Business Development Representative

Holly • Full-time • Brooklyn, NY, US • 1d ago

📍Hybrid (New York City or Los Angeles) 💼 $70,000–$80,000 / $100,000-$110,000 OTE (Base + Commission) + Equity

About the Opportunity

We’re hiring a Business Development Representative (BDR) to help grow Holly’s footprint in local government. This is a unique chance to join an early-stage, mission-driven startup transforming how governments attract, hire, and retain public servants.

As Holly’s first dedicated BDR, you’ll be on the front lines of our go-to-market motion: identifying prospects, running thoughtful outreach campaigns, and setting up conversations with city and county leaders. You’ll work directly with the founding team, learning not only how to run a world-class sales process but also how to leverage AI as a force-multiplier in your daily work. We’ll mentor you to use AI for prospecting, research, and automation—helping you develop both as a seller and as a modern, technical operator.

Holly’s mission is to bring millions of Americans into public service through software that treats them with hospitality and care. We’ve built the first AI-powered platform for local government workforce design—replacing costly consultants with a modern, intelligent alternative. Already live with jurisdictions representing 2% of the U.S. population and over 70,000 employees (and growing quickly), Holly is backed by J2 Ventures, Roble Ventures, Gaingels, and leading civic tech founders.

What You’ll Do

As our BDR, you will:

Generate new opportunities – Research and identify local governments that could benefit from Holly’s platform.
Own outreach campaigns – Run multi-channel prospecting (email, phone, LinkedIn, events) to connect with HR directors, budget officers, and other leaders.
Learn and apply AI tools – Use AI to accelerate prospect research, personalize outreach, and streamline workflows—with mentorship to help you develop real applied skills.
Qualify leads – Engage prospects in discovery conversations to understand needs and fit, capturing insights that will be used throughout the sales cycle.
Support sales cycles – Work closely with Max and Brendan to prepare materials, track deals, and ensure handoffs are seamless.
Refine our sales playbook – Test outreach cadences, messaging, and targeting strategies, then document what works for repeatability.
Collaborate cross-functionally – Share prospect feedback with product, marketing, and leadership to help shape Holly’s GTM strategy.

You Might Be a Fit If You...

Have 1–3 years experience in sales development, business development, or a customer-facing role (startup, SaaS, or public sector experience a plus).
Care about government, civic tech, or mission-driven work and want to help modernize public service.
Are curious and growth-oriented—you don’t need AI experience today, but you’re excited to learn and become fluent in using it.
Are energized by outreach and unafraid to pick up the phone, send creative emails, and knock on doors (sometimes literally).
Are organized and disciplined, with strong follow-through on pipeline management and CRM hygiene.
Communicate clearly, whether over email, on calls, or in writing.
Thrive in ambiguous, fast-paced environments where you’re helping build processes from scratch.

What You’ll Get

Mentorship & growth – Learn directly from Brendan and Max, with coaching in both sales craft and applied AI skills.
Hands-on AI training – Develop comfort and capability with AI tools that will set you apart in modern GTM roles.
Skill growth – Build a foundation in SaaS sales and be positioned to grow into an AE or senior GTM role.
Mission-driven impact – Help governments across the country better serve their workforces and communities.
Competitive package – $70–80K base salary, commission upside, equity ownership, platinum health benefits, and hybrid work flexibility.

Our Interview Process

Intro call (30 min) – Conversation with Max to discuss alignment.
Outbound exercise (1–2 hours) – Draft a prospecting campaign for a sample jurisdiction (bonus if you show how you’d use AI to help).
Mock call / review outbound exercise (45 min) – Roleplay a discovery conversation with Max.
On-site – Meet the co-founders, spend time actually making calls, jam on strategy, and get a feel for working together.
References – Mutual reference checks.
Offer – Join us in building something impactful.

How to Apply

Email jobs@hollygov.com with a short note on why you’re excited about this role, along with your resume. Bonus points if you suggest one government we should prioritize outreach to, and why.

This role requires in-person presence 3–4 days/week in New York or Los Angeles to enable mentorship and will include travel to client sites.
You will be calling primarily West Coast clients for the majority of 2026 during Pacific Time business hours.
Applicants must have authorization to work in the U.S. without sponsorship.

Work Philosophy: We are an early-stage, fast-growing startup that strives to meet high standards for serving our customers. This requires strong work ethic and occasional evening or weekend work to meet critical deadlines or urgent requests. We believe in flexibility and trust you to manage your own schedule to maintain a healthy work-life balance while maintaining high standards for responsiveness to customer needs.

Our commitment to inclusion and belonging: We welcome applicants from diverse backgrounds and encourage people from underrepresented groups to apply. For accommodations, contact us at jobs@hollygov.com.