Business Development Manager
Groupon is a marketplace where customers discover new experiences and services everyday and local businesses thrive. To date we have worked with over a million merchant partners worldwide, connecting over 16 million customers with deals across various categories. In a world often dominated by e-commerce giants, we stand out as one of the few platforms uniquely committed to helping local businesses succeed on a performance basis.
Groupon is on a radical journey to transform our business with relentless pursuit of results. Even with thousands of employees spread across multiple continents, we still maintain a culture that inspires innovation, rewards risk-taking and celebrates success. The impact here can be immediate due to our scale and the speed of our transformation. We're a "best of both worlds" kind of company. We're big enough to have the resources and scale, but small enough that a single person has a surprising amount of autonomy and can make a meaningful impact.
The Role
This is an individual contributor, quota-carrying sales role. As a Business Development Manager, you will be responsible for finding, developing, and closing new merchant partnerships on the Groupon platform within an assigned region. You are not managing a team; you own your own book of business and results.
Our Business Development team focuses on building partnerships with new Groupon merchants. We spend our days learning what makes small businesses tick and crafting unique marketing campaigns to help them reach their target audiences. Our work creates real impact — helping local merchants thrive, creating jobs, and driving local economies.
You'll have the autonomy to prioritize your accounts, negotiate complex offers, and craft deal structures that work for both the merchant and Groupon. Through support from our management and training team, you'll develop deep expertise in Groupon's merchant strategy, sales process, and consultative selling — skills that will make you a stronger sales professional throughout your career.
What You'll Do
- Generate new business by cold calling and prospecting local merchants within an assigned region, selling across all verticals including Beauty & Wellness, Food & Drink, Things To Do, and Home & Auto
- Manage the full sales cycle — from initial outreach and consultation through negotiation and close
- Prospect new accounts through established networks, independent research, and the lead management pipeline
- Develop a genuine understanding of each merchant's business to position Groupon as the right solution for their goals
- Own the contract negotiation process, including margins, discounts, and deal structure
- Apply consultative selling strategies to reach merchants' desired outcomes while maximizing revenue
- Consistently achieve and exceed your individual sales targets
- Partner with Merchant teams post-close to ensure a smooth account transition and aligned merchant strategy
- Drive market growth by improving both the quality and revenue of merchants on the platform
What We're Looking For
- 3+ years of business development or full-cycle sales experience is required, with a proven track record of hitting or exceeding quota
- Experience working with local or small business merchants is strongly preferred
- Strong consultative selling, negotiation, and prospecting skills
- The right balance of coachability and confidence — eager to grow while owning your results
- Comfortable in a competitive, performance-driven environment
- Adaptable and solutions-oriented when facing new challenges or difficult conversations
- Strong accountability and ability to manage multiple priorities effectively
- High standards of integrity and work ethic
- Genuine curiosity about people and local businesses, with the ability to build trust quickly
Who You Are
- A self-starter who thrives on ownership and is motivated by achieving ambitious goals
- Consultative and confident, capable of leading conversations with business owners and adapting your pitch to their needs
- Resilient and results-oriented, maintaining focus and positivity in a fast-changing environment
- Collaborative and curious, eager to share insights and learn from your peers
- Passionate about helping small businesses succeed and excited to shape the future of local commerce
How We Measure Your Success
- Consistent achievement of monthly and quarterly GP and revenue targets
- Quality and retention of merchants onboarded
- Improved deal margins and conversion rates through effective negotiation and structuring
- Demonstrated ownership and pipeline accuracy in Salesforce
- Effective use of AI-enabled sales tools to improve outreach quality, follow-up consistency, and data accuracy
What We Offer
- Base Salary: $50,000 + uncapped commission & bonus opportunities
- On Target Earnings: $90,000+ based on gross profit you deliver
- Hybrid work model: Chicago office
- Benefits: Starting the 1st of the month after your start date:Medical, dental, vision, life insurance, disability, FSAs, EAP, 401(k) match, ESPP, and more.
- Learning & Development: Comprehensive training, ongoing coaching, and a supportive team committed to your success.
Why This Role? Why Now?
Groupon is evolving — and our Sales team is at the heart of that transformation. This is more than a role where you just make calls; it’s an opportunity and a place where your energy, curiosity, and voice can shape real success stories for local businesses.
If you’re ready to level up, we’d love to hear from you 🚀
Groupon is an AI-First Company
We’re committed to building smarter, faster, and more innovative ways of working—and AI plays a key role in how we get there. We encourage candidates to leverage AI tools during the hiring process where it adds value, and we’re always keen to hear how technology improves the way you work. If you’re passionate about AI or curious to explore how it can elevate your role—you’ll be right at home here.
Groupon’s purpose is to build strong communities through thriving small businesses. To learn more about the world’s largest local e-commerce marketplace, click here. You can also find out more about us in the latest Groupon news as well as learning about our DEI approach. If all of this sounds like something that’s a great fit for you, then click apply and join us on a mission to become the ultimate destination for local experiences and services.
Beware of Recruitment Fraud: Groupon follows a merit-based recruitment process without charging job seekers any fees. We've noticed an increase in recruitment fraud, including fake job postings and fraudulent interviews and job offers aimed at stealing personal information or money. Be cautious of individuals falsely representing Groupon's Talent Acquisition team with fake job offers. If you encounter any suspicious job offers or interview calls demanding money, recognize these as scams. Groupon is not responsible for losses from such dealings. For legitimate job openings (and a sneak peek into life at Groupon), always check our official career website at Groupon Careers