Founding Business Development Manager

Legion Software is a US-based senior engineering consultancy. We solve the problems most firms won't touch: mission-critical platforms in crisis, failed migrations, runaway cloud costs, and engineering organizations that can't ship. Our engagements run 12 months or longer, our client retention is near-perfect, and the work we do directly affects millions of dollars in client outcomes.

We are two co-founders who have built something genuinely premium. Our challenge is simple: we are great at delivery and terrible at marketing. Every client we have came through a direct referral. We have zero inbound pipeline and we need someone who can fix that.

This is a ground-floor business development role at a firm with a strong foundation. You will own lead generation from day one with no playbook, no SDR team handing you warm leads, and no brand recognition to coast on. In exchange, you get a compelling commission structure on large deals, a real path to full-time employment, and the chance to build the commercial engine of a firm that knows how to deliver.

WHAT YOU WILL OWN

- Refine the ideal client profile including company size, industry, and the trigger events that signal a prospect needs us

- Build outbound pipeline from scratch using LinkedIn outreach, targeted email, conference networking, and referral activation with existing clients

- Develop sales collateral including anonymized case studies, service narratives, and website content in partnership with the founders

- Own the full top of funnel: prospect identification, initial outreach, qualification, and scheduling discovery calls with the founders who close

- Systematize the referral process with existing clients

- Manage and update our LinkedIn presence and website content on a consistent cadence

- Track pipeline activity and report weekly to founders

COMPENSATION AND STRUCTURE

Initial engagement is structured as a 1099 contract while we validate mutual fit. Our goal is full-time conversion within six months.

Contract Rate: $35 to $45 an hour

Commission: 10% of collected revenue on deals you source

Typical Deal Size: $250,000 to $400,000 annually

Example: One closed $300,000 engagement = $30,000 commission

On-Target Earnings: $130,000–$180,000 annually during the contractor phase, assuming 2–3 sourced engagements per year.

Commission is paid on first-year collected revenue from new engagements directly sourced by the contractor. Full-Time commission details are available in employee handbook.

Upon full-time conversion:

Base salary: $60,000 to $80,000 depending on experience

SEP-IRA: Company contributes up to 25% of your base salary (roughly $15,000 to $20,000 annually)

Health insurance: 100% employer paid

WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR

We are not looking for a career SDR who has only worked warm inbound queues at a SaaS company. We need someone who has sold professional services, consulting, or managed services to enterprise buyers and done it without a strong brand or inbound engine behind them.

The right candidate has closed or directly influenced deals of $100,000 or more, understands that enterprise consulting sales cycles run 3 to 12 months, and is comfortable building from scratch. You should be able to tell us in specific detail about a deal you sourced, navigated, and closed. Vague answers are a disqualifier.

You will work directly with two founders. No middle management, no committee approvals on messaging, no bureaucracy. That is a feature, but it requires someone who can operate with real autonomy.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

- Prior experience selling professional services, consulting, or managed services

- Demonstrated ability to build pipeline from zero without inbound support

- Familiarity with enterprise sales cycles and multi-stakeholder buying processes

- Enough technical fluency to hold credible conversations with CTOs and engineering leaders

- Strong written communication: outreach and collateral you write should not read like templates

- Disciplined pipeline management and accurate reporting

- Comfortable with ambiguity and building processes where none exist

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

- Direct experience in application modernization, cloud cost optimization, or cybersecurity consulting

- Familiarity with Series B and Series C technology company environments

- Experience generating pipeline through industry events and professional communities

- Ability to draft case studies and thought leadership content with minimal editorial support

WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE

Days 1 to 30:

- Deep understanding of our services and ideal client profile

- ICP defined with trigger events documented

- First outreach sequences drafted and reviewed with founders

- Website and LinkedIn audit with written recommendations

Days 31 to 90:

- Active outbound cadence with 30 to 50 qualified prospects in sequence

- At least one anonymized case study drafted and published

- LinkedIn content cadence running at 2 to 3 posts per week

- Referral asks initiated with existing clients

Days 91 to 180:

- Build a qualified pipeline representing at least $1M-$2M in potential annual contract value.

- Active pipeline report showing prospects at each stage

- Clear read on which messaging and channels are producing traction

- Full-time conversion discussion initiated

ABOUT LEGION SOFTWARE

Legion Software Inc. is a Minneapolis-based senior engineering consultancy founded by Joseph Noble (CTO) and Justin Ruby (CEO). We specialize in the highest-stakes software challenges: legacy platform modernization, enterprise data architecture, AI readiness, and cybersecurity for organizations where technical failure is not an option.

Our engagements are US-only, high-touch, and built for long-term partnership. We are not a staffing firm. We are not an offshore development shop. We are a small, senior team that takes ownership of outcomes.

Learn more at www.legionsoftware.com