Business Dev Intern at DataCatalyst - Career Launch in Columbus
Career & Market Insight
This internship is a strong early-career accelerator for anyone targeting consulting, enterprise sales, or data strategy roles. Let's break down what makes it stand out — and what to watch for.
Green flags:
- Real ownership, not busywork: DataCatalyst explicitly rejects the "junior consultant roster" model, meaning interns are more likely to handle meaningful work rather than slide decks and coffee runs.
- High-value skill development: Learning to sell complex, intangible services (data governance, MDM) is genuinely rare and transferable — this skill commands premium salaries in enterprise SaaS and consulting.
- Senior mentorship: Access to professionals averaging 15 years of experience is unusually high for an internship and can meaningfully accelerate your network and learning curve.
- Full-time pathway: Performance-based conversion signals a merit-driven culture.
Things to clarify before accepting:
- Compensation: No salary is listed — confirm whether this is paid, unpaid, or stipend-based before committing.
- Hours and structure: Remote internships with lean teams can blur into over-availability; ask about expected weekly hours and communication norms.
Market context: Business development roles in data consulting typically start at $55K–$75K full-time. Performing well here positions you ahead of peers for those entry-level roles.
Company Description
At DataCatalyst, we enable enterprises to transcend data disorder and gain clarity—fostering smarter, faster decision-making. Our veteran team of data management, governance, and monetization specialists brings, on average, 15 years of experience to each engagement, and we're proud of our 100% project success rate.
We take a hands-on, pragmatic approach—eschewing large junior consultant rosters and sales layers in favor of lean, deeply skilled teams focused on generating real business value. Using our proprietary Accelerate methodology, we swiftly deploy high-quality data strategies, governance structures, and MDM implementations across industries like financial services, healthcare, manufacturing & distribution, retail, energy, and more.
We embrace a fully remote, low-travel model, enabling sustainable work-life balance across time zones without compromising client delivery. With a flat organizational structure, open collaboration, and software engineering-inspired rigor—particularly strong documentation and technical discipline—we cultivate an environment where each individual makes a direct and visible impact.
Job Description
The Business Development Intern will support DataCatalyst's growth strategy by researching target accounts, assisting with outreach efforts, and contributing to outbound marketing initiatives. This role offers hands-on experience in consulting and large-enterprise business development in a fast-paced, remote environment.
What you'll do:
- Research target companies across industries like financial services, healthcare, manufacturing, and others
- Support personalized outreach campaigns and messaging
- Build and refine prospect lists and pipeline insights
- Analyze companies' data strategies and business priorities
- Help shape marketing positioning and thought leadership
- Assist with project administration (where needed) across complex, high-value consulting projects
What you'll gain:
- Deep understanding of data's role in business decision-making, revenue generation, competitive positioning, and AI innovation
- Fluency in industries that run the world — like manufacturing, healthcare, and financial services
- The ability to sell something complex and intangible — one of the most valuable and rare skills you can develop early in your career
- A masterclass in business development: from identifying the right targets and crafting compelling pitches to navigating objections and working with global teams
- Direct mentorship from seasoned professionals with deep industry knowledge and networks you can actually tap into
- Real ownership of work that matters — no busywork, no bureaucracy, no waiting to be handed something meaningful
- Further development of analytical, communication, and strategic thinking skills
- Potential pathway to full-time opportunities (based on performance and business need)
Qualifications
Who you are:
- Pursuing a degree in Business, Marketing, Sales, Consulting, Data Analytics, Economics, or a related field
- Prior internship or coursework experience in Marketing, Sales, Consulting, Data Analytics, or a related field (a plus, but not required)
- Familiarity with industries such as financial services, healthcare, or manufacturing (a plus, but not required)
- Curious, analytical, and engaging/outgoing
- Strong communicator with attention to detail
- Ability to work independently in a remote setting
- Interested in consulting, data, or business strategy
Frequently Asked Questions
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