Partnerships & Business Development Intern

About the Role

We're looking for a Partnerships & Business Development Intern who wants to be in the room where deals happen - not just watching, but learning to drive them.

You'll work directly alongside the C-Suite in live meetings, pitches, and partnership conversations. This means handling real prospects, real objections, and real stakes - not simulated case studies.

You'll build pipeline, support outreach, and gradually take ownership of pitching partnerships independently. Your work won't stay theoretical. It will go into real conversations, real proposals, and real relationships that impact the business.

If you're someone who enjoys the energy of a pitch, thinks in terms of relationships and value exchange, and wants to learn business development the way it actually works - this role will push you in the right ways.

What You Will Do

Attend meetings with the C-Suite and actively participate in partnership and BD conversations

Learn and develop pitching skills through real deal exposure

Support outreach and follow-ups with potential partners and clients

Identify and qualify new partnership opportunities

Gradually take ownership of pitching select partnerships independently

Build and maintain a pipeline of potential partners using CRM tools

Conduct market research to identify trends, competitors, and whitespace opportunities

Draft partnership proposals, one-pagers, and presentation materials

Support contract coordination and onboarding of new partners

Represent the company at industry events, networking sessions, and conferences

What We're Looking For

Confident communicator who is comfortable in a room with senior stakeholders

Genuine passion for business, deals, and building relationships

Quick adaptation learner - able to pick up new tools, contexts, and priorities fast

Must be able to leverage the latest AI tools to get things done smarter and faster

Startup experience or strong entrepreneurial mindset

Coachable - willing to be trained and take feedback in real time

Bonus: experience in sales, BD, or a client-facing role

Founding Mindset

You think in terms of relationships built, not just meetings attended

You ask "what does this partner actually need?" before every pitch

You take ownership of follow-through - deals die in silence

You balance boldness with listening

You proactively surface new opportunities instead of waiting for leads to come to you

Bonus

Experience in sales, BD, or account management

Existing network in relevant industries

Exposure to CRM tools (HubSpot, Salesforce, etc.)

What Success Looks Like Within 4–6 weeks, you should be able to:

Own outreach and follow-up for a set of partnership targets

Contribute meaningfully in at least one live pitch with the C-Suite

Build and maintain an active pipeline with clear status tracking

Draft a partnership proposal or one-pager independently

What You'll Get

Direct exposure to real deals, pitches, and C-Suite strategy

Hands-on training in business development and partnerships

A track record of real conversations and closed partnerships - not just busywork

A strong foundation for roles in BD, partnerships, or commercial strategy

Work directly with the founder and get a front-row seat to how a startup is built

An opportunity to speed up your entrepreneurial journey

Who This Is Not For

If you're uncomfortable with rejection or ambiguity

If you prefer back-office work over client-facing interactions

If you wait for leads to come to you

If you're looking for a low-intensity internship

Who Will Thrive Here

Natural relationship builders who follow through

People who are energized by pitching and persuasion

High-agency individuals who treat every conversation as an opportunity

Anyone who wants to learn BD the way it's actually done - in the field