Company Overview

Our client is an established international CDMO specialising in the development and manufacture of small molecule active pharmaceutical ingredients. Its capabilities span process development, custom synthesis and GMP manufacturing, supporting programmes from early development through to commercial supply.

Its customers include pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies that need a reliable, technically capable manufacturing partner for complex chemistry. The business combines experienced scientific, project and manufacturing teams with an established commercial presence in North America.

The organisation operates in a technically driven, collaborative environment where commercial and scientific teams work closely together, and where senior commercial people are trusted to run their own territory.

The Role

The Senior Business Development Director is a senior individual contributor position focused squarely on new business. The priority for this hire is clear: opening new pharma and biotech accounts across the Midwest and converting technically complex API programmes into long term business.

This is not a role built around an inherited book of customers. The successful candidate will identify new opportunities, create demand from the ground up and take programmes from first contact through to award, with a high degree of autonomy and direct access to North American commercial leadership.

The role is best suited to someone whose experience has been built selling API, drug substance or custom synthesis within a CDMO or API manufacturing environment, rather than in drug product, biologics or analytical services.

Key Responsibilities

• Identify, open and win new pharma and biotech accounts across the Midwest

• Sell small molecule API, drug substance and custom synthesis programmes from development through to commercial supply

• Build and manage a pipeline through consistent prospecting, relationship development and targeted account activity

• Take opportunities from initial contact through technical discussion, proposal, negotiation and award

• Work closely with technical, project and manufacturing teams to develop commercially and technically credible solutions

• Build relationships with CMC, process chemistry, external manufacturing and procurement stakeholders

• Represent the business at customer meetings, industry conferences and relevant events

• Provide market intelligence to commercial leadership on customers, competitors and regional opportunities

Qualifications

• Strong business development experience within small molecule API, drug substance, custom synthesis or HPAPI

• Experience within a CDMO, CMO or API manufacturing environment

• A demonstrable record of personally originating new opportunities and converting them into business

• Experience managing complex, long cycle pharmaceutical sales processes

• Credible relationships across Midwest pharma and biotech, or a strong track record of developing new territories

• Confidence selling technically complex manufacturing services to scientific and commercial stakeholders

• A genuinely hands on approach to new business development and the ability to operate independently

• Willingness to travel regularly across the territory

• Degree in chemistry, chemical engineering or a related scientific discipline, desirable

• Experience selling international manufacturing capacity into US customers, desirable

The Offer

• Senior individual contributor position with significant commercial autonomy

• An open territory with genuine ownership of Midwest growth

• Direct access to North American commercial leadership

• An established international manufacturing platform behind the role

If you feel you possess the right capabilities, please apply directly below.