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Business Development Manager

You will need to be available to start by 28 February 2026 at the latest. Applications from candidates who cannot start before this date will not be considered in the current hiring round. However, if you are available later, you are welcome to apply, and we will review your profile for our next phase of recruitment.

Join one of Europe’s leading AI-powered political intelligence platforms – to shape how organisations track and understand political change!

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Job Profile

Working as part of the Belgium and EU sales team, the Business Development Manager will play a key role in one the major growth areas of the business. You will focus primarily on expanding Polpo’s footprint in Belgium and the EU, building relationships with corporate, advisory, and institutional clients in the public affairs, policy, and political intelligence sectors, while collaborating with our Netherlands team on cross-border opportunities.

You’ll be joining a fast-growing B2B SaaS company in the GovTech and political intelligence space, helping organisations use AI-driven insights to make sense of complex EU and national developments.

You’re a motivated sales professional with a proven track record in winning new business, developing strong networks of decision-makers and influencers, and generating high-quality leads that convert efficiently.

You’ll be an expert at discovering your prospects’ needs and positioning the value and benefits of Polpo’s products while translating these into successful proposals and building strong relationships with all internal functions that will support the company’s growth plans and necessary to your success in closing deals and within the business.

You will also support the VP of Sales, Belgium and EU and follow up on a timely basis with case studies, strategic initiatives such as (but not limited to) new business planning and mapping, competition analysis, market opportunity assessment and market sizing, prospect feedback, sales forecast and lead generation campaigns.

Success in this role will be measured by new client acquisition, revenue growth, and contribution to Polpo’s strategic positioning within the Belgian and EU markets.

Key responsibilities

The successful candidate will:

  • Expand Polpo’s footprint in Belgium and the EU by building relationships with corporate, advisory, and institutional clients — including corporate affairs teams, consultancies, trade associations, and NGOs — who rely on timely political intelligence and AI-powered SaaS solutions to guide strategy. Collaborate closely with our Netherlands team on cross-border opportunities.
  • Develop & execute strategic growth plans to capitalize on market opportunity, accurately forecast new sales, manage your opportunity pipeline month by month and provide a three-month forecast at any given time.
  • Manage the full sales cycle — from lead generation and B2B SaaS sales outreach through to client relationship management and deal closure.
  • Position the value and benefits of Polpo’s products and keep up to date with market changes and developments, as well as new products.
  • Support the VP of Sales, Belgium and EU with case studies, strategic initiatives such as (but not limited to) new business planning and mapping, competition analysis, market opportunity assessment and market sizing, prospect feedback, sales forecast and lead generation campaigns.
  • Effectively working alongside other stakeholder departments to ensure an integrated approach to customer care and that market needs are being met.

How You Strengthen Our Team

Our ideal candidate will have:

  • Proven track record of working successfully in a challenging and driven sales environment, with experience of working in B2B New business role.
  • Strong negotiation skills selling to a corporate and advisory customer base is a must.
  • Curiosity about public affairs, political intelligence, and regulatory developments covered by the business is a must to be truly successful.
  • An understanding of the EU and/or Belgian institutional landscape and stakeholder ecosystem will be a strong advantage.
  • Good financial management skills, contracting, sales forecast and updating the pipeline.
  • A confident and articulate communicator with a strong commercial acumen and a natural ability to build positive and long-lasting relationships with internal stakeholders.
  • The ability to be flexible, highly organised and work to tight deadlines.
  • Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills.
  • A degree in law, political science, economics and/or business administration would be highly advantageous.
  • Fluency in English and at least another European language is a must.

Please note that applicants must already hold EU citizenship or a valid Belgian work permit for this Brussels-based position.

What We Offer

  • A tight-knit team where you work closely with the founders and your manager.
  • A competitive package that aligns with industry standards that ensures your success is rewarded.
  • A laptop, phone, and everything else you need to do your job well.
  • Plenty of room to grow and develop to the next level.
  • 25 days leave (20 statutory days, plus 5 extra-legal holidays), plus bank holidays.
  • Flexible, hybrid working environment which values work-life balance and gives you the option to choose how you best work.
  • An annual premium paid in June each year (pro-rata for part time workers) and dependent on cost of living per year.
  • Monthly contribution to public transport (if living 3kms or more from the office and upon receipts).
  • 13th Month is paid at the end of the year and in pro-rata of occupancy at Polpo.
  • Regular social activities, events and celebrations for you to connect with your team mates.

Interested?

If you are interested in the role, please submit your application through our Company Jobs Page. You can also email your application directly to jvanzaanen@polpo.nl (co-founder). Interviews will be held in November and December. We look forward to hearing from candidates who share our passion for technology, public affairs, and growth.