Strategic business development lead (all genders)

Merck Life Science; Wien; On-site; EUR 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Merck Life Science in Vienna is seeking a Strategic Business Development Lead to shape growth opportunities across EMEA, starting with Central Europe. You will translate customer investment plans into funded programs and build a portfolio of high-value projects across biopharma and bioprocessing landscapes.

You will collaborate with sales leaders and solution owners to define pursuit strategies, engage senior stakeholders, and drive successful commercial execution while leveraging CRM, market

Qualifications

• 10+ years in BD, strategic account management or solutions sales in biopharma or life sciences.
• Proven portfolio/pipeline management of regionally strategic projects with senior stakeholder alignment.
• Experience converting ambiguity into clear commercial hypotheses and decision paths.
• CRM, automation and market/intent intelligence experience.

Responsibilities

• Translate customers’ capital investment plans into business opportunities and build a portfolio of projects across biopharma/bioprocessing.
• Define pursuit strategies and guide projects from investment indication to commercial execution.
• Engage stakeholders through executive roadmaps, workshops and technology days.
• Drive visibility and conversion through qualification, documentation, deal review and handover.

Skills

Business development

Strategic account management

Solutions sales

CRM proficiency

Stakeholder management

Executive engagement

English proficiency

Education

Bachelor’s/Master’s in Life Sciences/Engineering/Business

Job description

Work Your Magic with us!

Ready to explore, break barriers, and discover more? We know you’ve got big plans – so do we! Our colleagues across the globe love innovating with science and technology to enrich people’s lives with our solutions in Healthcare, Life Science, and Electronics. Together, we dream big and are passionate about caring for our rich mix of people, customers, patients, and planet. That's why we are always looking for curious minds that see themselves imagining the unimaginable with us.

Your Role

As Strategic Business Development Lead EMEA Process Solutions, you will help shape growth opportunities across a dynamic regional landscape, with Central Europe as an important initial focus for the role. You will translate customers’ capital investment plans into business opportunities and build a portfolio of projects, including greenfield site buildouts, network investments, capability hubs, Centres of Excellence and technology installations.

Working closely with sales leaders and solution owners, you will define pursuit strategies and guide projects from the indication of investment through solution design and commercial execution. You will engage stakeholders through executive roadmaps, discovery workshops and technology days, securing commitments, milestones and next steps aligned with their investment decisions.

You will contribute to the commercial operating rhythm, including pipeline reviews, prioritization, decision gates, and stakeholder mapping. Using CRM, marketing automation, market intelligence, and digital analytics, you will direct team effort and resources toward capital-intensive opportunities with the greatest commercial potential.

You will uphold qualification, documentation, deal review and handover standards, driving visibility, consistency and conversion across high-priority markets. You will also build trusted relationships within target accounts and ensure projects transition smoothly into the commercial pipeline, influencing revenue growth, margin expansion, cross-selling and market position across your evolving remit.

Who You Are

• Bachelor’s or Master’s in Life Sciences, Engineering, Business Administration or related field; advanced degree preferred.
• 10+ years’ experience in business development, strategic account management or solutions sales in biopharma, bioprocessing or life‑science tools with sustained focus on complex, high‑value, multi‑stakeholder projects.
• Proven track record of building and governing a pipeline/portfolio of regionally strategic projects and advancing them from concept to funded program with senior stakeholder alignment.
• Skilled at initiating senior strategy conversations and structured discovery; able to convert ambiguity into clear commercial hypotheses, decision paths and stakeholder alignment.
• Proficient with CRM, automation and market/intent intelligence to create repeatable prioritization models that focus teams on highest commercial impact.
• Strong commercial understanding of bioprocessing markets and the ability to connect customer investment plans to our differentiated offerings and margin outcomes.
• Comfortable influencing across levels — from customer executives to internal senior management — and aligning cross‑functional resources without direct authority.
• Based in EMEA, business‑fluent in English, and willing/able to travel frequently.

What we offer:

We are curious minds that come from a broad range of backgrounds, perspectives, and life experiences. We believe that this variety drives excellence and innovation, strengthening our ability to lead in science and technology. We are committed to creating access and opportunities for all to develop and grow at your own pace. Join us in building a culture of inclusion and belonging that impacts millions and empowers everyone to work their magic and champion human progress!