Senior Business Development Director

Senior Director, Business Development – CDMO Services

Location: Europe / Remote

Role Overview

We are seeking a Senior Director of Business Development to drive strategic growth across a global Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) business. This individual will be responsible for identifying, developing, and securing new business opportunities with pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and emerging life sciences companies requiring development, manufacturing, and commercialization support.

The candidate will lead the full business development lifecycle, from market mapping and prospect identification through opportunity qualification, proposal development, contract negotiation, and long-term account growth. Working closely with technical, operational, quality, regulatory, and project management teams, the Senior Director will serve as a trusted commercial partner to clients throughout the drug development and manufacturing journey.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and execute business development strategies to achieve revenue and growth objectives across designated territories and market segments.

• Identify and secure new opportunities with pharmaceutical, biotechnology, specialty pharma, and emerging biotech companies.

• Build and maintain relationships with senior stakeholders including CEOs, Founders, CMC leaders, Technical Operations, Procurement, Manufacturing, and R&D teams.

• Lead customer interactions throughout the sales cycle, including capability presentations, technical discussions, site visits, proposal development, and contract negotiations.

• Maintain a robust sales pipeline and provide accurate forecasting through CRM systems.

• Monitor industry trends, competitor activity, market developments, and emerging technologies to identify strategic growth opportunities.

• Develop strategic account plans to expand customer relationships from early-stage development projects through commercial manufacturing partnerships.

• Support commercial leadership in evaluating new markets, partnership opportunities, and strategic growth initiatives.

Preferred Background

• Significant experience in business development, strategic partnerships, account management, or commercial leadership within CDMO, CRO, pharmaceutical, biotechnology, life sciences, or related sectors.

• Strong understanding of pharmaceutical development, manufacturing, outsourcing models, and customer decision-making processes.

• Demonstrated success in managing complex B2B sales cycles and negotiating high-value commercial agreements.

• Experience engaging technical and executive-level stakeholders within pharmaceutical and biotechnology organizations.

• Strong commercial acumen with a proven ability to generate revenue growth and build long-term customer relationships.

• Excellent communication, negotiation, presentation, and stakeholder management skills.

Success Profile

The ideal candidate combines strategic business development capability with strong relationship-building skills and the ability to navigate complex technical and commercial environments. They are comfortable engaging with both scientific and executive stakeholders, managing long sales cycles, and converting opportunities into long-term partnerships that drive sustainable business growth.