Business Development Director

Overview

Abstraction, part of Virtuos, is a Dutch game co-development studio aiming to deliver cutting-edge game experiences. Specializing in technically and creatively demanding projects, we have collaborated on renowned IPs like Halo, Dune, Mass Effect, and Baldur's Gate. Our portfolio contains over 60 titles, reflecting our commitment to quality and technical prowess. We work with industry leaders such as BioWare/EA, 343/Microsoft, Funcom, Sega, and others, and strive to innovate in our field.

We are looking for a game-changing Business Development Director. In this leadership role, you will drive the next stage of our growth to become the go-to co-development studio for the biggest AAA studios seeking help with their most complex problems.

You'll work closely with our CEO and Virtuos's BD team to expand our relationships with publishers and partners worldwide, and represent our studio at industry events while building trust through expertise, credibility, and delivery confidence.

This role is for someone who is not scared to innovate and take on full ownership. It's for someone who gains energy from finding, creating and closing deals, while maintaining a strategic mindset: you will define how we grow, actively lead conversations, build partnerships, and close deals that fuel our future.

Your Impact

In this role, you will be more than your job title. You will:

• Cultivate Collaboration: Enhance our team culture through active participation and open communication.
• Ignite Innovation: Bring fresh, creative ideas that challenge conventional thinking.
• Embody Our Values: Live our core values and inspire others by example.
• Encourage Growth: Share your knowledge, fostering both individual and team development.
• Champion Positive Change: Help steer our company towards impactful, industry-leading initiatives.

Your contribution will extend beyond tasks and targets; it's about making a lasting, positive difference in our workplace and community.

What Will You Be Doing At Abstraction

• Define and Execute BD Strategy: Develop a clear business development strategy aligned with our studio goals, and own the entire sales pipeline end-to-end: prospecting, pitching, proposals, negotiation, and closing.
• Close High-Impact Deals: Lead deal negotiations with a win-win mindset, ensuring contracts align with client goals and studio capabilities. Work closely with production and discipline leads to craft compelling, realistic proposals.
• Strategic Partnerships: Build and maintain strong client relationships with senior stakeholders at publishers, platforms, and AAA studios globally, and act as a trusted advisor who understands client needs and matches them with our strengths.
• Liase with our Virtuos BD partners: Ensure business development outreaches are coordinated across the group, avoiding duplication and conflicting approaches. Take the lead on opportunities where our studio is the primary driver and collaborate on shared opportunities led by other studios.
• Industry Presence and Networking: Represent the studio at key industry events (GDC, Gamescom, etc.) alongside the CEO, and build visibility through meaningful conversations and positioning, ensuring the studio is recognized as a go-to partner for complex AAA projects.
• Data-Driven Pipeline Management: Manage the sales pipeline using CRM tools (such as Salesforce) and use the data to optimize our sales approach to meet or exceed targets.
• Market Intelligence & Data: Conduct comprehensive market analysis to identify opportunities and competitive insights across global markets.

What You Will Bring Along

• 8+ years of experience in business development or partnerships within the gaming industry
• Strong industry network and knowledge of who to connect to close deals
• Deep knowledge of the AAA games ecosystem, including development models (full-cycle, co-dev, ports)
• Proven track record of closing complex, high-value deals
• Strong strategic thinking with hands-on execution - comfortable both creating strategy and actively pursuing doors
• Excellent negotiation and communication skills, with credibility to operate internally and externally
• Experience with CRM systems
• Strong internal collaboration skills, with a history of partnering with delivery teams to translate client needs into actionable project plans

What We Offer

• An autonomous role within a professional and informally organized company
• A competitive salary
• A lot of room for personal development and taking responsibility
• Travel expenses allowance and/or work-from-home allowance
• Possibility to work hybrid/onsite

We are dedicated to fostering an inclusive and equitable work environment where all individuals are encouraged to thrive, and we empower all team members to bring their unique perspectives to the table.