Senior Director, Business Development (Pharma & Life Sciences)

We are seeking an experienced Senior Director of Business Development to drive new client acquisition and revenue growth across the North American pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and life sciences markets. This role is focused on identifying, developing, and closing strategic business opportunities across Clinical Development, Regulatory Affairs, Medical Writing, Pharmacovigilance, Medical Affairs, and other Pharma Business Process Services (BPS).

The ideal candidate is a highly motivated sales leader with a strong hunter mentality, an established network within the pharmaceutical industry, and a proven track record of winning new clients and closing complex enterprise services deals.

Key Responsibilities

• Drive new business development and acquire new pharmaceutical, biotech, and life sciences clients across North America.


• Identify, develop, and close strategic sales opportunities across Pharma BPS and outsourced clinical services.


• Build and maintain relationships with senior pharmaceutical executives and key decision-makers.


• Manage the full sales lifecycle, including prospecting, proposals, negotiations, and contract closure.


• Develop and maintain a strong sales pipeline to achieve revenue, bookings, and growth targets.


• Identify cross-selling and upselling opportunities within strategic accounts.


• Collaborate with internal teams to develop customized solutions that address client business needs.

Required Qualifications

• 13+ years of experience in sales, business development, or client acquisition within the pharmaceutical or life sciences industry.


• Proven success in new-logo acquisition, business development, and closing large enterprise services deals.


• Experience selling pharmaceutical outsourcing services, including one or more of the following:

Clinical Development / Clinical Operations

Regulatory Affairs / Regulatory Operations

Medical Writing

Pharmacovigilance / Drug Safety

Medical Affairs

Clinical Data Management

Pharma Business Process Services (BPS)

• Strong understanding of the US pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and life sciences markets.


• Established relationships with senior pharmaceutical executives and decision-makers.


• Experience managing complex sales cycles, RFPs, commercial negotiations, and strategic accounts.


• Background working within a Contract Research Organization (CRO), Pharma BPS provider, or Life Sciences services organization strongly preferred.