[Hiring] Director/Manager, Business Development at Sapient

About Us

Sapient is an early-stage fee for service, multi–omic contract research organization in San Diego, CA. Our focus is on accelerating drug development and transforming personalized medicine for our pharma and biotech clients. We are an agile, highly collaborative team of passionate scientists, committed to making innovations with scientific rigor, and executing in a timely manner in accordance with key regulatory standards. Combining state-of-the-art mass spectrometry technology with advanced biocomputational services and multifaceted human health data, we enable biomarker discovery at unprecedented speed and scale to provide a deeper understanding of human biology and effectively align biological targets, patients, and drug therapies in support of our clients.

This Business Development role is critical to driving Sapient’s growth by identifying, developing, and closing new business opportunities across pharma and biotech partners. This individual serves as a trusted external representative of the organization, building deep client relationships and clearly articulating Sapient’s scientific and commercial value. Success in this role requires a passion for science, a strong understanding of complex drug development challenges, and a genuine desire to help clients answer high‑impact biological questions through innovative multi‑omic solutions.

Job Description: 

• Develop and execute plans to achieve sales targets and expand our customer base within specified key accounts and geographic markets.
• Build and maintain strong, long-lasting client relationships by understanding their needs and offering tailored solutions.
• Research and analyze market trends, strategic investments/partnerships, and competitor strategies to identify new business opportunities.
• Prepare and deliver presentations and proposals to potential clients, effectively communicating the value proposition of our products and services.
• Negotiate contracts and close agreements to maximize profits while ensuring clients’ needs are met.
• Collaborate with internal teams, including operations, marketing and product development, to align efforts and enhance our offerings.
• Attend industry events, conferences, and trade shows to network and promote our brand.
• Provide feedback and insights to the management team on market trends, customer challenges, and competitive activities.
• Take an active role in support of sales process initiatives, maximizing sales effectiveness and assisting as needed in the development and mentoring of team members
• Maintain accurate records of activities, meetings, sales, and customer information within our CRM system.

Requirements: 

• Extensive drug development commercial experience
• Deep customer relationships within pharma, biotech and emerging biopharma markets
• Demonstrated success in sales within the desired pharma markets in life science services or products. Keenly interested in those with multi-omic experience supporting metabolomics and/or proteomic services
• High achiever who thrives working alongside other high performers
• 5 years’ prior experience preferred in pharmaceutical or biotech industries, with a preference for scientific service sales
• Excellent listening, presentation, and networking abilities
• Strong interpersonal skills for effective internal and external collaboration
• Self-motivated with a results-driven approach and proven track record of outperformance.
• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills
• Willingness to travel up to 50% of the time

Skills Requires:

• Proven experience in marketing, sales support, or related field preferred.

• Proven knowledge of AI systems and agent training for outreach success

• Strong technical acumen with Mass Spectrometry, ‘omics, or both with specific experience in metabolomics

• Strong prospecting skills and capacity to cultivate client relationships.

• Strong communication skills, both written and verbal, with the ability to present complex information clearly.

• Strong understanding of market dynamics and competitive landscape.

• Ability to clearly present strategies, data, reports, etc. and influence stakeholders effectively.

• Familiarity with CRM software (Salesforce).

• Exceptional analytical skills with a keen attention to detail.

Experience and Education:

3+ years of relevant work experience in a technical role, business development, sales, sales support, or a related field, in the life sciences industry (e.g., biotechnology and/or biopharma) with prior “omics” or mass spectrometry. BSc or higher in life sciences .