Novable: Senior Business Developer, B2B platform

Why this role matters

Novable is moving from founder-led sales to a real commercial engine, and this role is the cornerstone of that move. Concretely, this means:

• You own new business end-to-end, with direct access to both founders, who sell alongside you rather than review you from a distance.

• You shape how we grow: the playbook exists, but it is young, and you will change it.

• There is a defined path to Head of Sales: as revenue grows, you build and lead the commercial team, own our go-to-market across Europe, and take the fourth seat on our executive committee, next to the CEO, the CTO and the Head of Client Success, with access to our stock option plan. This is a real trajectory tied to results, not a line we put in every job ad: the seat is planned, the timing depends on what you deliver.

• Small, experienced team, no layers, decisions in hours instead of quarters.

About Novable

Novable is a market intelligence platform that helps corporate innovation, R&D, and transformation teams discover and track startups and emerging technologies. We are a team of approximately 15 people, Brussels-based, and growing. Our clients engage with us for yearly contracts: this is not a quick demo-and-close product. It is a relationship built on delivery, with onboarding, regular touchpoints, and a sales cycle of typically 4-5 months. Novable's ICP are large enterprises' innovation and R&D teams conscious about the importance of corporate-startup relationships. We work with major accounts such as P&G, Airbus, Orange, EDF, PepsiCo, and Suntory.

The Role

We are looking for a Senior Business Developer to own our new business pipeline end-to-end. You will hunt, qualify, and close. You will work directly with Olivier (CEO/co-founder) on complex deals and commercial strategy, and alongside our Sales Rep (Emma) to build a high-performing commercial team.

This is fundamentally a pipeline-generation role. The core job is getting more companies from our lead pool into qualification and discovery conversations, and doing that with the discipline and senior presence that complex enterprise prospects require. Olivier and the team will support you on deal progression once the opportunity is live. Your job is to make sure that pipeline exists.

What You Will Do

• Build and work your own outbound pipeline: LinkedIn, cold calls and emails, events, referrals.

• Activate and re-engage a significant existing pool of qualified accounts and past opportunities where timing may now be right.

• Run the full sales cycle from first contact through signed contract: discovery, demo, proposal, negotiation.

• Occasionally engage with our partner network when a referral opportunity arises.

• Work closely with marketing on outbound campaigns and lead quality feedback.

• Set proper client expectations before handoff to Client Success. You own the first impression of what working with Novable feels like.

• Help build the sales playbook as we scale.

What We Are Looking For

• 5 to 10 years in B2B commercial roles, ideally in consultative or solution-selling environments.

• A proven track record closing deals with cycles of several months, navigating complex enterprise buying processes with multiple stakeholders.

• Comfortable with a platform that requires explanation: you can run a real discovery conversation, not just a demo.

• You like to tell stories and demonstrate value through real cases

• You can demonstrate smart use of AI in your day-to-day to boost your efficiency

• Hunter mindset, with the patience and structure that complex sales require.

• Able to connect and manage relationships with corporate innovation teams (from innovation managers to C-level executives)

• Full professional fluency in English (C2) is mandatory. Fluency in at least one additional European language is strongly preferred; Spanish is a plus. 

• Based in Brussels (2-3 days per week at the office).

What We Offer

On-target earnings of €70,000 to €85,000 depending on experience and track record, a mix of gross salary, a €700/month net mobility budget, and a variable that is uncapped . Because part of the package is net, it compares to a notably higher all-gross corporate package. As a startup we can be flexible on the mix: if you prefer a more aggressive variable, let's talk.

• Meal vouchers, eco cheques and monthly net allowances, and we are happy to optimize the package structure with you.

• Access to the stock option plan on the Head of Sales trajectory described above.

• A small, direct team: real ownership, fast decisions, and both founders in the deals with you.

Our Culture

Novable sits at the intersection of two worlds: the structured rigor of enterprise, and the energy of the startup ecosystem we serve. The team is small by design, which means real ownership, fast decisions, and no politics. We take our work seriously and ourselves less so. Playfulness and a genuine sense of humor are part of how we operate day-to-day, not items on a culture slide.

Transparency is a way of working here, not a value statement. Our clients trust us with sensitive strategic mandates, and we extend that same standard internally. We share what we know, say what we think, and support each other on hard problems. We are also genuinely curious people: curious about innovation, about the companies we work with, and about how to do commercial work better. If you read about corporate venturing because you find it interesting, rather than because it is in your job description, you will fit in well. See our values at novable.com/about.