Market Development Specialist Jobs in USA with Visa Sponsorship
Market Development Specialists can secure H-1B visa or O-1 visa sponsorship when the role requires a bachelor's degree in marketing, business, or a related field. Employers in tech, pharma, and consumer goods regularly sponsor this title through the H-1B cap process. For detailed occupation requirements, see the O*NET profile.
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Purple is a digitally-native vertical brand with a mission to help people feel and live better through innovative comfort solutions. To us, comfort means more than great products, it means empowering every employee to feel comfortable being themselves. We believe your career at Purple will be a one-of-a-kind “Career in Comfort” because our workforce is one-of-a-kind. We are committed to a culture of collaboration where every voice is heard and understood. As an innovation company at our core, we believe a diversity workforce brings better insights, solutions and products and serves as the backbone to bettering our company. Join with us as we add to our team of exceptional individuals who will help us take over the world — one mattress at a time.
Compensation
Job Summary
At Purple, we are building a world-class Market Development team that supports the future growth of the Wholesale division by creating raving fans. We believe this team is the backbone of a strong Wholesale Organization.
Job Description
Essential Duties & Responsibilities:
- The Market Development Specialist (MDS) role is focused on making every regional and national account as successful as possible by positioning themselves as the experts who can help maximize revenue growth and grow Purple’s Balance of Share (BOS) by giving stores the resources and training needed to sell Purple with confidence and ease.
- Travel to Wholesale partner stores and conducting store visits to train on Purple products and build relationships with Retail Sales Associates (RSAs) and store leaders every day, developing relationships and maintaining the Purple standards is a critical part of this role. When done effectively, the MDS influences how the brand is represented, the knowledge base of the sales associates who are engaging customers and selling the Purple product, how the product is merchandised and ultimately, increases profit for Purple.
- When strong relationships are in place, the MDS is welcomed into their retail partners stores and relied on to train, solve issues and build capability.
- Market Development Specialists have a passion for coaching, training, and selling, demonstrating this passion during calls and in-store visits. Influencing store teams to give Purple the best locations for beds and product accessories is a key responsibility. Executing one-to-one and group trainings, ensuring all RSAs in your assigned stores are highly knowledgeable about Purple’s products and are actively recommending them to consumers is critical to a MDS’s success.
- They communicate important initiatives from corporate to the stores and field insights to the account teams. They execute fun and engaging sales incentive programs with RSAs, rewarding top-performing sales associates to grow BOS. They work with store leadership and internal support teams to ensure Purple’s brand standards and merchandising are met in every store every time.
Required Skills, Education, Experience:
- 2-3 years of experience in Indirect Customer Sales
- Bachelor’s degree preferred.
- Passionate about coaching, training, and selling.
- Comfortable presenting in front of large groups, including leadership.
- Sales focused whether selling a product or an idea.
- Dedicated to bringing a creative & curious approach to problem solving & troubleshooting while challenging the status quo
- Committed to Excellence: Meticulous about detail and accuracy while working effectively in a fast-paced environment. Able to demonstrate exceptional organizational skills, with the ability to meet communicated schedules & deadlines.
- A Collaborator and Team Player: who anticipates and identifies emerging issues and works with team members to assist in the development and implementation of solutions. Able to work on diverse teams or with a diverse range of people effectively.
- Flexible & Results Driven: Able to manage, adapt, and dynamically prioritize multiple work-streams with a positive attitude. Able to work under pressure and meet goals in a rapidly changing environment.
- Able to communicate clearly and thoughtfully internally and externally.
- Dedicated to the mission of Purple and passionate about your desire to improve lives.
- Proven history of success in developing and implementing market-level sales strategies
- Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written.
- Computer and Software expertise (Salesforce, Outlook, Microsoft Office including Excel, Word, PowerPoint). Operation of company provided laptop and tablet.
- Prior experience developing or facilitating training content is highly preferred.
- Flexibility to work weekends, holidays, and evenings to meet the needs of the business.
- Ability to travel daily within market, overnight and airline travel required.
- A valid driver’s license and reliable transportation
- Residence within your assigned market, or willingness to relocate.
- Satisfactory completion of a background check, drug screen, and motor vehicle record check.
If you’re still reading and you check these boxes, we can’t wait to hear from you! If you have some but not all, we encourage you to apply and tell us why you’re a great fit for our team.
Physical Requirements
Physical activities may occasionally include:
- Remaining in stationary position, often standing, or sitting for prolonged periods of time.
- Adjusting or moving objects up to 15 pounds in all directions.
Physical activities may constantly include:
- Communicating with others to exchange information.
- Repetitive motions that may include the wrists, hands and/or fingers.
- Assessing the accuracy, neatness and thoroughness of work assigned.
Environmental Conditions may occasionally include:
- Noisy open office environment
- Frequent airline and car travel
Employment is contingent upon successfully passing a drug screening and a Motor Vehicle Record (MVR) check.
BENEFITS AND PERKS
Medical, Dental, Vision
401(k) Match
Flexible PTO
Earn a Mattress
Purple Swag
Amazing Purple Products
WHY WORK AT PURPLE?
Make your mark: We value innovative thinking. At Purple, you will be empowered to bring your ideas to life as we work together to improve people’s lives through comfort.
Gain unique experience: Be a part of one of the fastest growing companies in Utah! The contributions you make will matter at Purple as the company continues to grow with you.
Awesome culture: Join the tight-knit team at Purple and you can enjoy working alongside industry experts, making close friends, and annual employee appreciation events.
Purple provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.
This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment.
It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.
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Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding Visa Sponsorship as a Market Development Specialist
Target industries with consistent sponsorship track records
Tech, pharmaceutical, medical device, and consumer goods companies file the most LCAs for market development roles. Focusing your search on these sectors significantly improves your chances of finding an employer willing to sponsor.
Confirm your degree aligns with the specialty occupation standard
USCIS requires a direct connection between your degree field and the role. A marketing, business, or economics degree strengthens your petition. A degree in an unrelated field requires additional documentation to establish the connection.
Clarify sponsorship willingness before investing in the process
Many employers are open to sponsorship but haven't done it before. Raising it early, framing it as straightforward for experienced candidates, helps filter out hesitant employers and saves time in your search.
Use your LCA as a negotiating data point
The Labor Condition Application requires employers to certify a prevailing wage. Understanding the DOL wage levels for your role and location helps you negotiate compensation that satisfies both the LCA requirement and your expectations.
Prepare a concise sponsorship explainer for recruiters
Most recruiters aren't immigration experts. A one-paragraph summary explaining what H-1B visa sponsorship involves, typical employer costs, and the timeline helps move conversations forward instead of getting stuck on misconceptions.
Document strategic impact in your application materials
Market development roles that demonstrate revenue influence, market entry strategy, or cross-functional leadership are more defensible as specialty occupations. Framing your experience in strategic terms strengthens both your application and the employer's H-1B petition.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a Market Development Specialist role qualify as a specialty occupation for H-1B purposes?
It can, but it's not automatic. USCIS evaluates whether the position normally requires a bachelor's degree in a specific field like marketing, business development, or a related discipline. Roles focused on strategic market analysis, go-to-market planning, or product commercialization tend to qualify more cleanly than generalist sales or account management positions with the same title.
What visa options exist for Market Development Specialists beyond the H-1B?
Australians can pursue the E-3 visa, which has no lottery and allows two-year renewable status. Canadians and Mexicans may qualify under the TN visa if the role aligns with a covered USMCA profession. Candidates with a strong track record of market expansion results or industry recognition may qualify for the O-1A. Browse current openings on Migrate Mate to see which employers are actively sponsoring.
Which employers most commonly sponsor Market Development Specialists?
Sponsorship is most common at large technology companies, pharmaceutical and biotech firms, medical device manufacturers, and consumer goods multinationals. These industries regularly file LCAs for business development and market development titles. Startups occasionally sponsor for senior roles where the candidate is critical to a specific market entry strategy, though the process is less routine for smaller organizations.
Does my degree field affect my H-1B eligibility for this role?
Yes, and it matters more than most candidates expect. A degree in marketing, business administration, economics, or international business aligns most directly. If your degree is in a tangentially related field, your employer's attorney will need to build an argument for why that background is normal and necessary for the position. Unrelated degrees require significantly more documentation and carry higher RFE risk.
What's the H-1B approval rate for marketing and business development roles?
USCIS doesn't publish approval rates by job title, but business and marketing occupations historically see higher RFE rates than engineering or IT roles because the specialty occupation standard is harder to establish. Employer reputation, attorney quality, and how well the job description is written all affect outcomes. Working with an experienced immigration attorney and an employer who has sponsored similar roles before reduces risk considerably.
What is the prevailing wage requirement for sponsored Market Development Specialist jobs?
U.S. employers sponsoring a visa must pay at least the prevailing wage, which is what workers in the same role, area, and experience level typically earn. The Department of Labor sets this rate to make sure companies aren't hiring foreign workers simply because they'd accept lower pay than a U.S. worker. It varies by job title, location, and experience. You can look up current prevailing wage rates for any occupation and location using the OFLC Wage Search page.