Business Development Manager

Associations & Affinity Groups

Reports to: Practice Leader

Department: Associations & Affinity Groups

Work arrangement: Hybrid, Toronto, Ontario

Travel: As business needs require

License: RIBO license preferred; unlicensed candidates must be willing and able to obtain it within three months of starting employment

Compensation: $50,000 to $55,000 base salary; target annual variable compensation of $7,500; maximum annual variable compensation of $15,000. This role does not include commission-based compensation.

The Company

PROLINK, Canada’s Insurance Connection, is an independent insurance brokerage that has served clients since 1982. We provide tailored risk management and insurance solutions to professional associations and affinity groups, Canadian enterprises, small businesses, and individuals. We combine specialized insurance expertise, trusted relationships, and intuitive digital experiences to make insurance simpler.

The Opportunity

PROLINK is seeking a Business Development Manager to help grow our association and affinity programs. This is an individual contributor role that combines new member sales within existing programs with the early stage development of prospective association relationships.

The initial focus will be responding to inbound opportunities and conducting targeted outbound outreach to prospective members. As you develop the required program, industry, and insurance knowledge, the role will expand to researching prospective associations, engaging executives, and securing qualified introductory meetings for senior leadership.

You will work closely with Practice Leaders, Account Managers, Marketing, and senior leadership. Senior leadership will retain ownership of strategic negotiations and final association arrangements.

What You Will Do

Grow Existing Member Programs

• Respond promptly to inbound leads and conduct proactive outreach to prospective members through association campaigns, referrals, events, and digital channels.
• Understand member needs and eligibility, explain the value of the applicable program, and guide prospects toward the appropriate next step.
• Once licensed and authorized, provide insurance information and advice within the scope of the role, collect required underwriting information, and support quoting, placement, and closing.
• Coordinate with Account Managers and other licensed colleagues when technical guidance, underwriting support, complex placement, or a service handoff is required.
• Support targeted campaigns, conferences, webinars, and member education activities that increase program awareness and generate qualified opportunities.

Develop Association Opportunities

• Research and prioritize professional associations, affinity groups, membership organizations, and other prospective program partners.
• Identify executive decision makers, board members, influencers, and other stakeholders who may shape the selection of an insurance partner.
• Conduct thoughtful outreach by email, telephone, LinkedIn, events, referrals, and other appropriate channels to build relationships and secure qualified meetings for senior leadership.
• Prepare concise prospect briefs, maintain disciplined follow up, and nurture opportunities that are not immediately ready to proceed.
• Support presentations, proposals, RFP responses, and follow up activities as opportunities advance.

Collaborate and Execute

• Develop strong working knowledge of assigned programs, including eligibility, coverage, pricing, underwriting guidelines, referral requirements, and competitive differentiators.
• Maintain complete and timely records of prospects, contacts, activities, outcomes, and next steps in PROLINK’s CRM and other company platforms.
• Track results against agreed pipeline, meeting, conversion, new business, gross written premium, and revenue objectives, and identify obstacles early.
• Work collaboratively with Practice Leaders, Account Managers, Marketing, underwriters, and other specialists to ensure accurate communication and disciplined handoffs.

What You Bring

• Experience: Two to three years of experience in business development, prospecting, sales, account management, or another client facing role. Insurance experience and association and affinity group experience are considered assets but are not required.
• Sales capability: Demonstrated success building a pipeline, securing meetings, developing relationships, overcoming objections, and converting outreach into measurable opportunities.
• Communication: Confident, polished written and verbal communication skills, with the presence to engage association executives, members, underwriters, and internal stakeholders.
• Research and judgment: Strong ability to investigate organizations and industries, identify decision makers, synthesize information, and tailor outreach to the prospect.
• Execution: Strong planning, prioritization, CRM discipline, initiative, resilience, and follow through.
• Licensing: A valid RIBO licence is preferred. Candidates who are not currently licensed must be willing and able to obtain it within three months of starting employment. Until licensed and authorized, the individual may not independently advise on, quote, negotiate, or sell insurance.
• Education: Postsecondary education in business, commerce, marketing, communications, insurance, or a related discipline is preferred. Relevant experience may be considered in its place.
• Travel and events: Willingness to attend association meetings, conferences, events, and internal meetings as required.

What Success Looks Like

• Measurable growth in new member leads, conversion, policies in force, gross written premium, and revenue across assigned programs.
• A well researched and prioritized association pipeline that produces qualified introductory meetings and advances appropriate opportunities.
• Accurate CRM documentation, timely reporting, disciplined follow up, and effective internal handoffs.
• Increasing technical fluency in assigned programs and knowledge of the professions and industries being pursued.

What We Offer

• A base salary of $50,000 to $55,000, plus annual variable compensation targeted at $7,500, with a maximum of $15,000. This role does not include commission-based compensation.
• Comprehensive medical and dental benefits effective from the first day of employment.
• A hybrid work environment that combines flexibility with purposeful in person collaboration.
• Professional development, insurance education, and support toward licensing requirements.
• Exposure to senior leaders, association executives, insurers, and a diverse portfolio of professional sectors.

Our Commitment

At PROLINK, diversity begins and ends with our employees. We are committed to creating a diverse, equitable, inclusive, and accessible work environment where employees feel valued, respected, and supported. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer and to build a workforce that reflects the communities in which we live and work.

We provide accommodations throughout the hiring process. Applicants who require accommodation are encouraged to let us know, and we will work with them to meet their needs.

*Artificial intelligence will be used to screen, assess, and/or select applicants.*