Business Development Associate, Kensington

accobrands•Ela Township, IL

2d•$50,000 - $60,000•Remote

About The Position

At Kensington, we pride ourselves on an entrepreneurial culture that empowers us to think creatively, share our thoughts, collaborate, and voice our opinions. It’s how we’ve innovated, inspired, led, learned, and succeeded for 40 years. Headquartered in Burlingame, California, Kensington is a division of ACCO Brands (NYSE: ACCO), one of the world’s largest designers, marketers, and manufacturers of branded academic, consumer and business products, sold in more than 100 countries across the globe.Job SummaryThe Business Development Associate, Kensington will drive the growth of our IT accessory solutions within the public sector within an assigned territory. This position serves as the engine of the sales pipeline, focusing on identifying, qualifying, and nurturing high-value opportunities within state government and educational agencies. This role navigates the complexities of public-sector procurement, leverages cooperative contracts, and builds foundational relationships with key decision-makers. The position works in close partnership with Business Development Managers to expand our footprint and ensure our industry-leading solutions reach the organizations and public servants who need them most.

Requirements

5+ years of business development or sales experience in State & Local Government and/or Education IT markets
Strong understanding of public-sector procurement and contracting processes
Demonstrated ability to build long-term customer relationships and close complex deals
Excellent communication, presentation, and negotiation skills
Self-motivated, results-driven, and comfortable working independently
Ability to travel within the assigned territory

Nice To Haves

Existing relationships within State, Local Government, K–12, or Higher Education agencies
Experience working with cooperative contracts (e.g., NASPO, Sourcewell, OMNIA, GSA, state contracts)
Knowledge of education and government funding cycles and budget processes
Bachelor’s degree in business, Technology, or a related field

Responsibilities

Support the execution of territory sales plan for State & Local Government, K–12, and Higher Education (SLED) accounts by identifying high-potential targets
Proactively prospect, qualify, and initiate new business opportunities for IT accessory solutions within state & local government and education agencies
Identify expansion opportunities within existing accounts by identifying up-sell, cross-sell, and renewal opportunities
Build and maintain strong relationships with key decision-makers, influencers, and procurement officials with end users and channel partners
Develop a good understanding of public-sector procurement processes, cooperative contracts, compliance requirements and posse a familiarity of purchasing vehicles
Serve as a subject matter expert for prospective customers by understanding their IT accessory challenges and aligning them with the company’s solution offerings
Collaborate with internal teams (sales engineering, marketing, delivery, and leadership) to develop winning solutions
Build and manage a robust lead pipeline, ensuring data in Salesforce is consistently updated, accurately forecast product and revenue
Represent the company at industry events, conferences, and customer meetings to capture leads and build brand awareness within public sector