Business Development Associate Jobs in Illinois
Business Development Associate jobs in Illinois are concentrated in Chicago, Naperville, and Schaumburg, where companies like Salesforce, Allstate, and CDW maintain large commercial teams across technology sales, insurance partnerships, and B2B services. The market supports roles from entry-level pipeline development to senior account growth positions, with consistent demand in SaaS, financial services, and healthcare IT. Chicago alone ranks among the most active markets in the Midwest for this role. Scan the live roles below and apply to whichever ones fit.
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About AbbVie
AbbVie's mission is to discover and deliver innovative medicines and solutions that solve serious health issues today and address the medical challenges of tomorrow. We strive to have a remarkable impact on people's lives across several key therapeutic areas including immunology, oncology and neuroscience - and products and services in our Allergan Aesthetics portfolio. For more information about AbbVie, please visit us at www.abbvie.com. Follow @abbvie on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, X and YouTube.
Job Description
Business Development is a critical pillar of AbbVie’s future growth, and Global Business Development Forecasting helps determine which external opportunities can create the greatest long-term value. The team brings commercial insight, analytical rigor, and strategic clarity to high-stakes BD decisions by translating science, market dynamics, competitive context, and uncertainty into actionable forecasts.
The Associate Director plays a high-impact and highly visible role in this process, leading forecasts and commercial perspectives that shape executive understanding of opportunity value, risk, and strategic fit. Working across R&D, Commercial, Pipeline Commercial Strategy, CBSO, BD Finance, and other partners, this role sits at the intersection of scientific innovation and commercial strategy and directly supports decisions that influence AbbVie’s future portfolio.
Success requires strong forecasting and commercial analytics expertise, rigorous assumption development, clear executive communication, and the ability to influence across a matrixed organization. Candidates should be curious, collaborative, comfortable with ambiguity, and able to create structure in fast-moving situations. For the right candidate, the role offers meaningful growth through exposure to senior leaders, enterprise-wide relationships, and deeper understanding of both R&D and Commercial strategy.
This role reports to the Director, Global Business Development Forecasting.
Responsibilities
- Lead commercial forecasting, market assessments, scenario analyses, and commercial P&Ls for BD opportunities, balancing analytical rigor with timely decision support in a fast-paced environment.
- Develop patient-based forecast models, pressure-test assumptions, and apply primary research, secondary data, epidemiology, competitive intelligence, market access input, and expert perspectives to build a well-supported commercial view.
- Partner broadly across BD, PCS, finance, market access, epidemiology, marketing analytics, and senior leadership to align assumptions, clarify risks and opportunities, and ensure commercial perspectives are reflected in deal valuation and governance discussions.
- Translate complex analyses into clear recommendations, executive-ready narratives, and decision options for senior leaders and governance forums, facilitating productive discussion around uncertainty, trade-offs, and strategic implications.
- Advance BD forecasting capabilities by sharing best practices, improving tools and processes, and helping create faster, more consistent, and audit-ready ways of working.
Qualifications
- Education and experience: 7+ years of relevant forecasting, market analytics, finance, or life sciences consulting experience in pharmaceutical, biotech, or related industries; MBA or other advanced degree preferred. Bachelor’s degree in finance/accounting or business required.
- Forecasting and analytics skills: Experience building forecast models in Excel and forecasting platforms such as IQVIA Forecast Horizon; ability to develop and/or utilize patient-flow modeling approaches, craft robust assumptions, and prepare evidence-based forecast inputs from epidemiology, secondary data, market research, treatment dynamics, competitive profiles, and expert input. Familiar with key data sources used to substantiate forecast recommendations and demonstrated ability to clearly document forecast assumption logic and rationale. Familiarity with using and crafting Target Product Profiles (TPPs), establishing and aligning analytical business rules and market definitions, and leveraging claims data analytics is also highly desirable.
- Business and therapeutic area knowledge: Experience supporting strategic decision making in specialized therapeutic areas such as Neuroscience, Immunology, Oncology, or other complex markets is preferred; ability to apply data, assumptions, and market context effectively is critical.
- Communication and influence: Strong executive communication skills, including the ability to tailor messages by audience, translate complex quantitative analyses into recommendations and decision options, and influence stakeholders across functions and cultures without direct authority.
- Project leadership: Strong project management skills in a fast-paced, ambiguous environment, with the ability to prioritize multiple workstreams, communicate trade-offs, escalate risks appropriately, and deliver high-quality work under time pressure.
Additional Information
Applicable only to applicants applying to a position in any location with pay disclosure requirements under state or local law:
- The compensation range described below is the range of possible base pay compensation that the Company believes in good faith it will pay for this role at the time of this posting based on the job grade for this position. Individual compensation paid within this range will depend on many factors including geographic location, and we may ultimately pay more or less than the posted range. This range may be modified in the future.
- We offer a comprehensive package of benefits including paid time off (vacation, holidays, sick), medical/dental/vision insurance and 401(k) to eligible employees.
- This job is eligible to participate in our long-term incentive programs.
Note: No amount of pay is considered to be wages or compensation until such amount is earned, vested, and determinable. The amount and availability of any bonus, commission, incentive, benefits, or any other form of compensation and benefits that are allocable to a particular employee remains in the Company's sole and absolute discretion unless and until paid and may be modified at the Company’s sole and absolute discretion, consistent with applicable law.
AbbVie is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to operating with integrity, driving innovation, transforming lives and serving our community. Equal Opportunity Employer/Veterans/Disabled.
US & Puerto Rico only - to learn more, visit https://www.abbvie.com/join-us/equal-employment-opportunity-employer.html
US & Puerto Rico applicants seeking a reasonable accommodation, click here to learn more:
https://www.abbvie.com/join-us/reasonable-accommodations.html
See All 24 Business Development Associate Jobs in Illinois
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Find JobsBusiness Development Associate Jobs by City in Illinois
Where Illinois roles are concentrated, by current openings.
Business Development Associate Job Market in Illinois
A snapshot from current Illinois openings, updated as new roles post.
Who's Hiring



Top Industries Hiring
- Investment & Asset Management
What Illinois Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in business development associate jobs across Illinois.
- Bachelor's degree in business, marketing, or a related field required
- Proven ability to prospect, qualify leads, and manage a sales pipeline
- Experience with CRM platforms such as Salesforce or HubSpot
- Strong written and verbal communication skills for client-facing outreach
- Ability to collaborate cross-functionally with marketing and account management teams
- Familiarity with Illinois-based industry verticals such as financial services or technology
Business Development Associate Jobs in Illinois: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you become a business development associate in Illinois?
Most Illinois employers require a bachelor's degree in business, marketing, communications, or a related field. No state-issued license or registration is required for this role in Illinois. Candidates typically build their path through coursework in sales strategy or market analysis, then pursue entry-level roles at Chicago-area technology firms, insurance companies, or professional services organizations. Internship experience at Illinois-headquartered companies, combined with CRM proficiency, strengthens a candidate's profile significantly.
Which companies hire business development associates in Illinois?
Companies currently hiring business development associates in Illinois include Wolters Kluwer, NORC at the University of Chicago, and IQVIA, per current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. Illinois's concentration of Fortune 500 headquarters and major B2B technology firms in the Chicago metro creates consistent demand across industries including financial services, enterprise software, and healthcare.
Which Illinois cities have the most business development associate jobs?
Chicago, Schaumburg, and Riverwoods lead Illinois for business development associate openings. Chicago dominates because of its dense concentration of corporate headquarters, technology companies, and financial institutions, while Naperville and Schaumburg attract openings from large suburban campuses operated by firms in insurance, consulting, and enterprise technology that staff sizable inside sales and business development teams.
Are there remote business development associate jobs in Illinois?
Yes, and more than most fields, since business development work is primarily conducted through calls, video meetings, and digital outreach rather than on-site presence. About 83% of business development associate openings tied to Illinois are remote or hybrid as of November 2026, reflecting how well the role translates to distributed work. Outbound prospecting and account research functions are most commonly offered in fully remote formats.
How can I get hired as a business development associate in Illinois with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path is through a sales development representative or inside sales role at a Chicago-area technology or financial services company, which functions as a direct feeder into business development associate positions. Large Illinois employers like Morningstar, Outcome Health, and mid-sized SaaS firms in the River North and West Loop corridors regularly hire candidates without prior sales experience if they demonstrate strong communication skills and coachability. Completing a structured sales training program or earning a HubSpot or Salesforce certification gives candidates a concrete edge when applying to these roles.
Where can I find and apply to business development associate jobs in Illinois?
You can find and apply to business development associate jobs in Illinois on Migrate Mate, which lists current Illinois openings. Search the available roles, find the ones that match your background and location, and apply directly to the ones that fit.
See All 24 Business Development Associate Jobs in Illinois
Find roles in Illinois that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
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