Express, bill.com, Stripe and SVB, allowing it to offer a great deal of flexibility in supporting its customers whatever payment methods they use.
Going forward Pilot aims to be to startups and medium-sized firms what AWS is to cloud computing - a comprehensive, easily scalable solution that prevents the need to reinvent a necessary but non-core function from scratch. With rapid revenue growth and significant financial backing from investors, it is well poised to achieve this.
Kirsty
Company Specialist at Welcome to the Jungle
Insights
-4% employee growth in 12 months
Company
Funding (last 2 of 5 rounds)
Mar 2021
$40m
SERIES C
Jan 2021
$60m
SERIES C
Total funding: $158.3m
Company benefits
- We invest in our employees’ development and happiness because our employees are the keys to our success and ensuring happy customers
- The opportunity to join a seasoned founding team that has led companies through two prior successful startups and acquisitions (by Oracle and Dropbox)
- Flexible vacation/time-off policy
- All federal holidays are observed
- Competitive benefits package including wellness benefits such as Modern Health, Headscape, One Medical, Aaptiv and Rightway
- Parental leave for birthing or non-birthing parents – 100% pay for 12 weeks
- 401(k) plan
Company HQ
Financial District, San Francisco, CA
Leadership
Waseem Daher
(Co-Founder)They studied at MIT before founding Ksplice, where they spent 3 years as COO, and working at Oracle and Dropbox. Having founded Zulip in August 2012, they co-founded Pilot in January 2017.
Jessica McKellar
(CTO & Co-Founder)Previously, they were the founder and the VP of Engineering for a real-time collaboration startup acquired by Dropbox, where they then served as a Director of Engineering.
Jeff Arnold
(COO & Co-Founder)Formerly the Senior Director of Software Development at Oracle and Head of Product at Dropbox.
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