A role-wide overview, not tied to one specific employer
· Reviewed by the Kareera team
"Business Development Associate" is less a single fixed job than an umbrella term for growth-focused, deal-making roles across many industries in the Philippines: FMCG trade marketing (Nestlé Philippines, Unilever Food Solutions), telecom partnerships (Globe Telecom), e-commerce seller and merchant growth (Lazada Philippines, Grab Philippines, TikTok Shop), banking loan generation (China Bank), commercial real estate leasing (SM Prime Holdings), and power sector business development (First Gen Corporation). The exact job title on the posting can vary quite a bit too, showing up as Customer Development Executive, Marketing Assistant, Business Analyst, Account Manager, Leasing Assistant Manager, or Business Development Analyst, even when the underlying mandate is the same: find new business, grow it, and protect it.
Across these companies, the day-to-day usually blends external persuasion with internal selling. You will spend time identifying and qualifying prospects (retail outlets, tenants, sellers, chefs, or corporate partners), pitching them on why they should work with your company, and negotiating terms within real constraints like a fixed margin cap or a limited promotional budget. At the same time, you are often expected to build a business case and pitch it internally to a manager or leadership team to get buy-in for a new idea, channel, or partnership. Several roles also require adapting a global or national playbook to the Philippine market, whether that is a worldwide FMCG campaign, a leasing pitch tailored to a specific tenant profile, or a livestream commerce strategy for a Filipino audience.
Most companies in this space treat the role as an entry point rather than a specialist position: a bachelor's degree in a business-related field is the common baseline, and several employers, including First Gen Corporation and China Bank, explicitly welcome fresh graduates with no prior experience required. What tends to matter more than a specific degree major is demonstrated resilience (the ability to handle rejection and keep prospecting), genuine curiosity about the specific industry you would be working in, and comfort operating in both a relationship-building mode and an analytical one, since many of these roles also ask you to track KPIs, monitor performance data, or build a simple financial model alongside the client-facing work.
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The interview process for this role almost always starts with an HR or recruiter screening covering basic qualifications and motivation, followed by one or more interviews with the hiring manager or business development team that dig into role-specific competencies. Reported timelines vary: Aboitiz Group averages about 21.6 days from application to offer, Grab Philippines averages around 23 days, and Globe Telecom and China Bank both run closer to a month. The number of rounds and whether there is a final panel stage differs meaningfully by employer, so check the specific company's guide for what to expect there.
A practical exercise shows up often but is not universal. Several companies build a scenario, case study, or role-play directly into the process: a territory case at Unilever Food Solutions, a financial model or Excel exercise at First Gen Corporation, and negotiation-style scenarios at Globe Telecom and Lazada Philippines. Aboitiz Group also uses an asynchronous video-recorded response round as part of its process. Not every employer includes an exercise like this, so again, check the specific company's guide.
What interviewers probe for is fairly consistent even when the format differs. Almost every company asks some version of "tell me about a time you spotted an opportunity or partnership before anyone asked you to," and pairs it with a negotiation or objection-handling scenario, whether that is a retail partner with no shelf space, a client happy with their current supplier, or a large account demanding a discount beyond your margin policy. Behavioral questions tied to a specific company value also come up often, such as Aboitiz's emphasis on integrity or Grab's expectation that you will help colleagues beyond your formal role.
Expect standard bookend questions too: "tell me about yourself" and some version of "where do you see yourself in the next few years" appear across nearly every company in this set. You should also be ready to explain why you specifically want to work in that company's industry, since interviewers consistently use this to separate candidates who understand the sector from those treating the role as a generic sales job.
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Prepare two STAR-format stories you can adapt on the spot: one about spotting a business opportunity or partnership on your own initiative, and one about negotiating or handling an objection under a real constraint, like a limited budget or a margin cap you cannot go below.
Research the specific industry of the company you are interviewing with, whether that is foodservice, e-commerce, telecom, banking, real estate, or energy, since interviewers consistently test whether you understand that sector's dynamics and not just generic sales skill.
Practice delivering a short internal pitch, not just an external sales pitch. Several companies test whether you can build a business case and defend it under pushback from a manager or stakeholder, separate from your ability to sell to a client or partner.
Be ready to walk through how you would prioritize or qualify a pipeline of leads, accounts, or deals, since managing multiple relationships at once is a recurring responsibility across these roles regardless of industry.
Confirm the actual interview format for the specific company before you walk in. Some run a lean two or three round process, others add a case study, a recorded video round, or a final panel, so do not assume a standard format applies everywhere.
Not always. The same growth-focused function shows up under different titles depending on the company, including Customer Development Executive, Marketing Assistant, Business Analyst, Account Manager, Leasing Assistant Manager, and Business Development Analyst. Check the specific company's guide to see how the title maps to the actual day-to-day work there.
Not necessarily. Several companies, including First Gen Corporation and China Bank, explicitly welcome fresh graduates with a business-related degree and no prior experience, while others prefer at least a year of relevant experience. Check the specific company's guide for what is actually required at that employer.
It is common but not universal. Some companies build a scenario exercise, case study, or role-play directly into their process, while others rely more heavily on structured behavioral interviews alone. Check the specific company's guide for what to expect there.
It depends heavily on the company and industry. Field sales and leasing-style versions of this role involve regular travel, cold calling, and in-person client visits, while more analytical versions lean toward office or hybrid work. Check the specific company's guide for the actual split.
Almost universally, they want to see that you can proactively spot opportunities, persuade both external partners and internal stakeholders, and hold your ground in a negotiation while staying collaborative. Genuine interest in the specific industry you would be working in comes up often too.