Business Development Executive - Middle East

Department: EMEA Sales

Location: Dubai, UAE

Description

Oxford Economics, a leading economic forecasting and consulting firm, is seeking to hire a Business Development Executive for the Middle East territory. We deliver independent, data-driven insights to clients around the world. Our work supports critical decisions by businesses, financial institutions, and governments, with coverage across global macroeconomic trends, industry dynamics, and regional outlooks.

This individual will be responsible for driving the growth of the territory by generating sales leads, securing initial meetings, and supporting the entire sales cycle. This role is suited to a candidate with experience in a sales-based environment, who is highly comfortable speaking with clients over the phone, setting meetings, and engaging stakeholders with a consultative approach. A successful candidate will excel at uncovering qualified opportunities using lead sourcing tools, industry research, and professional networking. You will become adept at navigating complex organizational structures to identify key decision-makers and qualified buyers. This position is an integral part of our growth strategy for the region and offers a clear path for advancement into a more senior sales role within the company.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead Generation & Prospecting:
• Undertake thorough market analysis to identify key companies in the territory and key individuals within companies, developing strategic approaches to network and establish relationships.
• Maintain a knowledge of global economic and business trends to facilitate conversations with prospects.
• Utilise modern sales technologies, including AI-powered platforms, cold calling, email, LinkedIn and other outbound activities to identify high-value prospects and personalize outreach at scale to generate new sales opportunities.
• Create and manage multi-touch point campaigns to generate inbound leads.
• Sales Process & Prospect Engagement:
• Make outbound calls and initiate contact with senior professionals to introduce Oxford Economics solutions.
• Qualify and manage inbound leads and demonstrate exemplary SalesForce hygiene.
• Coordinate internally with marketing, research, and operations teams to support outreach and campaign execution.
• Organise and secure initial meetings (virtual and in-person) for the senior sales team and for your own pipeline
• Develop a strong knowledge of our subscription solutions, their value for each sector and become proficient in providing demonstrations of these services.
• With support from senior team members, use a consultative approach to develop tailored value propositions and proposals for interested prospects.
• Negotiate contracts and close business deals to achieve revenue targets.
• Sales Operations & Reporting:
• Maintain and update the company CRM (SalesForce) with all lead, prospect, and activity (calls + meetings) details to ensure data integrity.
• Prepare and present weekly, monthly and quarterly sales activity reports to manager.
  

• A Bachelor’s degree (economics, business, finance, or a related field desirable).
• At least 2 years’ experience in a sales or business development capacity, ideally selling subscription services within the research, consulting, or information services industry.
• A genuine interest in economics and current affairs.
• A proactive and energetic approach to prospect outreach, including cold calls.
• Confident speaking on the phone and engaging with senior professionals.
• Highly organized with the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously.
• Exceptional oral and written communication skills.
• Must be a collaborative team player who is adaptable, self-motivated and eager to learn.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Experience with SalesForce or other CRM systems.
• Fluent in English.
• Proficiency in Arabic (desirable but not essential).