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    Business Development Manager APAC (IT Outsourcing & AI Solutions)

    SmartDev

    Malaysia
    Remote
    SaaS
    Hybrid
    See your match score
    Posted 2 weeks ago
    Work Type

    Remote

    Vertical

    SaaS

    Source

    himalayas

    About this role

    Job DescriptionSmartDev is looking for a Business Development Manager - an individual contributor with excellent solution selling skills who can create solid and AI competence sales funnels and drive sustainable, predictable growth in the APAC region. We need a BDM as a hybrid player who can translate complex AI capabilities into tangible business outcomes.

    You will identify, prospect, and close enterprise deals for custom AI solutions. Unlike a standard SaaS BDM, you must be comfortable discussing data pipelines, model accuracy, and ethical AI with CTOs while building a value-based ROI case for CMOs and CDOs. Strategic Business Development (70%) Identify and target high-potential enterprise accounts across Media, Fintech, and Logistics.

    Build a 12-month pipeline in AI solution opportunities. Lead consultative discovery: Map client pain points (e.g., manual data entry, churn prediction, document processing) to AI solution blueprints. Structure and negotiate complex contracts (POCs, pilot-to-production, managed services). Develop strategic partnerships with SI partners, cloud providers (AWS, Azure, GCP), and tech vendors.

    Solution & Technical Acumen (20%) Collaborate with Solution Architects to scope technical feasibility and effort estimates. Translate technical differentiators (e.g., fine-tuned vs. RAG-based LLM) into competitive business advantages. Educate prospects on AI risks (hallucinations, data privacy, bias) and our mitigation strategies.

    Internal Collaboration (10%) Act as the voice of the customer to influence product roadmaps. Work with Marketing to create AI-specific sales collateral (case studies, ROI calculators). Provide feedback on pricing models (consumption-based, outcome-based, subscription). Key Performance Indicators (KPIs): Pipeline generation; Won deals; Pilot-to-production conversion rate; Average deal cycle.

    Must-Have:

    5+ years in B2B solution sales or business development, with at least 2 years selling AI, ML, or data sc

    Selling Motion

    Sales Cycle

    Enterprise

    6–18 month cycles, complex multi-stakeholder deals

    Prospecting

    Channel / Partner

    Sell through partners, resellers, or alliances

    Buyer Persona

    C-Suite

    Selling to executive decision-makers

    Requirements at a Glance

    Bachelor's Degree·Required
    Prospecting·Required skill
    Negotiation·Required skill
    Solution Selling·Required skill

    Typical Day — Sales Rep

    Stakeholder meetings3–5/week
    Proposals & business cases1–2/week
    Pipeline managementDaily

    Estimates based on role type and selling motion — actual may vary by company.

    SaaS — Interview Intel

    Typical Sales Cycle

    30–90 days (SMB) · 3–9 months (Mid-Market) · 6–18 months (Enterprise)

    Common Buyer Objections

    • "We're locked into a contract with [competitor]"
    • "We built something in-house already"
    • "We don't have budget until next quarter"
    • "Our team won't adopt another tool"

    Key Industry Metrics

    ARR / MRRNet Revenue Retention (NRR)CAC Payback PeriodLogo Churn vs Revenue ChurnACV (Avg Contract Value)Magic Number

    Hot Topics to Reference

    • • AI-native product disruption
    • • PLG vs sales-led motion debate
    • • Vertical SaaS consolidation
    • • Usage-based pricing models

    Use these insights to speak the buyer's language in interviews.

    Tags

    Business-Development
    IT-Services
    AI-Solutions-Sales
    Enterprise-Sales
    Business-Development-Manager
    —

    How do you coach underperforming reps?

    Template question
    —

    Describe your forecasting methodology.

    Template question
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    How do you structure onboarding for new hires?

    Template question
    Research SmartDev's product, recent news, and key competitors
    Prepare metrics: quota attainment %, average deal size, win rate
    Practice a 2-minute product demo pitch for a mock discovery call
    Prepare to discuss your home office setup and self-management discipline
    Review the job description and map your experience to each requirement
    Role Insights

    Sales leadership roles require balancing individual contributor revenue with team performance management.

    Top SaaS reps often earn significant upside through accelerators once quota is exceeded.

    This remote-friendly role based in MY provides geographic flexibility while maintaining access to a SaaS market.

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