About the Role

At Gemma Associates, our Business Development Intern is not here to fill a support function. You will be on the front lines — researching targets, crafting outreach, and helping win the clients that define our growth. You will work directly with our senior team, learn how high-stakes commercial relationships are built, and leave with a skill set that most people take years to develop.

If you are the kind of person who reads about a company's new funding round and immediately thinks "that's a conversation we should be having" — keep reading.

What You Will Do

Hunt for Opportunity

• Build targeted prospect lists across startups, FMCG, and tech companies actively scaling their leadership teams
• Track market signals — funding rounds, expansions, C-suite changes — and turn them into timely outreach opportunities
• Research key decision-makers and develop a sharp understanding of what each company actually needs

Drive Outreach

• Craft personalised, compelling outreach to founders, HR leaders, and C-suite executives — not templates, real conversations
• Support LinkedIn and email campaigns that open doors and generate qualified meetings for the BD team
• Follow through relentlessly — great BD is about consistent, intelligent follow-up, not one-off messages

Build the Pipeline

• Help maintain and update the BD pipeline, ensuring nothing falls through the cracks
• Contribute to pitch materials, capability decks, and proposals tailored to specific client profiles
• Collaborate with the Marketing team to align outreach with brand campaigns and content moments

Learn the Game

• Sit in on client calls and pitches — understand how executive search mandates are won and structured
• Develop a working knowledge of talent market dynamics across key industries in Vietnam and SEA
• Build your own professional network from day one

What We Are Looking For

• You are competitive. You want to win — not just participate. You track your own numbers and push to improve them.
• You are resilient. You know that BD means hearing "no" more than "yes," and it does not slow you down.
• You are sharp. You write clearly, research deeply, and communicate with confidence to people far more senior than you.
• You are hungry. Three months from now, you want to be able to point to clients you helped bring in and deals you helped open.
• Currently pursuing or recently completed a degree in Business, Marketing, Economics, or related
• Strong written English — your outreach needs to land with a startup founder and a Fortune 500 CHRO equally
• Comfortable with LinkedIn as a professional tool
• Organised and self-directed — you do not need to be managed, you need to be challenged

What You Will Get

• Direct mentorship from senior consultants who have built client relationships across Vietnam and SEA
• Real exposure to how a commercial, relationship-driven business is built from the ground up
• A front-row seat to C-suite hiring decisions and the business dynamics behind them
• Hard skills in B2B prospecting, stakeholder communication, and pipeline management
• A network and a track record you can take anywhere
• Potential for conversion to a full-time role — we promote people who deliver

Company Description

Gemma Associates is a newly founded organization led by experienced practitioners with a history of placing senior leaders across Vietnam and Southeast Asia. The company collaborates with multinational firms in sectors such as FMCG, technology, and others, helping them secure top-tier talent. Gemma Associates also partners with startups, recognizing the critical role of leadership in shaping culture, driving vision, and ensuring business success. We are committed to delivering exceptional recruitment solutions that meet the unique needs of our diverse clients.