Business Development Representative

As a Business Development Representative (BDR) you are typically the first point of contact between a technology company and its potential business customers, responsible for identifying and reaching out to prospects through cold calls, emails, and social-media outreach. You research target companies, qualify leads, and book discovery meetings for senior sales colleagues such as Account Executives. Much of your day is spent working within CRM platforms, tracking your outreach activity, logging notes, and meeting daily and weekly pipeline targets. You collaborate closely with marketing teams, who supply campaigns and inbound leads, and with sales managers who coach you on technique and strategy. BDR roles are particularly common in Dublin's large SaaS and technology sector, where many international companies operate multilingual sales hubs.

A Leaving Certificate is the typical minimum academic entry point, and subjects such as Business, Economics, and English at Higher Level are genuinely useful for this role. Many employers in Ireland's tech sector value a Level 7 or Level 8 degree in Business, Marketing, or Communications, though a relevant QQI Level 6 award from a PLC course in Sales, Marketing, or Business can also open doors. Technological universities such as TU Dublin and ATU offer Higher Certificates and ordinary bachelor degrees in Sales and Marketing that are well regarded by Dublin tech employers. Some candidates enter directly from school or college and complete short in-house sales training programmes or industry certifications such as those offered by HubSpot Academy or Salesforce. There is no statutory professional registration body for this role, but progression into more senior sales positions is often supported by continuous professional development and recognised sales qualifications.