Director of Business Development

Location: Fort Lauderdale, FL (in-office daily)

Type: Full-time | Individual Contributor (first BD hire)

Compensation: ~$100,000 base (flexible) + quarterly company-performance bonuses

The Opportunity

This is not a traditional closing role. The mission is to make sure every relevant yacht broker, captain, and maritime partner knows who the company is, understands its capabilities, and maintains an active relationship.

This role owns external relationships, field presence, and revenue growth. Boat shows, port relationships, brokerage engagement, and daily contact with the market are central to success. This is the first dedicated business development hire and will play a key role in building the commercial function and eventually supporting the addition of junior business development reps.

Key Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary external ambassador to the global yachting and maritime community
• Build and maintain relationships with yacht brokers, captains, crew, and specialty vessel operators
• Establish a strong presence at boat shows, marine industry events, marinas, and ports
• Educate the market on vessel capabilities, routes, and the company’s digital booking platform
• Drive consistent revenue growth through relationship development and disciplined follow-up
• Maintain a clean, active pipeline and CRM with ongoing touchpoints
• Coordinate closely with leadership and operations to align customer expectations, schedules, and vessel availability
• Represent the company professionally in high-end, relationship-driven environments (client lunches, port visits, industry events)
• Support long-term growth by helping shape business development strategy and future hiring

What Success Looks Like

• Strong brand visibility and credibility in the yachting and marine shipping market
• Expanding broker and captain relationships across key regions
• Consistent revenue growth tied directly to vessel utilization
• Repeat business and a healthy, well-managed pipeline

Ideal Background

• Proven experience in relationship-driven business development, such as:
• Freight forwarding, logistics, or port-related services
• Yacht or marine services
• Luxury sales environments (private aviation, luxury real estate, high-end brokerage, etc.)
• Comfortable working with brokers, captains, high-end clients, and operators
• Excellent communication, presentation, and follow-through skills
• Highly field-oriented (boat shows, lunches, port visits, events)
• Strong organizational and CRM discipline
• Able to operate under pressure in an early-stage, fast-moving environment
• Experience and credibility matter more than formal education

Compensation

• ~$100K base (flexible depending on experience)
• Quarterly bonuses tied to company growth and revenue performance
• Medical insurance stipend provided