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Creative Business Development Jobs in Chicago, IL

Dentons US LLP is recruiting for a Business Development Specialist to support its globally ... Highly organized and possess strong creative abilities and excellent writing skills, as well as the ...

Business Development is also heavily involved in new partner launches, in partnership with the ... Ability to overcome roadblocks with creative solutions * You have a natural desire to keep up with ...

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Showing results 1-20

Creative Business Development information

See Chicago, IL salary details

$20.1K

$56.7K

$94.3K

How much do creative business development jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 2, 2026, the average yearly pay for creative business development in Chicago, IL is $56,657.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $42,800.00 and $65,400.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

Is being a BDM a stressful job?

Business Development Managers (BDMs) often face stress due to targets, client negotiations, and workload management. The role requires strong communication, strategic thinking, and resilience, which can contribute to job pressure, especially in competitive industries or during busy periods.

Is a BDR an entry-level role?

A Business Development Representative (BDR) role is typically considered entry-level, focusing on lead generation, outreach, and qualification of prospects. It often requires strong communication skills and may serve as a stepping stone to more advanced sales or business development positions.

What is the difference between Creative Business Development vs Creative Marketing?

AspectCreative Business DevelopmentCreative Marketing
Primary FocusIdentifying new business opportunities and partnershipsPromoting products/services to target audiences
Skills & CredentialsBusiness strategy, networking, salesBranding, advertising, content creation
Work EnvironmentClient meetings, strategic planning sessionsCampaign development, digital platforms
Industry UsageUsed across industries to grow businessUsed mainly in marketing and advertising sectors

While both roles involve creativity and strategic thinking, Creative Business Development focuses on expanding the company's market presence through partnerships and new opportunities. Creative Marketing centers on promoting the company's offerings to attract and retain customers. Understanding these differences helps professionals choose the right career path or job focus within the creative industry.

What is Creative Business Development?

Creative Business Development involves identifying and pursuing new business opportunities that leverage creative strategies, often within industries such as advertising, media, design, and entertainment. Professionals in this role blend creative thinking with commercial acumen to build partnerships, expand client bases, and drive revenue growth. Their responsibilities may include market research, pitching innovative ideas, negotiating deals, and collaborating with creative teams to deliver unique value to clients. This role is pivotal for companies looking to stand out in highly competitive and fast-evolving markets.

What is a high paying job for creative people?

Creative business development roles, such as creative directors or business development managers in advertising, marketing, or media companies, often offer high salaries. These positions typically require strong strategic, communication, and leadership skills, along with experience in client relations and project management.

How does a Creative Business Development professional typically collaborate with internal teams to drive new business opportunities?

Creative Business Development professionals work closely with marketing, design, and product teams to align client needs with the company's capabilities. They often lead brainstorming sessions, contribute to pitch decks, and help tailor proposals that showcase the company's creative solutions. Regular communication ensures that client feedback and market trends are integrated into service offerings, fostering a collaborative environment that supports both innovation and business growth.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Creative Business Development professional, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Creative Business Development professional, you need strong skills in sales strategy, market analysis, relationship building, and often a degree in business, marketing, or a related field. Familiarity with CRM platforms like Salesforce, proposal software, and digital marketing tools is typically required. Exceptional communication, negotiation, and innovative thinking are crucial soft skills that help you stand out in this role. These abilities are essential for identifying new opportunities, building partnerships, and driving sustainable business growth in competitive markets.

What kind of jobs in media bring in $150,000 a year?

In media, roles such as senior media executives, creative directors, and high-level producers often earn $150,000 or more annually. These positions typically require extensive experience, strong leadership skills, and proficiency with industry tools like Adobe Creative Suite or media management platforms.
What are popular job titles related to Creative Business Development jobs in Chicago, IL? For Creative Business Development jobs in Chicago, IL, the most frequently searched job titles are:
What cities near Chicago, IL are hiring for Creative Business Development jobs? Cities near Chicago, IL with the most Creative Business Development job openings:
Infographic showing various Creative Business Development job openings in Chicago, IL as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 100% Full Time. Highlights an 70% In-person, and 30% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $56,657 per year, or $27.2 per hour.

Industries Business Development Manager

Salesforce, Inc.

Chicago, IL

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement

Posted 5 days ago


Salesforce rating

8.0

Company rating: 8.0 out of 10

Based on 57 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

120th of 241 rated software companies


Job description

To get the best candidate experience, please consider applying for a maximum of 3 roles within 12 months to ensure you are not duplicating efforts.

Job Category

Sales

Job Details

About Salesforce

Salesforce is the #1 AI CRM, where humans with agents drive customer success together. Here, ambition meets action. Tech meets trust. And innovation isn't a buzzword - it's a way of life. The world of work as we know it is changing and we're looking for Trailblazers who are passionate about bettering business and the world through AI, driving innovation, and keeping Salesforce's core values at the heart of it all.

Ready to level-up your career at the company leading workforce transformation in the agentic era? You're in the right place! Agentforce is the future of AI, and you are the future of Salesforce.

Overview

As a member of the ISV Business Development team you are responsible for generating, managing, and driving high impact, revenue generating partnerships. This includes generating partnership strategy, leading commercial strategy, and handling relationships and negotiations for partnership deals which can be non-traditional in nature, require sophisticated stakeholder management, and business case development. The role will require concurrently driving multiple deals or initiatives with partners to complement our solutions, create a new industry or vertical footprint leveraging the Salesforce technology stack and/or drive a unique go-to-market business partnership to accelerate our indirect and direct sales.
Salesforce is looking for a talented partnerships professional and team player with great energy and initiative to fill a strategic and highly visible role in the future development of our partner ecosystem.
Your Impact
Expansion of the Salesforce ecosystem

  • Source and close strategic Industry ISV and resell partnerships that extend Salesforce distribution by identifying, engaging and convincing third parties to build product on the Salesforce platform.

  • Add new partners to the Salesforce ecosystem via integration, agents and data connectivity.

  • Identify Industry whitespace where platform gaps exist, and craft partner-driven solutions to address them-leading everything from deal structure to internal alignment.

  • Activate and help scale Agentforce by identifying ecosystem partners that can enhance intelligent agent workflows and in-context AI capabilities.

  • Champion creative business models that unlock value for our customers while ensuring mutual success for partners.

Strategic Deal Execution

  • Own the full partnership lifecycle: from market opportunity analysis and initial outreach through to negotiation, contracting, and GTM readiness.

  • Navigate ambiguity, prioritize thoughtfully, and move quickly to structure first-of-kind deals.

  • Ensure partner engagements are scalable and built for long-term success-but your focus is on building new, not managing existing.

Cross-Functional Influence

  • Partner with key internal stakeholders across Product, Legal, Finance, Operations and Sales.

  • Act as a thought leader across the company on what's happening in the ISV partner landscape and ecosystem.

  • Contribute to strategy sessions, internal readouts, and investment cases with insight and clarity.


Minimum Requirements

  • 7+ years in ISV sales, ecosystem management, business development, strategic partnerships, corporate development, or platform strategy-ideally in SaaS, AI, data, or cloud ecosystems.

  • Experience in one or more of the following priority industry verticals: Healthcare, Life Sciences, Financial Services, Manufacturing

  • Proven experience leading complex deal cycles and building new business models (e.g., rev shares, embedded experiences, ecosystem monetization).

  • Understanding of the Salesforce platform-including APIs, workflows, agents, automation-and its ecosystem potential.

  • Familiarity with generative AI, LLMs, data analytics platforms, and cloud data architecture.

  • Strong commercial instincts combined with the ability to work effectively across technical and non-technical stakeholders.

  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including business case development and partner storytelling.

  • Ability to structure and analyze quantitative impacts of partnerships on the business.

Unleash Your Potential

When you join Salesforce, you'll be limitless in all areas of your life. Our benefits and resources support you to find balance andbe your best, and our AI agents accelerate your impact so you cando your best. Together, we'll bring the power of Agentforce to organizations of all sizes and deliver amazing experiences that customers love. Apply today to not only shape the future - but to redefine what's possible - for yourself, for AI, and the world.

Accommodations

If you need a reasonable accommodation during the application or the recruiting process, please submit a request via this Accommodations Request Form.

Please note that Salesforce uses artificial intelligence (AI) tools to help our recruiters assess and evaluate candidates' resumes and qualifications throughout the recruiting process. Humans will always make any candidate selection and hiring decisions. Please see our Candidate Privacy Statement for more information about how we use your personal data and your rights, including with regard to use of AI tools and opt out options.

Posting Statement

Salesforce is an equal opportunity employer and maintains a policy of non-discrimination with all employees and applicants for employment. What does that mean exactly? It means that at Salesforce, we believe in equality for all. And we believe we can lead the path to equality in part by creating a workplace that's inclusive, and free from discrimination. Know your rights: workplace discrimination is illegal. Any employee or potential employee will be assessed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications - without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, transgender status, age, disability, veteran or marital status, political viewpoint, or other classifications protected by law. This policy applies to current and prospective employees, no matter where they are in their Salesforce employment journey. It also applies to recruiting, hiring, job assignment, compensation, promotion, benefits, training, assessment of job performance, discipline, termination, and everything in between. Recruiting, hiring, and promotion decisions at Salesforce are fair and based on merit. The same goes for compensation, benefits, promotions, transfers, reduction in workforce, recall, training, and education.

In the United States, compensation offered will be determined by factors such as location, job level, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. Certain roles may be eligible for incentive compensation, equity, and benefits. Salesforce offers a variety of benefits to help you live well including: time off programs, medical, dental, vision, mental health support, paid parental leave, life and disability insurance, 401(k), and an employee stock purchasing program. More details about company benefits can be found at the following link: https://www.salesforcebenefits.com.Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance and the Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring, Salesforce will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.At Salesforce, we believe in equitable compensation practices that reflect the dynamic nature of labor markets across various regions. The typical base salary range for this position is $172,500 - $260,100 annually. In select cities within the San Francisco and New York City metropolitan area, the base salary range for this role is $207,800 - $285,800 annually. The range represents base salary only, and does not include company bonus, incentive for sales roles, equity or benefits, as applicable.

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