Business Development Researcher

Think Together • Full-time • Hybrid in Santa Ana, California, United States • $70,000 - $77,000 / year • 17h ago

Fast Facts

Think Together is seeking a Business Development Researcher to drive strategic research and market intelligence to support new business growth and improve proposal strategies. The role focuses on identifying funding opportunities and providing data-driven insights to strengthen market positioning.

Responsibilities: Key responsibilities include conducting funding research, analyzing competitive landscapes, supporting proposal strategies, developing prospect profiles, and producing high-quality research reports to enhance business development strategy.

Skills: Required skills include strong analytical and critical-thinking abilities, proficiency in data analysis and research, attention to detail, organizational skills, and collaboration with cross-functional teams.

Qualifications: Preferred qualifications include a Bachelor’s degree in a related field, 3-5 years of relevant experience, familiarity with K-12 education funding, and proficiency with analytical tools and platforms like Salesforce.

Location: The position is located in Santa Ana, CA, USA, and is not remote.

Compensation: $70000 - $77000 / Annually

Overview

Business Development ResearcherFounded in 1997, Think Together partners with schools to change the odds for kids by providing award-winning programs during and outside the school day. We’re one of California’s largest nonprofits working in school districts from San Diego to San Francisco. Whether you’re interested in early learning, elementary, middle or high school, you can invest in your community by working at a local school or working within our home office providing support!JOB SUMMARY: The Researcher, Business Development, reporting to the Director of Market Evolution, is responsible for delivering strategic research and market intelligence that drives new business growth and informs Request for Proposal (RFP) pursuit strategy at Think Together. The role conducts in-depth analysis of providers, funding apportionments, available grants, and school/Local Education Agency (LEA) data to identify high-value and emerging opportunities. The position ensures alignment with Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) requirements and Expanded Learning Opportunities Program (ELO-P) guidelines to ensure insights and recommendations are data-driven, analytically supported, and tailored to funding conditions and district priorities. Working in partnership with the Director, District Partnership and/or Executive Director of Program, the Researcher synthesizes critical insights that shape go/no-go decisions and proposal strategy, elevating Think Together’s competitive positioning in the market. As a critical catalyst for new business growth, the role delivers the strategic intelligence that informs market entry decisions and strengthens win rates for new RFPs and emerging opportunities. ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Market & Funding Research • Conduct research on funding streams, grants, apportionments, state and regional policy shifts, and K–12 education funding trends. • Monitor key data sources to identify emerging funding opportunities aligned to Think Together’s offerings and target markets. • Translate research findings into clear, actionable insights to support new business and early-stage pipeline development. Competitive & Provider Intelligence • Analyze provider landscape, including pricing, service models, performance, strengths, and competitive positioning. • Identify market gaps, trends, and whitespace to inform differentiation strategy and new business pursuits. • Maintain a centralized and current competitive intelligence database to support proposal development and leadership decision-making. RFP Intelligence and Proposal Strategy • Provide data-backed insights to strengthen proposal narratives, value propositions, and market positioning. • Support go/no-go decisions by assessing funding conditions, competitive likelihood, district priorities, and alignment to Think Together’s capabilities. • Ensure insights are aligned with LCAP/ELO-P requirements, state priorities, and district needs to drive compelling and relevant proposal responses. Prospect Profiling & New Business Identification • Develop comprehensive prospect profiles that include district demographics, needs, strategic priorities, risks, and opportunity potential. • Partner with the Director, District Partnerships and Business Development to inform tailored engagement strategies for new and emerging opportunities. • Support early-stage outreach by equipping teams with relevant district intel, talking points, and entry strategies. Insights, Reporting & Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) • Produce high-quality research briefs, funding landscape scans, competitive summaries, and market insight reports. • Track research outcomes, utilization, and impact on win rates and business development strategy.• Lead Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) efforts to refine research processes, tools, and deliverables that enhance accuracy, efficiency, and relevance. • Develop standardized tools, templates, and a research intake process to promote consistency, scalability, and cross-team alignment. • Monitor and report on key performance metrics, including: o Maintain 95% or higher accuracy across all deliverables. o Deliver 90% or more requests on time based on agreed timelines. o Demonstrate measurable influence on win rates for new RFPs through data-driven insights. QUALIFICATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS: • Bachelor’s degree in business, Education, Public Policy, Data Analytics, or a related field (or equivalent experience). • 3–5 years of experience in research, data analysis, market analysis, or business development, preferably in education or nonprofit sectors. • Strong analytical and critical-thinking skills with ability to synthesize complex data into actionable insights that influence decision-making. • Demonstrated experience with education data sources, funding research, or competitive market intelligence. • High attention to detail, strong organization, and ability to manage multiple concurrent research priorities with accuracy and timeliness. • Ability to collaborate with cross-functional teams and influence strategy through clear, insight-driven recommendations. • Proficiency in maintaining trackers, ensuring data integrity, and creating clear, data-driven summaries for leadership and proposal teams. • Strategic Enablement: Designs tools, templates, and processes that create consistency, scalability, and crossteam alignment. • Experience working with LCAP/ELO-P requirements or K–12 funding is preferred. • Familiarity with Salesforce, data visualization tools, or market research platforms is a plus. COMPUTER SKILLS: • Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite, Outlook, and Teams

COMPENSATION:

Salary Range $70K-$77K

This is the targeted compensation for the position. A range of factors, including but not limited to; location, skills, experience, will be considered. Actual compensation may vary.

Think Together is an Equal Opportunity Employer that does not discriminate on the basis of actual or perceived race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, religious creed, physical disability, mental disability, age for individuals age 40 and over, medical condition (as defined by state law (for example, cancer or genetic characteristics or HIV/AIDS), marital status, military and veteran status, sexual orientation, genetic information, citizenship status or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law. Our management team is dedicated to this policy with respect to recruitment, hiring, placement, promotion, transfer, training, compensation, benefits, employee activities and general treatment during employment.