Sales Development Representative Intern Jobs in Portland, OR

The Role: A Curious “Hunter” Ready to Grow

We are looking for a Business Development Representative (BDR) who is energized by building new relationships, motivated by meaningful work, and excited to grow a career in sales.

This is an opportunity to develop both outbound prospecting and inbound sales skills while helping healthcare organizations discover language access solutions that improve patient care.

Approximately 60% of your time will be focused on proactively building new pipeline through outbound prospecting, while 40% will be spent managing inbound inquiries, qualifying opportunities, and helping prospective clients take the next step.

If you’re naturally curious, resilient, coachable, and excited by the challenge of opening doors, this role offers an incredible opportunity to learn, grow, and make an impact.

Position Summary

The Business Development Representative (BDR) is responsible for generating qualified sales opportunities through a combination of outbound prospecting and inbound lead management.

As the first point of contact for prospective clients, you’ll introduce hospitals, health systems, clinics, and health insurance organizations to Linguava’s language access solutions—including our on-demand interpretation services (On-Site, Video Remote Interpreting, and Over-the-Phone Interpreting) and our technology platform.

Success in this role comes from balancing proactive outreach with responsive lead management, maintaining a healthy sales pipeline, and consistently creating qualified meetings for our Business Development team. This role serves as an excellent foundation for someone looking to build a long-term career in business development and healthcare sales.

What You’ll Do
Build New Business Opportunities (Approximately 60%)

• Identify and prospect hospitals, health systems, clinics, and payer organizations across existing and new markets
• Research target accounts and identify key decision-makers within Language Access, Procurement, Operations, Diversity & Inclusion, and Executive Leadership
• Execute strategic outbound outreach through phone, email, LinkedIn, and other prospecting channels
• Develop personalized outreach strategies that generate qualified meetings and build early-stage relationships
• Expand Linguava’s presence as we continue to grow beyond the Pacific Northwest

Manage & Qualify Inbound Opportunities (Approximately 40%)

• Respond promptly to inbound inquiries from prospective clients
• Conduct discovery conversations to understand client needs and qualify opportunities
• Build relationships with inbound prospects while identifying opportunities to expand conversations and cross-sell additional Linguava services
• Partner closely with Business Development Managers to ensure seamless handoffs of qualified opportunities
• Deliver an exceptional first impression of Linguava in every client interaction

Manage Pipeline & Performance

• Maintain accurate prospect activity, notes, and pipeline data within HubSpot
• Consistently achieve outreach, follow-up, and qualified meeting goals
• Develop daily and weekly activity plans to maintain a healthy pipeline
• Share prospect feedback, market insights, and competitive intelligence with Sales leadership
• Continuously refine prospecting strategies based on performance and coaching

Who You Are
The Hunter-in-Training

You enjoy opening doors, creating opportunities, and aren’t discouraged by hearing “no.” Every conversation is an opportunity to learn and improve.

The Relationship Builder

Whether someone reaches out to us or you’re making the first call, you know how to build trust, ask thoughtful questions, and create positive first impressions.

The Curious Learner

You’re coachable, eager to learn, and excited to develop your business development and sales skills. You welcome feedback and are motivated by continuous growth.

The Goal Chaser

You enjoy working toward measurable goals and take pride in achieving results. You’re competitive in a healthy way and motivated by creating opportunities through your own effort.

The Strategic Thinker

You don’t rely on mass outreach alone—you research accounts, understand your audience, and personalize your approach to stand out.

The Team Player

You recognize that every qualified meeting contributes to the team’s success and enjoy collaborating with teammates to achieve shared goals.

Required Qualifications
Education & Experience

• 1–3 years of experience in business development, sales development, lead generation, customer-facing sales, or outbound prospecting
• Bachelor’s degree preferred or equivalent combination of education and experience
• Experience using HubSpot or a similar CRM platform
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience selling into healthcare organizations or healthcare-related industries
• Familiarity with language services, healthcare technology, SaaS, or healthcare operations
• Experience prospecting into enterprise or multi-stakeholder organizations
• Proven success meeting activity, pipeline generation, or appointment-setting goals

Compensation & Benefits

• Base Salary: $60,000–$75,000 annually, depending on experience, qualifications, and internal equity
• Variable Compensation: Eligible to earn additional incentive compensation based on qualified meetings scheduled and contribution to pipeline growth
• Comprehensive medical, dental, vision, life, AD&D, and long-term disability insurance
• 401(k) with company match
• Paid Time Off (PTO)
• Paid Holidays
• Floating Holiday
• Volunteer Time Off (VTO)

How You’ll Embody Our Values
People First

You build authentic relationships and create positive experiences with every prospective client.

Doing the Right Thing

You represent Linguava with honesty, integrity, and professionalism in every interaction.

Pursuit of Progress

You embrace coaching, continuously improve your skills, and look for new ways to create opportunities.

Above & Beyond Service

You go the extra mile to understand client needs and create meaningful first impressions.

Have Each Other’s Back

You collaborate closely with Marketing, Business Development, and Client Success to ensure every opportunity has the best chance of becoming a successful partnership.

Why Linguava?

At Linguava, we believe language should never be a barrier to quality healthcare. Every conversation you start has the potential to help healthcare organizations improve communication, advance health equity, and better serve patients with limited English proficiency.

We’re building a collaborative, mission-driven team where people are encouraged to learn, grow, and take on new challenges. This role is an excellent opportunity for someone looking to build a long-term career in business development. You’ll receive coaching, mentorship, and hands-on experience in both outbound prospecting and inbound sales while working alongside experienced leaders in healthcare and language access.

If you’re hungry to learn, motivated by meaningful work, and excited to grow your career, we’d love to hear from you.

Our Interview Process

We believe interviews are a two-way conversation. Our goal is to help you learn more about Linguava while giving us the opportunity to get to know you and your experience.

Our hiring process for this role includes:

1. Phone Screen with our Director of Human Resources

2. Video Interview with the Hiring Manager

3. Final Interview with members of our Sales Leadership team

Throughout the process, we’ll keep you informed about next steps and provide updates as decisions are made. We know your time is valuable and are committed to providing a thoughtful, transparent, and respectful hiring experience from application through offer.

Linguava is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to creating an inclusive workplace that reflects the communities we serve.

Employment Type: FULL_TIME