A

American Bureau of Shipping

Maritime classification, certification, and advisory services

Business Development Representative

Full-TimePosted on 10/22/2026
$100k - $120k/yr+ Incentives
Mid
Bachelor's
Remote in USA
RemoteRemote position with regular travel (50%+) to client sites; may include domestic and international travel.
Sales & Account ManagementAccount Executive

About the job

Requirements
  • A bachelor's degree in Business, Engineering, or another technical (STEM) field is required.
  • Typically 2 to 4 years of experience in business development, sales, account management, or a related commercial function is required.
  • Experience selling technical consulting or professional services is strongly preferred.
  • Experience with publicly advertised procurements, proposal development, or teaming arrangements is preferred.
  • Ability to independently identify and qualify opportunities, build client relationships, and contribute to pursuit execution.
  • Ability to build trusted working relationships with client contacts and teaming partners, and earn repeat engagement through reliability, relevant knowledge, and follow-through.
  • Understanding of how clients solicit, evaluate, and award contract opportunities, including publicly advertised procurements.
  • Understanding of assigned client industries, market trends, and competitive dynamics, and ability to apply that knowledge in client conversations and pursuit positioning.
  • Practical knowledge of business development processes, including opportunity identification, qualification, account planning, pricing fundamentals, pipeline management, and pursuit coordination.
  • Awareness of regulations applicable to the role, such as Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), and Export Administration Regulations (EAR), or ability to learn them quickly.
  • Ability to collaborate with technical, delivery, contracts, legal, and proposals teams to shape client solutions, scopes, and budgets.
  • Ability to communicate clearly and persuasively orally and in writing, explain technical topics to clients, tailor messages to the audience, and state the company's value proposition.
  • Ability to identify, analyze, and help resolve commercial and programmatic issues on assigned pursuits and accounts.
  • Personal accountability, ownership of account and pursuit outcomes, follow-through on commitments, and willingness to adjust approach when needed.
  • Ability to allocate time across accounts and opportunities based on potential value and pursuit stage.
  • Focus on delivering against revenue and activity targets and results.
  • Ability to persist through rejection and slow sales cycles, adapt to client feedback and competitive dynamics, and learn from losses.
  • Commitment to ethical business practices and corporate policies, ability to identify commercial risks, and refusal to misrepresent company capabilities or make commitments the company cannot honor.
  • Proficiency with Microsoft Office, particularly Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, and with customer relationship management (CRM) tools.
  • Working knowledge of the ABS Health, Safety, Quality and Environmental Management System.
Responsibilities
  • Independently identify and qualify business opportunities within assigned accounts and markets, including direct client needs, publicly advertised procurements, and teaming-partner opportunities; apply go/no-go criteria and maintain an organized personal pipeline.
  • Build trusted relationships with client contacts at working and mid-management levels; serve as an ABS point of contact for assigned clients, teaming partners, and relevant professional and industry associations; expand networks within assigned accounts.
  • Understand how assigned clients solicit and award contract work, including procurement cycles, solicitation formats, and evaluation criteria, and use this knowledge to position pursuits early and effectively.
  • Help develop deal strategy for assigned opportunities, contribute to pricing discussions and competitive positioning, support proposal development and business capture teams, and partner with the proposals team on submission strategy and content.
  • Own smaller or less complex accounts and day-to-day client engagement; develop account plans identifying key contacts, current work, and near-term growth opportunities; identify and communicate account-expansion opportunities.
  • Identify client business needs and connect them with appropriate company services; engage subject matter experts and communicate the company's value proposition.
  • Manage a personal pipeline and track progress against assigned revenue or activity targets; understand pipeline metrics, including stage distribution, conversion rates, and coverage, and keep opportunity information current and realistic.
  • Maintain accurate customer relationship management records for assigned accounts and opportunities, including stages, values, close dates, and next steps, and use the information to plan and prioritize work.
  • Collect, analyze, and share information on clients, competitors, and market trends with Business Development leadership; apply it to client conversations and pursuit materials.
  • Maintain knowledge of adjacent company service lines, recognize cross-selling opportunities, introduce relevant capabilities, and coordinate introductions with Business Development colleagues.
  • Apply basic pricing and margin awareness; work with business and contracts managers on proposal pricing and contract terms; support Legal review and required approvals.
  • Follow established commercial processes, Delegation of Authority requirements, and approval workflows for business development activities and proposal submissions.
  • Contribute to business development plans for assigned accounts and markets; understand how individual revenue targets and assignments support sector and regional growth objectives; share client feedback and market observations during planning discussions.
  • Present company capabilities and value proposition in client meetings and, as appropriate, at industry forums, tailoring communication to the audience.
  • Report directly to the Director of Business Development.
  • Travel regularly (50% or more) to client sites; travel domestically and internationally as required, and attend client-related events and meetings outside normal working hours when needed.
  • Work primarily in a professional office setting, with regular travel for client meetings, industry events, and internal business meetings, and occasional visits to field sites, including client locations, shipyards, and field offices.

About the company

A

American Bureau of Shipping

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ABS is a maritime classification society that provides classification, certification, and technical advisory services for ships and offshore assets to ensure safety and compliance. It sets safety and environmental standards, conducts surveys and inspections, and issues approvals and certificates for vessels, manufacturers, and service suppliers across the asset lifecycle. A global team from 200+ offices in 70 countries performs asset performance, energy and environmental reviews, and lifecycle management, while collaborating with governments and industry on guidance and decarbonization efforts. Its 160-year history, non-profit mandate within IACS, and emphasis on safety and environmental protection distinguish it from many competitors, guiding customers toward safe, efficient, and low-emission operations.

Company Size

5,001-10,000

Company Stage

N/A

Total Funding

N/A

Headquarters

Spring, Texas

Founded

1862

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Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • ABS signed a September 3, 2026 MOU with JB Energy for Brazilian floating wind.
  • ABS issued Fleetzero's battery system assessment on August 11, 2026, boosting electrification credibility.
  • ABS-backed TMV Logistics launched a $200 million maritime fund on May 26, 2026.

What critics are saying

  • DNV, Lloyd's Register, and Bureau Veritas still outrank ABS on installed fleet relationships.
  • ABS's Korea-U.S. shipbuilding push depends on 2026 subsidy politics and yard execution.
  • One class failure on ammonia, hydrogen, or nuclear approval would shred trust overnight.

What makes American Bureau of Shipping unique

  • ABS is an IACS member with 200 offices across 70 countries.
  • ABS combines classification, cyber consulting, and risk services after acquiring RMC Global in April 2026.
  • ABS leads frontier approvals for nuclear, floating data centers, ammonia, and hydrogen designs in 2026.

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Benefits

  • Hybrid Work Options

Growth & Insights and Company News

6 month growth

0%

1 year growth

1%

2 year growth

8%
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